Dark December
The days are getting shorter. December is the darkest month. Dark skies, dark weather, dark moods. Today we will have 8.5 hours of daylight. That is probably why there are parties at the end of this month. Those correspond to the turn of the year and the beginning of longer days. We are going to make it.
I will miss my goal for distance. I would have to do over 400 km. I rarely exceed 200 in December. Cold and wet are inconvenient, but not total blocks. Ice and snow are blocks to riding for me. In places where there is lots of snow there are studded fat tires and just keep going. Arguably those conditions are better to use cross Country Skis. I used to do that. Maybe I should take it up again.
I have done, as of today, 5586 km. My average annual distance over the past 14 years is 4770 km. I will beat that by over a thousand. Not bad given I already missed about 500 km this year due to illness injury and shitty weather. I find that to hit 6k I need big numbers in late winter and spring. There is a plan for next year then.
My average number of days riding is 110 and I am at 127 right now.
The fat burn calculation shows me at 25.9 lbs burned off or not gained to date. This old man is doing OK.
I just got a new wrist band for the Fitbit Demon. The original plastic thing was cracking and about to fail. Plastic is not ideal for close skin contact anyway. I ordered a leather one as it should last years. I have lots of leather care products. I slathered it with “mink oil”. It is compatible with human skin so ideal for things you wear. It is really good for shoes, jackets, gloves and my leather hat. The plastic strap almost lasted a year.
Fitbit is already hitting me with upgrade bullshit after one year. They have a new better model that also sells you out to Google. Hey just so you know if I upgrade it will be to a Garmin, so don't push it.
I may ask for a new bike computer for Xmas. My wife always asks what I want and my mind runs over all the nice things on my wish list. I wish they were less than a few thousand dollars. I really want a disk brake Tarmac bike. A bike computer can be had for a couple hundred. My current one is completely adequate, but it is kinda old, though it refuses to break.
Funny when I think of gifts for me they are all bike related.
