How do I beat the winter blues!

I saw this today and figured one possible explanation is that they are suffering from the winter blues -- or Singlespeed Affected Disorder (SAD), as doctors call it.

People with SAD usually throw it down in the spring and summer, then experience symptoms of bitchiness in the fall and winter, when the shorter span of daylight seems to throw off their biological (circadian) rhythms. Their energy lags as their tongues wag, they eat and drink more, and gain weight, they want to ‘talk’ about bike parts more then actually ‘riding’. They may have trouble getting up in the mornings. A lot of hammerheads feel down in the dumps -- and they feel that way almost every day.

People with SAD tend to stay in a deep sleep later into the morning than usual, then feel lethargic, drowsy, and "wiped out" during the day -- much like a case of jet lag. Unlike jet lag, however, the distorted sleep patterns of SAD can persist for weeks or months. It's easy to imagine how this could lead to a major depression!

As many as 1 in 20 racers suffer from SAD, and it appears to be more common the further you get from the equator. For instance, while about 1% of people in Florida get SAD, it's closer to 10% in Manitoba Canada, according to a study in the February 2007 issue of the journal Psychiatry Research. Many more people have milder versions of SAD -- their symptoms are still evident but not severe enough to qualify as a major depression.

Many people think of depression -- including SAD -- as a bike messenger disease. And it's true that about 2 out of 3 people diagnosed with SAD in this country are messengers, according to an article in the Dec. 8, 2007, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. But lots of hammerheads do get SAD -- more, I suspect, than are reflected in most estimates. I think one big reason for this is that racer boys and girls often tend to "tough it out with one gear," so they don't seek professional help.

So what can you do if you're feeling this way? My primary suggestion is that you bring more light into your life. Literally. The lighter parts you are exposed to each morning, the better. If you get up after sunrise, you could go outside or sit by a large window -- even on cloudy days and stare at your bike… I do! But even if you must rise before the sun does, there are still things you can do.

You may have heard about "ebay" – a powerful Internet clearinghouse for people to lots of light stuff. In my experience, these ‘lights’ really work for a lot of people who basically just sit in front of their bike for about 30-minutes each morning. You don't have to stare at that ‘light’ bike -- you can ride it, have breakfast while riding it, carry on a conversation while riding it, or even watch television… while riding!

A newer, more convenient technique is called training. With this system, a light bike in your bedroom is attached to a trainer. You can get on before sunrise and slowly increases your training hours over the winter. There is not as much research on this technique but it seems promising. Both these types of light therapy (i.e., buying new parts and training) seem to work by shifting your circadian rhythms earlier in the day, and improving your overall emotional state.

Talk to your coach about these light therapy techniques. If they don't work, you may also want to discuss taking antidepressant medication, which seems to help some people with SAD.

Whatever else you try; you should carefully manage your trash talking. Try to curb the familiar habit of staying up later on Friday and Saturday and "sleeping in" the next morning, and missing the start of races. Get to bed and get up at set times every day. Ideally, this will help you show up to races, and meetings on time. And by all means, make sure you get enough sleep.

Smart Ass Coach Dave ;)