Just another day in the saddle

I was feeling Ho Hum about another training ride but wanted to get some miles in because the forecast for Tuesday is for more f***ing cold weather. I would have ditched it like a wet log in favor for a bag of chips and the Olympics, but I have recently made a commitment to eat better, ride more, shed a few pounds of fat, get smarter and become an astronaut. Actually I think I deserved two stars in my scribbler because I kinda felt like crap to start, which is normal the day after hitting the weights. I find that, although heavy leg work rarely leaves me sore, it does leave me feeling bla for the next day or two. I never feel like riding when I'm bla. Still... it was great-ish to get out in the mild weather, and fire up the muscles riding over the snow covered river bank trails, and the ice trails on the Assiniboine and Red river.

I have been hearing reports about the Seine River trail that runs through the southeastern section of the province of Manitoba, Canada. The Seine is one of the four rivers of the city of Winnipeg and was named after the famous Seine River in France. My understanding is that the river is born from the Sandilands Provincial Forest. It passes through the communities of Marchand, La Broqueries Ste. Anne, and finally Lorette before reaching the Winnipeg City limits. Within the city it meanders along until it reaches the Red River in St. Boniface behind Whittier Park just north of the Forks.

I have been super busy and stressed with exams, paper, work and life in general. Training has turned into therapy, but I have been getting bored stiff with the same old ride everyday. I had heard that the Seine River was well packed, fast and worth riding, and since I am never one to pass up riding something new I went to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, warm weather is a doubled edge sword for snow biking. Warm weather + winter river trail = the entire trail was underwater. Disappointed and ‘still’ feeling ho-hum about my ride I found my way to the worlds longest skating rink and the The Warming Hut Art-chitecture Exhibition on Ice. If you haven’t seen them… you should. They are amazing!

I worked my way up-and-down the river banks to the end of the skating trail, then along the river bank trail to Oman’s Creek and home. It is a rare thing indeed, but Monday’s ride never did turn ho-hum into ho ho. On the bright side my hands were warm :)