Fog!!! (enough said)

What is it about fog? What mythical quality does it possess to make you feel so frigging cold? Of course I understand the physical reactions. Fog is wet and when you are wet you feel colder. I get that. However, I think in our psyche it somehow goes much deeper then that. When riding, I will wear just as many layers for a 50 degree foggy ride as I do for a 36 degree sunny adventure. Now that I think of it, maybe I should discussing the magic of the sun.

In Sonoma County we deal with three types of fog. The first isn't even fog, it's a marine layer of clouds that comes in from the ocean, hangs out at around 1000 feet, and typically burns off by 10ish. Then we have good ole ground fog, which is very thick and very wet. We also get something known as Tule fog, which are small dense patches that form in the valleys. Sometimes we get all three going at the same time.

The fog does create some magical moments. There are times when you can ride, run or hike your way up a climb and find yourself above the fog. These are breath-takingly beautiful mornings where you feel like you could simply step onto the fog and walk over to the next peak. I have gone from running in brilliant sunshine to heavy fog within a 200 yard stretch. This always makes me feel a little like a J.R.R. Tolkien character carrying a ring to a forbidden land. Walking through a forest as the sun shines through the fog always seems to heighten my senses and I feel truly alive, and blessed. This all happens mostly in the summer.

In the winter, it is a different story. The most powerful mythical quality fog seems to have in winter is the ability to steal any motivation I might have to get out and ride or run. I mean really. Who wants to head out into a cold (it is currently 34), wet foggy morning when they have a warm chair and coffee inside? I don't mind it once I get started. It's the getting started that's the hard part. (In case you haven't guessed by now, it has been very foggy every day this week.)

Have you figured out that I have zero motivation to head out? I mean if we were keeping score for the month of December it would be blogs-2, workouts-0. How pathetic is that? I say I am going out right up to the point when it's time to leave. Then I see the coffee and it's all over. It's just that easy to bail when I look out the kitchen window and can't even see the back fence. I can't even seem to muster enough motivation to get on the trainer and it's in the garage completely protected from the fog.

Is there a cure for this? How do you get past this serious lack of mojo? With a little help from your friends. I am much more likely to head out if I am meeting up with someone. They are my little anti-fog support group whether they know it or not.

For now, I'll just roll with my lack of motivation and call it recovery. Soon, I'll starting getting restless and feel the need to head out again. Until then, where's my coffee?

Ciao!