Busted!

This past week, I was listening to one of my many podcasts on the way home from work.  I was listening to The Training Bible Coaching Podcast and the topic was off season training.  Specifically they were discussing ways to maintain cycling fitness during the frigged winter months here in the Midwest.  They talked about how it's smarter to ride trails on a mountain bike as opposed to riding a road bike, even when the roads are clear of ice and snow.  There were several legitimate points they made....

1. You will be riding slower, reducing the wind chill effect.
2. You are in a more comfortable position, which is also more conducive for wearing multiple layers.
3. You can handle your bike better with thicker gloves.
4. Typically you will be riding on trails which are located in the woods, which will provide cover and additional protection from wind and rain/snow.
5. You are riding a bike with wider tires which will provided better traction in snow.

It all sounds perfect and, hey - I have a mountain bike!  No, its nothing special, just your typical mountain bike.  The only thing is I got rid of the crazy wide tires, years ago, before I bought a nice new road bike.  Yup, my mountain bike - a massively heavy frame, complete with front suspension, and super generous gear rations - was set up to be a super poor man's road bike.  But, hey, I was in college, what did you expect?  I have not ridden this bike in years, so I just left the "slicks" on the bike - until now!  I was motivated and excited to try mountain biking this fall/winter.  It would be a great way to maintain my cycling fitness instead of always riding on my indoor trainer.  So I went out and bought new, thick, tread-filled mountain bike tires.  I put them on the wheels and in a little over 20 minutes it was like I had a new bike.  

My plan was to ride out to 1,000 Islands Nature Center and bike on their trails.  I didn't want it to be a long ride by any means, just a way to re-introduce myself to off road cycling.  It was a cold and windy November day with temperatures around 20 and a slow but consistent wind.  It was typical weather that would have normally kept me inside and off my road bike, but not today!  After a short 3 mile warm up ride to the trails, I was riding on rough terrain and riding over ruts, stumps, and rocks.  It was a totally new experience.  I was climbing high dirt hills, jumping over logs, basically loving life....all until my chain snapped.  Yessir, all of a sudden I was pedaling and not going anywhere.  I looked down and saw I didn't have a chain, in fact it was about 10' behind me, laid out nice and straight.  Great.....now what.  I am in the middle of the forest, about 3 miles from home.  I decided to wear my old rubber softball cleats, because they were the only active footwear I own that are not made of mesh (like running shoes).  So, I sucked it up and ran home.  3 miles, in old softball cleats, pushing a broken bike, wearing a bike helmet.  Part of me felt like a fool, while the small crazy endurance athlete in me felt like a badass.  No, I didn't wipe out and bust up my bike, but my chain broke, so I was running home with my no-good bike, wearing cleats.  There has to be some badass points there, right?