Winter started off slowly here. Remember my Boxing Day bike ride? Or my 5 degree bike ride with Nat? Those days are gone. Winter was late to the party this year but it seems to have arrived with a bang.
This weekend: Extreme cold warning issued for London area; wind chills below -30 expected
So no biking for me.
Even dog walking is a bit of a challenge. The sidewalks are snowy and the snow banks are getting high.
Tracy commented recently that I pay attention to pedestrian safety. I didn’t used to even think about it but since moving to London I’ve had two acquaintances killed by drivers while they were out walking, one person I knew from church and another I rode with regularly at the velodrome. Both ongoing acquaintances, both fit healthy women in midlife, dead because they were hit by drivers.
Knowing this makes me a well-prepared dog walker. Usually I wear reflective running gear and brightly coloured clothes but my winter stuff tends to be dark.
Luckily my son got a job with a snow shoveling company. The post came with a super warm, workplace safety approved, high visibility coat. Toasty! (This article details the stages of Canadian cold. I’m at least at Level 6, not caring what I look like.)
So I’m warm and extra visible. Tracy’s recent post got me thinking about the distinction between fear and anxiety. It’s true I take precautions when I’m out walking, and cycling, but once out there I relax and enjoy myself.
How about you? Do you feel safe out walking and running? What steps do you take to stay safe?
My main worry this winter is going flying and then whomp on the ice, which is hard as concrete because of the level 7 “teenagers dress appropriately for winter” cold here in Boston (that link totally cracked me up; getting the gloves from volkswagen was a highlight). I’ve done this already once, but am still too proud to wear leisure-style crampons on my boots. Wishing and hoping that March will bring warmer temps.
The 9 stages of Canadian cold was a great article. Thanks for the laugh! Stay safe!!
I am not worried about my safety as much as my kids’ safety. Sure, something can happen to me, but my girls are not the most experience bikers, and although they have been on the road with me in our neighbourhood, I cringe to think of my oldest biking along Waterloo to and from high school with all that traffic out there. Once I replace our bikes (they were stolen a couple of summers ago), I will bike it with her a few times to be sure I feel she is safe enough.