Making me melt

ERMAGHERD IT'S SPRING!

With the arrival of Daylight Savings Time, I finally got to run in natural light on Monday after work! I raced the streetlights and was beaten by a mere 5mins for a 6-ish kilometer run. Still, this was the sky as I finished:

Complaints: 0

While the evening sun is most welcome, this week has brought something even more welcome - temperatures capable of sustaining human life! I haven't worn a jacket for a single run since Sunday, and have even been running with some exposed skin.

GASP!

There has been a lot of ice on the sidewalks due to the melting and re-freezing, but since the roads are dry and our neighbourhood is pretty quiet, my training paces have come up significantly...as has my confidence that I'm not going to fall and break my neck or snap my ankle.

The dry roads also led to another first for the year.

Oh, sweet return of sanity!

It's impossible to quantify just how much more fulfilling it is to roll around on a bicycle in the sunshine than to grind away on the trainer. Even if the bike is a bit cantankerous; the roads a riot of meltwater puddles and potholes; and the wind a gusty reality check of how badly you've let your cycling fitness slip in the last few dark months: that first outdoor ride of the year, in mild air with the warm sun shining down...it's bloody glorious.

Especially if you happen to spot a random waterfall of melting snow on the side of a busy road.

I hope that all of you who have just suffered through the depths of the coldest February on record get to experience some of the frenzied joy of spring as it softly pries the world from winter's icy grip. Go outside and see for yourself!