12 oz of pure bliss

It's hard to imagine that just 60 days ago, it was so hot here that on one long, Saturday ride I cramped up so badly when we stopped to change a flat that I could barely stand. Now, with the first cold front having passed through town, it's time to dig out the cool weather gear--the leg warmers, arm warmers, thermal base layers, shoe covers, but, most importantly, the embrocation cream. The Belgian knee warmers. The stuff that warms my soul.

I don't know what it is about this stuff. Is it the sweet scent of Eucalyptus oil? Is it the tingling sensation you feel when applying it? Or is it the soothing warmth that begins to penetrate deep into the muscles? (I know, this paragraph could just as easily appear as a poorly written product description in some sordid "adult gifts" catalog--not that I would know or anything). But I really love the ritual of putting this stuff on before heading out for a ride in the crisp fall weather we have been experiencing of late.

It's probably that this stuff reminds me of some of my most epic--and favorite--rides. The night ride last December with Tim, Lopresto, and Jeff where it was cold, dark, and rainy; the ride where we got chased by dogs and stopped by a train on a dark road on the Southside of town. It reminds me of the rides when it is so miserable out that no sane person would be out on a bicycle in these conditions--the days you certainly won't see MS150 trainees out riding. The days when South Texas looks and feels more like Belgium in February. The days that the cold overpowers the embrocation, leaving you doubt whether the stuff is even working (but a brief stop inside a warmed convenience store causes your legs to burn and reminds you that, indeed, it is still working).