This morning’s ride was anything but memorable.
Cold weather and a steady headwind left several of us – mostly me – feeling nasty and we cut our planned ride from Sumner to the Carbonado Bridge short.
After gauging the team, Rick Beitelspacher made the call to turn us around in Wilkeson, pointing out that suffering for an additional 10-12 miles was going to make or break our training.
“We don’t need to do junk miles,” Beitelspacher said.
So we called it a day after 40 miles.
The biggest problem seemed to be my upset stomach (Apparently a plate of brownies isn’t good carbo loading). Russ Meyers had a tight leg, but he worked it out on Tubbs Hills in South Prairie.
Beitelspacher and Kevin – an occasional guest rider with the group - also felt pretty sick during the 15-mile ride to South Prairie because of the headwind, but they felt much better on the 20 miles home.
Scott Wagar, on the other hand, felt strong and was asking to keep riding at the end of the day.
The chilly morning wasn’t a total loss. It gave me the chance to practice my farmer's blow technique.
Like any sport you do in cold weather, you have to know how to blow your nose without effecting your performance.
Think I’m joking? Watch the sideline next time you are at Seahawks' game. Cameras caught Tiger Woods going tissueless at a golf match earlier this year.
There’s an art to the farmers blow, especially when you are traveling in a pace line with somebody just a few feet behind you.
Beitelspacher almost clipped me with a snot rocket this morning, and I soiled a sock with a misfire of my own.
There are two techniques worth considering. The over-the-shoulder farmer’s blow and the under-the-armpit blow.
I usually go over-the-shoulder, but occasionally have to clean my jersey after rides as a result. And I can usually only do this when I’m at the end of the pace line because spraying boogers at 20 mph makes quite the snot comet.
Beitelspacher says he prefers the under-the-armpit approach. Going under the armpit decreases the time your nasal discharge spends in the air and, unless it’s really windy, the folks behind you are normally safe.
But like most things, go with what works best for you.

Check out this text book farmer's blow from a woman cycling in Portland.