Endurance and sunrises

My eyes sting with tears, my face burns, I can hardly feel my nose.... My legs seem as hard as rock, but they must continue pedaling as fast as they can in order to minimize the torture...

Seems like a horror movie scene or... just my 5 minute bike ride from office to the train station (or reverse in the morning). With temperatures around -5oC (in the lower 20s) in the morning and afternoons this week and highs around zero (when I'm in the office) biking has been a challenge. I've insisted on biking since I see the trade off as being a choice between longer exposure and less wind (walk) or shorter exposure and more wind (biking) and the latter has won so far. Let's see how long it lasts!

The other day I brought my down jacket to work and my boss teased me asking me: "Why did you already bring my -20oC (-5oF) jacket out?" Well... let's just say that I'm not used to this range in temperature. But I do hope the jacket continues to keep me warm when it gets colder!! For now it has been the best thing I brought with me (purchased in the US especially for this Nordic climate as soon as I knew I was moving here!!).

On a related topic, I see the sunrise every morning! In Brazil this would probably mean that you are partying all the time. Well, here it is not so. I get up at 7am now and there is barely any light. At 8:15am when the train pulls into the station is about the time the sun shows its first rays. Getting ready for the dark winter months...
But people say that everything becomes brighter when it snows (snow reflects light). So let's see if they are right tomorrow, since the forecast says it is going to snow tonight!