The coldest Norman in history

The title of this post says it all: -8 on the Norman this morning, with an apprent temp of -11.8 (by the time we got back for coffee). I have never ridden in conditions as cold as this morning, and to be honest (and at the risk of being shouted at by everyone else who was there), it didn't feel anywhere near as cold as it did when Leonie and Eleanora and I headed out to do Mugga Way a few weeks back. It was clear and crisp and completely stunning. The only time I was really cold was out the back of the TGA, when my bum seemed to suddenly freeze over and I had one of those "am I still wearing knicks" moments (fortunately I was!). The pace was not too fast as we were all aiming for an E1 ride, so we tried to take turns on the front so no one froze while sitting on the back. I struggled to get my heartrate into my E1 zone and I'm wondering if that's because of the cold (although it could also be because I've just got a really high E1 zone given my current state of fitness). All in all, it was an awesome ride. Cold, yes, but also epic and I'm really proud of myself for getting out in it. It'll certainly give me something to talk about for years to come, and I've definitely earned by "hard core" status. Woohoo!