Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Is it breaking???

The weather, that is. It is finally out of the teens or single digits in the am! Honestly though, this has been a great winter, as winter goes. I have ridden outside more this winter than any other. If the few week cold snap is all we get, I’ll be happy w/ the winter. We got our big storm, which was an moderate ice storm and about 4" of snow. W/ the rising temps (pattern change?) and some rain, will make for flooding in a few days.
I have ridden trainer more and more since I posted last, but I rode my CX bike on the road this past Sunday (2/18). You couldn’t really have ridden a road bike, too much snow/ice. But the cross bike was perfect. I only rode about an hour, but it was 20* or so, so I’ll take that. I‘d rather ride outside for 1 hour than trainer for 2. I can hammer on hills and keep steady between for an hour or so and get a better workout. I am going to ride trainer today, despite the mid 40 temps @ 8:20am, because I want to take this week easy. My butt muscle(s) are bugging me more the past few days and I have been training really consistent, so I want an easy week, but not off. I start road racing in, like, 3 weeks. Then in about 4 weeks it’s off to the Great Smokey Mountains for training camp.
I am getting a new MTB frame sent to me form Giant to replace my cracked one. Actually, they’re sending me a new front triangle and I am reusing my rear triangle (swing arm). I hope to have this all ready later this week or next, although MTB riding will be off the horizon for a solid month or so (wet season).
Welp, gotta get my butt on the trainer while Saved By The Bell is still on.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

More of the same

No reason to bore everyone w/ tales of inside riding. Just suffice it to say I’m trying to get in 10hr/week, but my average for the year is ~8.5/week.
We rode MTB outside last weekend again in the single digits. It was awesome. In the places where there wasn’t snow, the trail was dusty and dry. Just like a hot July day, only really cold. It was a good ride, but I noticed some very early stage cracks developing in my carbon MTB frame. I had to send it back to Giant before I can get a warranty frame sent out to me, so I am sans MTB right now and likely will be for 2-3 weeks realistically. That’s the way things go. My MTB has not had it easy. It has been raced very hard for about 3 years.
Today (Sun 2/11) Danny P came down form Indy and he, R.S. and I rode the Hoosier Hills 60k route. It ended up being a little over 40 miles, about 42. It was a really good ride w/ two or three really good climbs. I’ve been here about two years and have never done these rides (there’s a 100k too). We rode it pretty hard and I felt really good. R.S. rides hard year round and is super fast no matter what, so to feel good after a ride w/ him in Feb is a good thing. I took some good long pulls and climbed well.
Looks like another cold snap and some bad weather is headed our way, so more inside training!
I can handle it. I have my sessions set up so they go by fine. I turn on the "electronica dance" music channel on the digital cable and do my intervals. It works. Plus my bike needed totally cleaned off after riding outside today from all the wet/salt/sand on the roads. It’s kind of a pain anyway.
Take care/stay warm and those of who drive, drive careful.