Old man winter is outside my window……

Oh my, what long icicles you have!

messing with my trails…..

Where'd my trail go?

No prob……a 29er crew girl always has a back-up plan…..

I love me some snowshoes!

Hey Everyone,

Hopefully if the post works there should be a summary of February’s commuting log to view. It’s worth mentioning the post is early because next week I’m on vacation from work, bike, winter, life, etc. Anyway, back to the log. Crazy, obsessive, too much math……yes, all of the above, but once the sheet was set up it became very easy to track commuting miles, total cycling miles, time, average speed, gas saved, etc. If I wanted to go totally green there’s probably a way to calculate CO2 emissions saved. And remember, this is New Hampshire commuting we’re talking about…snow and cold are the norm (although it’s the wind that really destroys me).

FYI, my winter commuter bike is a old mtb single speed (no mention of the name) with a full fenders and a Supernova E3 Triple headlight connected to a dynamo hub. The light is amazingly bright and to never worry about batteries again……priceless! For all 24hr 29′er racers, a must have.

Off to the beach and sun for a week.

 Steve

Getting motivated this time of year is a challenge for me, & if you live in the upper Midwest or other cold locales, you know this winter has been especially rough, with almost weekly snowstorms and cold, windy weather that limit outdoor riding.  So you make the best of it:  snowshoeing, skate skiing, hiking & diversifying as much as possible (I even started taking pilates classes this winter?).  But at some point there comes the moment of truth.  When you know that if you want to be competitive in the summer, you have to suck it up, hop back on the bike & start logging some solid hours.

For me, sitting on a trainer is about as far as you can get from riding a strip of dirt.  It’s static, sterile, mundane.  Spin classes, sitting in front of the TV on my trainer, and even what we affectionately call “trainer parties” aren’t enough to distract me from the fact that though I’m riding a bike, I’m not having any fun.  Therein lies the contradiction: riding a bike & training to be fast & have fun…but loathing the journey, at least early in the season.

So last weekend the weather broke a bit, and I headed out  solo on the Ferrous for some local gravel.  Nice hills, no traffic to speak of, and little wind.  The snow started to fall about an hour into the 3 hour ride, and continued gently for the remainder, putting a nice clean veil on the dirt.  My legs felt great.  The day was perfect.  As I neared the end of the ride it struck me:  All the  mind-numbing hours on the trainer, sweaty & bored stiff - I was taking my medicine.  Bitter, choking it down & trying to convince myself it will be worth it.  But knowing that in order to feel the best I can later, I must deal with the bitter taste of suffering.  That’s right.  Taking my medicine.  Keep it coming. 

I was able to get out on a couple of nice road rides this weekend.  I must say I think Kentucky may be one of the best hidden treasures when it comes to road riding.   If anyone ever happens down this way, here is a nice ride to check out sometime.

And for those of you who ride in areas with a lot of stray dogs,  stop by a local shopping center and pick up a can of Halt.  It works exactly as advertised.

via Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Untitled.