A Road Less Traveled

I have done a lot of riding over the last three days. Actually, I am supposed to be riding right now, but they predicted horrible weather all weekend including snow, gusting winds and freezing temperatures. So I jumped the gun and did a long ride on Thursday.

I got a little nervous looking at the weekend weather forecast, as I had three long rides scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday (a 12 hour ride, a 9 hour ride and a 6 hour ride.) Hoping to get my scheduled ride time in, I went out on Thursday for 6 hours, figuring that I would only need to do 6 hours on Friday during the snowstorm, which I could split between the mountain bike and the trainer.

Well they got is partially correct. We had gusting winds and freezing temperatures but no snow. So I did my 12 hours on Friday and 9 on Saturday. I am taking today off (well maybe an hour or two on the trainer to loosen up.)

I did all my riding these past three days on the cycle cross bike and I stayed on back roads. What a blast, finding new routes to familiar destinations. All those dirt roads we avoided all summer on our road bikes are new passages just waiting to be explored. And the best part – no traffic. There were stretches where I would go hours without a single car passing me.

It has been cold. Some of the days started (and ended) in the single digits and I don’t think it ever got above 20 yesterday. The only things giving me any trouble are my feet. When it’s in the teens and 20s, my feet start getting cold after about three hours. The only solution I have figured out is to keep my loops to about four hours, coming home to thaw them out and have a snack.

I have made some alterations/additions to my riding kit. I added knee warmers and a pair of wind resistant hiking pants to my bottom layer and replaced the fleece vest with a fleece jacket.

This week marks the end of one training cycle and the start of the next. This was the end of base building and the start of intensity. The next four months will focus on triple consecutive long rides, spaced every other weekend. As this was a transition week, I did a mini triple. In two weeks I will do a 12 hour, 10 hour, and another 10 hour ride.

I am feeling great today and think I could easily go out and do a 10 or 12 hour ride. I could, but it’s not on the schedule, so I won’t. :)

Ride on!!!!!

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