Mid March, really?

St Patty’s day is behind us and so is the fall MCF Awards banquet, which for some reason was held in March of 2013 celebrating the 2012 season, so the first of my road rides should be complete and I should be looking forward to that first track day at the end of the month. Should be is the right phrase because all I hear from bike riders and actually just about anyone living in MN is “It’s cold”, “It was 80 degrees last year”  “When is spring coming”, “We should be out riding”, “I wish I was out riding”, “Riding the trainer is really getting old”, and any number of other comments on the continuation of winter. It is March however and as I remember, we usually get lots of snow, the days get longer, the sun is out more and all that snow melts a lot faster. As I see it, kind of a normal March, not that I really like it but I really don’t mind. Readjust the brain some and realize when the real ride and race season will be here.

Next week, Tuesday the 26th to be exact, is the TCN Chamber Expo at the Mermaid and Tim the Chamber President asked if PJW Auto was going to promote the NSC Velodrome again with riders on rollers. Well of course we are. It is a bit of my spring ritual. Charlie from the Speedfix team will be my helper this year, replacing Jen who escaped to CO during the past year. We might even have a chance to show off the Competition Roller set if there is room.

Winter endurance training is continuing and now transitioning away from weight room work into more and more on the bike time on rollers and last night in a Spinning class. I used to be addicted to Spin classes and they kept me on schedule all winter long in the past. Last night was very strange but so very familiar. Only the trainer and co riders were the variables. 75 minute spin class and today I don’t feel any worse and actually less tired than my usual Wednesday weight room routine. Now, I just need to figure out how to fit at least one lift session in during a week of riding. The 5 A.M. weight room session every Monday morning the last two summers is interesting but there must be a better way that doesn’t involve going to bed at 9 and getting up at or before 5 in the morning to push heavy weights around. I’ve got a week or so to figure that out.