Winter

It's been a while since I've been home between January 1 and April 1. Like, 4 years or so. And it's not like I didn't train through many, many winters as a junior, and then again as a married guy racing as a hobby. But when people ask me why I've continued to improve of the past few years in my late 30's, the biggest thing I can probably point to is going to Tucson in January and February, and then to the Southeast somewhere in March, and riding 30+ hours a week for a couple of months. "Ride lots," Eddy is alleged to have said. It works.

But in the name of balance, I'm spending all my recovery weeks at home this year, and I spent most of January here as well, save 10 days in NC and TN racing 'cross. I haven't blogged in a while, and I don't have much to say that I haven't already said on Twitter, but I did take some photos of my ride today, start to finish. We got some snow. A lot of it.

Enjoy. Maybe I'll see you around more often again soon.

The winter bike. I was lucky enough to get 2 carbon and 1 aluminum bike from Van Dessel this year, so the Gin and Trombones got some fenders and a longer stem for the winter:

In the neighborhood, we don't get plowed as well. TWSS, I know, I know...

Once I got out to Dover, things weren't necessarily better:

When people are shoveling their mailboxes out of the snowbanks, you know that's serious:

One of the biggest issues? Trying to find a place to pee:

Up the mailboxes is one thing. Up the stop signs?

And back home, the post-ride ritual. One thing you can't take on the road with you, I suppose. And yes, I'm using a cooler as a stool: