Mid-January is the high point of the Winter for me. The holidays are, blessedly and sadly at the same time, behind us. The Super Bowl looms and no matter how you cut it, mid-March and the kinda warm weather really isn’t that far away. Like many of the souls I see on 9W nowadays, I’m in the full-blown throes of the winter training philosophy. The key, as I see it and keep in mind that I know almost nothing, is to use December through March to keep oneself in appropriate form (neither too light nor too heavy) so that when the time comes to layer on the more intense training necessary for the race season were not sucking wind.

This is my fifth year of regular training (the previous 32 years before that were pretty much dedicated to Ding Dongs and Pizza) and I’m looking forward to seeing where the base that I’ve laid over these years takes me as the race season approaches. I tend to leave the more formal training plans and philosophies to those so inclined. I look at my “training” as riding as much and as effectively as I can when possible. By effectively I mean that I don’t hammer all the time (even though it’s tempting and I’ve been scolded by other TOA’s for doing so) nor do I go light all the time (which I hate to do even in the least). Rather I try to ride strong all the time – not fast, not hammering, but strong. At a level in which I know that my body is working to maintain that level of intensity. I’m pretty certain that my training philosophy, if it can even be called that, may cost me come race season, but I’d much rather have fun training in a way that I like as opposed to training in a style and fashion that I find bothersome and boring.

I’ve also taken joy this Winter in seeing all the other riders out there in the cold weather. That sort of shared sacrifice and dedication is one thing that knits us together as a community. It’s difficult to maintain that we’re regular people when we take part in a sport such as this. Rather we’re blessed in the respect that for many of us cycling – the training, the racing, the community – has touched a part of us that we keep coming back to. And in this we are very lucky people for I know of many people who would like to have this thing of ours. I tend to think that many people who shake their heads at us as we whiz by very often envy us for our daring, ability and fitness. In one sense, we live life on an edge that many people envy.

TheQueenOfAllThatSheSurveys was away on business all of last week and the family commitments were pressing so there was no training (not even the rollers, ye gods!) from Monday-Friday of last week. I didn’t sweat it that much as one thing that I do is layer as much training in my day to day life as possible so that when anomalies like an entire week dedicated to work and family pops up, I’m able to use it for rest and letting my body absorb the training load that I ask it to carry. The weekend was fruitful with 26 miles on Saturday (in which I popped three spokes on my PowerTap wheel while practicing sprints – more a testament to its wear rather than my awesome power) and 55 miles on Sunday. The Sunday ride was fun as I had a large space of time to ride and no particular destination so I used it primarily to ride up and down the hills of Bergen County. I’ve forsaken the iPod and I found the Sunday ride to be almost meditative. The roads were pretty empty and road quality was good (plows have been kind to us this winter) so I was able just to focus on the spinning of my legs and the whirring of the chain through the drivetrain. Riding just to ride…no HR or Wattage to maintain, no teammates to keep up with, and no particular place to go. That was easily my favorite ride of the year so far.

Commercial Announcement – The school in which I work currently has a sixth grader undergoing treatment for Cancer. Her fellow students are organizing a Dance-A-Thon on February 1st with all proceeds being donated to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – Pediatric Oncology Unit. If any readers would like to donate or learn more about this please feel free to Email Me. The young lady in question is an absolutely wonderful kid and it’s heartening to see the way in which her classmates, and by extension the entire community, has rallied around her. The kids are alright – regardless of what many may say.

Final note – The Pinewood Derby was this past weekend and suffice to say that there’s always next year!!

Have a good week everyone.