Again, neglecting...

I apologize for neglecting this blog, but as I hoped for something decent to write about regarding my cycling and all, its pretty much been just base miles averaging around 12-14 hours per week. I haven't focused on power at all and had actually removed my power meter, riding electronic free for nearly a month. Now that its back on, my long rides show nearly no loss of power when averaged over similar rides from mid summer - obviously nothing scientific and only average, but a pretty optimistic finding. The cross training/weight lifting has continued and recently I have been back in the pool and feeling a little more than unfit there. The weather has been so, so - but literally though we are here in the Carolinas, it has felt alot like either Belgium or Seattle. We have had periods of rain and just gray days offset by days of cold weather (30s). Perhaps I have become spoiled after having grown up in the Pittsburgh area, but I now find it difficult to get out the door for rides in 30 degree weather. Its amazing that when I was a junior racing in Pittsburgh in the mid to late 1980s, I would train in any cold weather as long as there wasn't ice on the road. Hell, I remember riding in shorts thinking we were in a heat wave anytime the temps got above 45 in March. Now, you probably won't see me out in anything under 40 degrees regardless of what I am wearing and with my purchase of the rollers- that temperature is definitely going to increase. Additionally, though I freakin' love racing in miserable weather (rain and cold), I hate the increased maintenance and needs required after riding in the rain.

So with all my non-hardman of cycling guise and "tenderness in training" principles in mind, and with my training now moving to intervals to increase threshold power and some workouts geared to increasing some anaerobic efforts, I dropped the money and splurged on the InsideRide rollers (http://www.insideride.com/). Very cool systems of free motion rollers which allow riders to actually climb out of the saddle and do sprints on the rollers much easier than your standard rollers package. They also have a great mag resistance unit which has been very smooth so far and with a realistic power curve that for the first times makes the indoor training seem very realistic.

The other positive as far as my wife is concerned is my creation of a training area in the garage - which has had me cleaning out many boxes that have resided like punk rock squatters in there since we moved in (18+ months ago). She essential required me to move the rollers out there, afraid of the very real potential of me coming off the rollers while sprinting and shooting across the spare bedroom at 30mph, leaving shredding carpeting behind me.

On a related note, I know NC has a great cyclocross series and season...and I realize I probably would love racing CX(never have done it), but unfortunately that skill set does require a bit of practice and training in the season dedicated for it (cold winter) - hence I look to other avenues to increase my cardio fitness that allows for me to remain in a comfortable termpaerature range. For now, I'll remain a drunk fan in my off season at cyclocross events here in NC, on the other side of the barriers, bringing some Euro realism to the event with my inebriated heckling and behavior.

The holidays are upon us and I hope that all of you get everything YOU DESERVE, heh!

da Bug