Winter Training Update....And Not Much Else

The dark days of winter are in full swing, and with it comes the lack of blog updates.  What I have been up to this month? Well work for one thing (busier than usual) but also Base Training.  Like last year, I am not doing a written training plan, but instead focusing on getting in lots of base training, mainly on the road on my cross bike.  The training has gone well and I had my best month in quite some time, logging 33 hours of training, and over 340 miles in January.  Indoor spinning is also a standby, although with February now here I plan to start working on hill repeats.

In a change from past years, I have also been incorporating weight training and some running for cross training purposes.  Whether the weights will pay dividends remains to be seen, although I have noticed an increase in my weight despite logging an increase in hours.  I assume this is an increase in muscle from the weight lifting. No quite what I wanted, but hopefully there will be an increase in power to compensate for the few extra pounds.

Snow has been scarce this year, but I have gotten some fatbike time in.

 

Some extra mild weather came in during the first of February, and the thermometer climbed into the upper 40's and 50's.  This called for a longer ride to Brooklyn, Indiana with Aaron to tackle some hills.  Despite the directions to turnaround at the top of Observatory Hill, we continued forward for a solid training ride.

 

Spring like temps were replaced this weekend with plunging temperatures, occasional white out snow fall, and winds exceeding 30 m.p.h. I got in a good mtb ride on trails on the Butler campus and the Cycloplex, although I was mostly frozen afterwards.

 

Sights are currently set on the Death March on March 14, which I will be riding with my partner from last year, Aaron, this time both under the Matthews banner.  Then on March 28 is the Barry Roubaix, which is a bit later this year, perhaps to ensure that there won’t be as much as ice and snow as in past years.

But before each of these is Fatbike Friday, presented by DINO on February 27^th at Southwestway Park. Pretty sure this will be the first fatbike race in Indiana, and it is a night race to boot.  I’m not expecting to be terribly competitive in this race, considering how early in the season it is, and the battle tank of a bike I will be riding.  But still, it should be a fun evening. Hopefully enough people sign up to ensure the thing goes off without a hitch.