Panic? Yes and no... I've done minimal riding over the winter, but I've never stopped exercising. I've been riding a bike in my dining room, and running on an elliptical trainer. That should give me a decent starting point to get in good riding shape for this trip.
Although I'm sitting comfortably in my house, listening to the rain and wondering if the snow forecast for tonight will happen, I really believe that the weather is going to change. The calendar says it's spring - so it must be, right? Whatever happened to the old saying that March will come in like a lion, out like a lamb? Or the opposite? I'd say that this year March came in like a lion, and it's on the way out like a lion too!
We're starting to have more good weather (riding) days than bad. I actually got my first two dry rides in last week - Thursday was the first ride of the season where I didn't come home absolutely covered in salt and road grit, and Saturday was finally warm enough to venture out in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey. Yay!
I'm hoping for dry riding weather, but thinking back to my first tour back in 1998 - I did a lot of training in the rain. I'll do it again if I have to.
All I'm waiting for now is daylight savings time. Then I hope to start commuting to work several days a week - by bike. I joined the health club at the Marriott that's across the street from my office. That gives me a place to work out at lunch time - but more importantly it gives me a place to take a shower after I ride to work. Now all I need to do is get started. And now that I've placed my commuting plans in my journal, I'm really going to have to do it!
April 6, 2003
My plans of kicking up my riding miles (outside) have been stymied so far by weather. We may think it's spring, but Mother Nature seems to disagree. We had icy snow overnight Friday into Saturday, with sleet, snow and rain continuing during the day Saturday. Not too much - just enough to screw up the roads! And there is a possible winter storm forecast for Monday night. Hmmm...
In the meantime, I've increased the intensity and time of my indoor workouts, and I'm sending good thoughts for clear roads!
