Slacker...

So, I've been slacking on the blog.  School has played a major factor in that.  However, I'm becoming more accustomed to my new daily schedule and will become more frequent with the blog posts again. 

Being a student has in fact increased the amount of riding I've been doing.  Having classes Monday through Friday, I now actually have a reason to get out and do a little riding.  There are a couple of commute distance options.  If the weather is shitty, I tend to take the 5 mile route to school via a busy highway into town.  If the weather is nicer (i.e. not raining), I'll typically take the 10 mile route via the greenway.  I've been averaging about 20-25 miles per day in commuter miles.  This has been a good way for me to keep up some base fitness throughout these cold months and stay off the trainer.  As for the weather that I've had to ride in lately, it's been awesome!  I thrive on cold and snowy conditions.  Something about a snow covered road or greenway brings back memories of being a child and playing in the snow.  We've definitely had a fair share of snow in Tennessee lately.  The ice, on the other hand, hasn't been very awesome.  I've had a few spills this year and one close call with traffic due to the ice.  I could definitely do without that!

Bike Commute Route

On Sunday, I decided to mix things up a little bit and get on the road bike.  The weather was a bit warmer than it had been for the last few weeks and it was finally dry!  I left the house with the intent to meet up with the Murfreesboro Bicycle Club down in Rockvale.  When I arrived at Rockvale Elementary School, there was a small group of the usual club riders.  Most everyone had done a hard ride the day before and the general consensus seemed to be that everyone wanted to go out for some base miles.  We all started together but I quickly got the urge to take off the front.  For most of the ride, I would hammer it from intersection to intersection and would wait up for the group since I didn't know the route.  When it was all said and done, I finished the 43 mile ride with an average pace of 21.1 mph.  This was definitely my fastest ride for 2011 but I haven't had many road rides to compare it to.  I was definitely satisfied with my stats. 

The next few weeks will of course contain a lot of daily commuter miles and some weekend hammerfests.  I've got the Snake Creek Gap TT coming up the first weekend of February as well as the first weekend of March.  I'm considering doing the Knoxie-Cross race following the February Snake Creek Gap race as well.  Then, I've got the Southern Cross race in Dahlonega, GA on the last Saturday of February.  My race calendar is going to be pretty full for the next few months.  We'll see how it pans out.  I'm really excited to be riding for the Ride For Reading Cycling Team this year.  Hopefully we'll make a good showing at some races and promote this awesome charity!

As for the blog, I'll try to check in at least a few times per week even if it's just to post something that is of interest to me at the moment.