01.15.06 - long rides and the goat's winter training secrets

can't believe the weather here in ohio recently - earlier this week we had 60 degrees and now it is back down to 30. at least we don't have snow.

this week i was able to get in some good longer rides - something i wasn't able to do until next february last year. this year, winter training seems to be going a lot better - i don't know if it is the weather or that my 2005 season went so well that the suffering in the winter doesn't seem so bad.

here is a few tricks i have to get me through my winter rides:

1. heat packs - i don't know why i never thought of these before. cheap source of heat when you are two hours from home.

2. double layer gloves - i usually wear a thin cross country ski glove overtop of a oversized shell mitten gloves. if the weather gets really cold, i insert the heat packs. if it gets warm, i carry a thin liner glove - i then take off the mittens, put on the liners and then put on the cross country ski glove. yes, it sounds like a process, but it works.

3. i walk - when my feet get cold. despite having some of the best winter mountain shoes in the world (northwaves) my feet still get cold. so, once my toes start getting cold, i walk until i can feel them again. this usually works for about an hour, but it is a pretty simple way to warm them up.

that's about it - i don't usually do a whole lot more other than carry an camelback and use it as a backpack and stuff it with spare food, tubes, etc. i usually leave extra space in it so that i have room in case the weather warms up and/or i over dressed.


other then that, not mucho has been happening. got to do some work in cinci and columbus later this week. since i work out of town sometimes, i usually try to find a place to ride. well, i just hit the jackpot in cinci since i found the little ohio trail. i'll post the link to it tomorrow, but it is about 70 miles long and is a paved bike path - which is about the equivalent to what i train on every day here in kent ohio. took me foooooooorever to find it last week, but luckily the one parking lot for it is right next to a starbucks. oh yes.

nothing new from the 'goat lately. just getting ready for the season, same thing, different year. i'll have to look back, but i think this may be my fifth year racing for them. first races i did with them was some of the month of mud series in pittsburgh years back. i was racing with a schwinn team for years and then switched over to speedgoat after hearing about them through some friends of mine. very funny story actually to hear all of it, but i'll save that for another day.

gotta run - got some work to do tonight.

go ride.

sologoat out