Fighting the winter blues

I did something this afternoon that I haven't done much of lately. I rode my bike. With all the cold weather we've had and the short winter days, my poor bike has worked more as a dust collector than a training tool. I've also been focusing a lot of my winter training on running and am gearing up to run my first half marathon at the end of February. I realize my event is fast approaching, however, and I don't want to let my cycling muscles go into atrophe. So this afternoon I decided to get in a ride before dark.

It was great - just me and the wind. Just like old times. It brought back memories of my afternoon rides that I took often in the summer, the ones where I had no one on my tail telling me to slow down and no one in front telling me to go faster. I love my solo rides. They are a great time to focus on speed work and building my base all while being able to just enjoy the smell of crisp air, the sound of silence and forget about any of the days worries.

Training in the winter has proven itself to be more challenging than I suspected. It is hard to get out in the cold and additionally it is hard to avoid all of the holiday goodies and good times. But with my Half Ironman just four months away and all of the Christmas treats eaten, I have re-focused and am ready to get back to business. The challenge that I'm finding with triathlon versus cycling is finding the time to get in all of the training. Focusing on one sport is much easier than trying to be good at three. However, the training is also more fun because of the variety. I find myself getting less bored which makes it easier to push myself to get in my workouts. I have a couple of events that I'll be participating in before the Half Ironman - the Cowtown Half Marathon and the St. Patty's Day tri. With more work, a few more solo rides and a little less chocolate I'm determined to make it across the finish line.

Why am I doing all of this? I'm raising money to fight cancer for those who cannot. Make a donation today and make a positive difference in someone's life.