License in Hand & Base Complete! Let the Fun Begin!!

Well, you could not tell by the weather the past week, but spring has finally fallen over Central PA. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. This past week was a miserable start to spring. We had snow and rain in the middle of the week and no temperature above 40 throughout the weekend. Typically, this time of year it should be around 50-55 degrees in the Grove...... WTF????

Despite the minor flaw in the weather I am psyched for the remainder of spring and the races to come in the next few months. As I write this entry, I am sitting here watching the The Criterium International and relaxing with a nice fresh beer!! To motivate myself even more, I received my USA Cycling License last week. It is time to truly get serious especially not that my 12 week base building phase is now complete.

For what I can tell, it has been a good 12 weeks of training. I am looking forward to getting outside and on the hills of Central PA. My legs feel tremendously strong but need to test them on the hills more often. I did feel incredibly strong on the hills last weekend but need to hit the real roads more often now that spring is supposedly here. I think the training totals for this phase of training have me set for the next phase of training: Building Phase!!! Time to get into more intense workouts and race specific workouts. Hopefully be able to find a race or two to do in late April and May during some of the down weekends of coaching. Also time to get back on to building up the cyclocross bike!

Latest training totals:

Week - 7 rides/ 196 miles/ 8hours 48minutes/ 22.30mph
March - 27 rides/ 879 miles/ 39hours 55 minutes/ 22.10mph
Year - 86 rides/ 2843 miles/ 128hours 19minutes/ 22.10mph

This week will be a tough week for weather yet again. Below average temperatures and snow/rain forecasted for the end of week. At least all the mind and ass numbing time on the trainer, will have me mentally prepared for the long rides on the roads then are ahead of me. Hopefully the next few blogs will involve specific dates of the race schedule for the 2011 season.

TdO 11!!