Winter Training????

Yesterday, I drove home in a rainstorm with more on the horizon and (shudder) decided to do a workout on the trainer. It's that part of the year when you train because you don't know how to not train. Or maybe you don't know how not to train. Similar but different concepts.

So I did one of these ruthlessly productive affairs, with an hour between mid tempo and low threshold, with just enough pace changing to keep it from being complete drudgery. The one thing it did more than any other was remind me that I'll be on that trainer a whole whole lot in the not too darn distant future.

Last winter's training was very productive. I stuck to the concept of doing a lot of workouts like the one I did last night, and it earned me really good threshold-type fitness. The big lack was that I rode outside like once in about a three month period. The weather was that bad. So I missed what the group rides and long crazy trips do for you, and I felt like my pace changing skeels and short burst power sucked all year. Everyone else did a good job of getting back on track with that, and I didn't.

Switching topics completely, I just got off the phone with the rep at the company that's doing our November kit (we will be this company's first customer for their new custom division, although it's a brand that has been worn to at least one Grand Tour win - but I think it's actually three - and has been great to work with so far) and they're all psyched up about it. I'm sure everyone gets the big wet kiss of "oh, your design concept was so mint" blah blah blah, but these guys at least sound genuinely pumped about it. I also gave them probably quintuple the artistic license they're used to getting, and I'm sure they're having fun with that. All will be revealed soon.

Big shocker, employment data sucked. Dow is tumbling. Better make plans to save money on cycling stuff. Wait a minute, I know how you can do that...

Mostly this post was created because no one's been taking any turns at the front to make that GJ news roll turn over. I will now resume my preferred position in third wheel with no plans to hit the front again anytime soon.