Last Day of January - Beautiful!

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning. The sky was blue and the sun was out shining brightly! That could only mean one thing, a road ride! WooHoo! I started my ride at 10:48 AM. I must admit it was a chilly start. The temperature was a brisk 37 degrees but that sun was working it's magic. It was warming the day up nicely. When I finished it was 50 degrees! It felt warmer with the sun beating down on my black cycling pants. I was very comfortable on today's ride.

I wasn't the only one who thought today was a great day to be outside. On my ride today I saw runners, walkers, people with their kids on bikes, people walking their dogs, other cyclists, and people rollerblading. It seemed like everyone had the same idea as me on this gorgeous sunny winter day.

I got a good 37 miles in and made good time. I stopped around mile 20 for a snack break and a good stretch. After 15-20 minutes I was off again. I got back home at 1:23 PM.

I hope tomorrow will be a repeat of today. I could use another day like this one to wrap up my weekend!

5:30 PM Spin Class

Went to spin class after work today. Wish I could have skipped work entirely. The sun was out shining brightly. Even though it was a chilly 37 degrees I would rather be on my bike then indoors on a stationary. Spin class was good. Heidi had us doing intervals. Hopefully I will get two long rides this coming weekend.

30 Mile Ride

Today the sun was making an attempt to break through the clouds. Around 11:00 AM it looked like it was going to succeed. The outdoor thermometer showed that it was 37 degrees on the other side of the window. Chilly but with the sun it shouldn't feel too bad. So Joe and I decided to go for a ride. It was our first ride outdoors since December 6th.

We began our ride at 11:35 AM. The sun was out but the clouds seemed to be fighting back, and winning. The first ten minutes of our ride were the worst. The wind chill made me feel like an icicle. But soon I warmed as my body produced heat from the constant pedaling. Joe and I dressed in layers. We had on our warm winter riding gloves, our booties to keep our feet and toes warm, and are balaclavas which really helped keep our faces protected from the wind and cold. But the sun was what really made us feel warm but about 20 minutes into our ride the clouds won and the sun disappeared. As long as we kept pedaling we were fine. But when we stopped, and we did once, the chill settled in quickly and it took a good 5 minutes of hard pedaling to warm up again. Even so our ride was wonderful! Joe and I never felt better! It sure beat an hour of spin class indoors.

When we got back home we were tired but happy. We got 30 miles logged in today! I hope tomorrow will be a good day for an outdoor ride too. That will make this the best weekend in a long time for me!

Spin Spin Spin

Sunday and Monday I went to spin class. Although the snow, rain, and flooding have ceased we are now getting a lot of thick fog. So I continue to go to spin class. The fog did clear on Monday and the sun finally did come out but too late for me to get a good ride in before the sun set. I hope the weekend weather will get nice soon. I need to begin adding long rides into my workouts. So here's to sunny warm weekends in the up coming months ahead!

Foggy Wet Winter Day

This morning I was up at 5:30 AM. I am a morning person and no matter how late I stay up I am always up between 5:00 and 7:00 AM every day. Rarely will I sleep beyond 7:00. Now I don't mind getting up so early in the summer. Because in the summer the sun is up early like me, shining brightly, the birds are singing, and the world is still asleep. In the summer mornings are a quiet, peaceful, beautiful time of the day. But in the winter, now that's a different story. In the winter it's dark and cold. In the winter I can't take my morning cup of coffee outside and sit on the patio and watch the day begin. That's why in the winter I wish I could sleep a little bit longer. At least until the sun comes up. But no, try as I may I just can't sleep past 7:00.

After I got up this morning I shuffled downstairs and started the coffee. I turned my laptop on to check my email and messages. Soon my daughter was up; she joined me in the kitchen with her cup of coffee. Around 7:30 AM we got ready to go to the gym. We went to the 8:15 flex class and after the hour long class we went to the 9:30 spin class. By the time the spin class was over we were both exhausted. We left the gym and drove straight to Starbucks for Americanos before we headed home.

What I really wanted to do today was ride my bike. I thought the weather would be nice this weekend but I was wrong. Maybe next weekend the weather will cooperate and I will be able to ride my bike outside instead of a stationary bike inside at the gym.

First Snow Now Rain and Floods!

What is up with our weather lately? During the month of December we were hit with snow and very cold temperatures. January is bringing us heavy rains, warm temperatures, melting mountain snow, avalanches, and flooding! Right now I am watching the evening news and I see pictures and reports of rivers over flowing and running over their banks. Many towns see their fields and residential areas under water. Snoqualmie Falls looks like Niagra Falls. Stories of mudslides are now being reported. It's scary! I feel so badly for the people living in these flooded areas. I hope the rains stop soon and the rivers recede quickly. This has been one hard winter and it's only just started. Spring is two and half months away! March 21st can't get here fast enough.

Three Days Into New Year!

Wow, January 3rd and I finally made it to spin class. What I really wanted to do was ride my bike today but the weather is still being very uncooperative. It snowed again yesterday and although the temperature is creeping back into the 40s it wasn't enough to melt all the snow today. Besides the snow there's the sand, not safe for a cyclist. If the sun comes out tomorrow I may ride on the Orting Trail. I'll just have to wait and see I guess but at least I went to the 8:00 AM spin class this morning.

I guess I should explain my goals for this new year. My big goal is to ride and complete the 128 mile Native Planet Classic on June 20th. I have six months to get ready for this event. My plan is to continue to go to spin class until the weather and roads improve. Spin class should keep my legs strong and help me build and maintain my cardio. But I will need to ride outdoors and increase my mileage this spring. I will also need to begin riding a lot of hills to train for the climbing I will be doing on the 128 mile ride this June. Did I mention the course is over the north cascade highway? And the total elevation gain for the ride is over 10,500 feet! I have my work cut out for me but this is the year I get back in shape. So the June 20th ride is my big goal but I have other goals too. To ride at least 4-5 times a week. To do one long ride every weekend if not two. To ride on a hilly course every week. To build my stamina and endurance. To increase my average speed.

Here's to my goals, challenges, and a great year!