Sunday, March 21, 2010

Jumpstart your year

Early spring can be a tough time of year for the northern hemisphered endurance athlete. For most, the motivation is at its high point of the whole year. But, sadly, the weather is at a low. Some folks bundle up and brave the miserable elements, others attach their bike to some type of device that apparently allows you to ride it inside (although you don't actually go anywhere). I've tried both methods over the last five years with very little success, my performance usually lagging well into June. But after returning from an awesome trip to The Cycling House in Tucson, Arizona, I'm posing a question to all those who suffer through February miles, why fight the slop? Why freeze your extremities before your legs have endured a decent workout? Why spin mindlessly staring at a wall when you could be tapping out a good rhythm on the slopes of Mt. Lemmon? I'm proclaiming here today that happy legs are fast legs!

With expectations very high this year, my stay at TCH was just what I needed to get the wheels turning in 2010. Riding in a jersey and shorts was a real treat, even if everyone constantly made fun of my skin tone. Getting away from my daily grind was just as important as the actual miles. Waking up knowing that your only obligation for the day is to ride a bike is an awesome feeling. I returned home with the hunger of a pack of wolves! So if you get a chance, jumpstart your year with a friendly, warm trip down to TCH, you won't regret it! I'll leave you with a quote from a great philospher:

"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is now"

Also a terrible picture of myself, if you can't make fun of yourself, someone else will:

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This blog is the only thing keeping me alive

pippo said...

JB,
leavenworth is approaching fast. Amtrak just added a leavenworth stop and the weekend is doubling as c-mans funeral/bachelor party. You better start working on your engine, breaking your word regarding leavenworth is just about unforgivable. Get your ass out on the trail!