WoweeeeWow-WOW-WOW! (in my best Christopher Walken impression), what a nice day. The weather was outstandlingly amazing. It was 70 degrees when I got off work (can this really be January 13th?). Work flew by like a dream - new clients, hard core quick deadline....was excited to get off work to go biking. Got let off a little bit early, I geared up and headed to Herndon to meet the folks from my bike club - we pacelined it all the way out to Hamilton and back..was a fantastic ride (little gusty) but in a jersey and almost shorts...41 miles.
I like this bike club - it's like a loose knit group, yet organized with variable ages and skill levels (most are geared towards the hard core). During the winter months - most cyclists tend to pare down their rides - move indoors onto a trainer, or do spinners classes - but for those of us that want
the real McCoy, being out there with wind, and the realistic resistance training, outdoors is the only option. This club is almost a support group for this...but only meet a few days a week. I join them on Thursday nights and one day over the weekend. There is a threshold for the rides - mostly for safety (safety is paramount when you are out there). We do organized rides, pacelines, et al when it's above 15-20 degrees, no rain, no ice, no snow (on trail/road). Rain rides work at above 40 degrees - and in harsh conditions, no more than 2 hours. We are crazy, but not stupid. I have finally graduated to a class "A"
rider status this Fall (there are
ride status - based on riding experience, your average speed, distance, et al).
These rides have been a great networking and social release for me - I've said that I need to branch out, socially (will have more opportunity this Spring when I move), in the interim - the bike club has been a great portal to meet people. It's a co-ed club, so there's a mix of folks - all healthy, serious, funy-as-shit, dedicated, lax, and just nuts. Takes a sense of humor to do what we do. I've also taken the approach that the planning of events this spring/summer/fall surrounding my cycling events will prove to show more social proclivities. I would love to create a cycling camp that is also a culinary refresher...that would be cool. Biking and cooking. Knowing fate, I'd probably become the caveat emptor of this stupidity.