On the Road Again

Well, spring has been very elusive this year!  Immediately following my ride on March 7th, we fell prey to weeks and weeks of more cold, snow, wind, and generally very wintery weather!  So, no outdoor riding for the rest of March for me.  I did manage to log 217 miles indoors on my trainer though, so all was not lost.

Today, April 1st, I finally got back outside!  It was a little warmer, in the low 50s.  I joined 2 friends and we did laps in a senior housing tract in the Village of Hilton.  Just a nice easy ride with great people!  We clocked about 8 miles together.  Then, as my friends went home, I too headed back towards my house, but being outdoors on a bike again was too much to resist.  So I took off on the familiar village bike route and did another 5 miles on my own.  I can't begin to put into words how great it felt to be outdoors riding again, minus all my winter gear!

I've signed the 30 Days of Biking online pledge to ride my bike every day during the month of April.  I've also registered for the National Bike Challenge again, which begins in May.  I'm so hoping the weather keeps improving so that the majority of my miles can be outside miles!

Enjoying a Spring Day

Today was a glorious day that makes one believe that spring just might really be around the corner!  It was 45° F and sunny, with no wind.  The roads were dry and snow free.  It felt so good to be outside riding instead of inside on my trainer!  First time in 2 weeks!  And the best part was being able to dress light weight.  Instead of my winter riding gear, I was able to wear just a thin turtleneck with my new bike jersey (that I won from The National Bike Challenge) over it.  I wore jeans and sneakers and didn't need gloves or a balaclava or a skull cap under my helmet.

I had one of my longest rides this winter, nearly 13 miles and I increased my average speed by almost 2 MPH!  And since this morning I did my longest indoor ride to date (8.35 miles), I'm feeling just a little bit proud of myself today!

Please spring, keep these days coming!  I ache to go for longer and longer rides outside in the warmth and the sunshine!