Out with the old...

Here lies my pair of Pearil Izumi Cyclone gloves.  I have loved them, and they have saved my digits on many a cold winter night ride.  As I'm fortunate to have received some new PI gloves for Christmas, these have to go.  Note the electrical tape on the first fingers...too much downshifting to easier gears, I'm afraid.

Symbol.

On the shortest day of the year, I take time to salute my trusty NiteRider light.  She has guided me across darkened streets, muddy trails, but most often along our beloved city loop alone or in a frenetic nocturnal paceline.

It is also the day that registration opens for the 2011 Tour of the Battenkill.  That said, I am signed up.  So is Barry.  Maybe Mark Hekman will jump into the fray next?  I think he should. 

With many short days ahead, the light and I will again enter into our winter bond:  For me, she will cast light upon steel grates, potholes, animal carcasses, and the rear end of the rider I'm following.  For her, I will pedal hard to ensure a frosty breeze keeps her metal heatsinks cool.  She's low maintenance.

And when the sun again lingers late into the evening and I can put her away for awhile, I will remember her glow as it was on these cold winter nights.  But, as Mr. Frost has written, "I have miles to go before I sleep" and it will be many weeks before this old girl gets a rest.

Redux.

Tomorrow, registration opens for the 2011 Tour of the Battenkill.  Like a moth to the flame, I will return to upstate NY in April for one of the most unique, large-scale bike races in the U.S. 

This also means that training must commence.  The 2011 course is slightly different, and measurably harder than the 2010 edition due to some rerouting around construction near the town of Greenwich, NY. Barry, Porter and I are confirmed for Pirate Race Productions, and we hope to hook up with Frank Yeager from Richmond Velo Sports.  All in all, this is going to be a heckuva time.

Despite not finishing the race last year (broken shifter cable at mile 42, remember?), I enjoyed the journey immensely.  For 2011, now that I know what to expect, I can tweak the training, set-up the bike, and even eat more effectively than last year.  Truly, just crossing the line would be a thrilling feeling, and I fully plan to do that with my teammates this year.

Now that we're back to where we were just about a year ago, I'll suggest you read that fateful original post.  Great to see that Barry, who made a foreshadowing comment, is now committed.

Winter Training.

Barry, Porter and I hit the roads of Surry and Wilkes Counties for a gnarly spin Porter likes to call "The Beast of the Brushies."  He's referring to the Brushy Mountains, of course.  Read about them here.

Anyway, the summary is that winter training is upon us.  It's forecast to be a cold winter in NC, which means daddy needs some sweet new gloves and a balaclava. 

Barry, as usual, nailed the write-up and it's on his blog.  Check it!

http://www.vsporthealth.com/fallout-camp

We had a blast.  PERFECT training for America's Queen of the Classics.  We'll go back in the spring of 2011 for a little last minute torture prior to hitting 95 North...

Preview.

Climbing camp is definitely coming! 

Climbing camp is coming...

Coach and I are hosting a small cycling camp two weeks from now.  The location:  Meadows of Dan, in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. The goal:  Bring a few like-minded Battenphiles along to suffer, climb, and kick on the off-season training.  Sound strange?  It is.

As the Tour of the Battenkill is an early-season race, one really can't wait until February to start riding in earnest.  North Carolina has a relatively mild winter (usually, knock on wood), hence cycling is often possible through the Dark Months.  Barry, Porter and I are currently planning to demolish the Cat 4 field, but that is simply a plan at this time - the execution requires quite a bit of work.  Our first steps include building a training framework specific to our early season focus.

I'll be scouting roads for most of the morning tomorrow, along with my good buddy Bus.  Bus and his lovely wife Amy will support the camp as well, cooking for the riders and providing some SAG support.  All in all, this is shaping up to be a solid 'proof of concept' test for the larger camp we plan to offer other teams in the Spring of 2011. 

Preview pictures to come tomorrow...