Well the last week has been a bit of a disappointment as far as training goes. It has been overcast and humid, with inconsistent periods of rain and almost no sunshine! As it has been hard to time riding with the weather breaks I really didn't get in any training rides this last week. I am hoping to get in a short 20 mile ride later today. I did get in one 10 mile run, which is training, albeit cross-training!
This coming week is looking much better for riding, with the possible exception of Monday ( 30% chance of rain in AM ), so I am really looking forward to it! My goal is to ride at least an hour or more a day next week with at least one ride in the 2.5 - 3.0 hour range. Although it is not super important to get my mileage up really fast, I do need to develop the daily consistency and discipline of being in the saddle.
As I look forward to doing the actual cross county ride this summer I know I will have many days of weather I would rather not ride in. While I know that I will need to train in, and for, all kinds of weather, I really would rather work on just riding for the time being. There will be plenty of time to practice riding in the wind and rain and I really don't see the need to practice it this far out from the event, especially the rain. If you are not familiar with wet weather riding then you might be unaware of how much more dangerous it is! In addition to not being as visible to vehicle drivers there is almost twice the chance of getting a flat tire because road debris and thorns are more likely to stick to the tires. There is also the slicker roads, and road bikes don't have great traction when the roads are wet.
Wind on the other hand presents other challenges. I would usually rather ride into a headwind than a cross wind. Couple that with riding a bike loaded with panniers and it makes for a very cumbersome ride making the bike very hard to control and much more tiring overall.
So for right now I am going to concentrate on just trying to get in as much riding as possible on a consistent basis and let the weather take care of itself.
Tomorrow I am planning on running 12 miles in the morning, with the Loma Linda Loper's Running Club, and perhaps a ride later in the afternoon. I am hoping for some actual sunshine on the ride! Wish me luck
