Beautiful winter riding

For the first time in what seemed like weeks, I made it outside for a ride. The temperatures were only in the 20's, but the sun was shining and I'd simply had enough of riding the rollers in my basement.  I chose to ride a mix of paved and gravel roads, not sure what to expect in terms of ice and snow.  I was pleasantly surprised with how clear the roads were.  The gravel wasn't too icy, and it was still cold enough that I didn't have to deal with the mushy "freeze-thaw" areas that tend to be found when the sun shines on the gravel.  It was practically perfect for riding.  

I'm not prone to do a lot of blogging, but as I look at the images I have posted, I've noticed a trend of showing many snowy images.  They are beautiful, but they also yearn for warm days to come. Seems like everyone is chomping at the bit right now to finally be able to ride outside.  The third riding of the Grumpy Grind is a mere six weeks away, making myself and many others wonder how much training we are actually going to be able to do before we endure an 80 mile ride.  I think it's normal to allow self doubt to creep in before doing the first long ride of the year, but my experience is that things usually take care of themselves.  Most of us have a muscle memory for being able to ride, and we are probably better prepared than we give ourselves credit for.

I do hope to keep my posts more current during the upcoming weeks, so check back more frequently for Grumpy Grind updates.  

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