Winter Training Rides

Yeah, the fog was pretty thick on Saturday.

The unexpected recurrence of unseasonably warm weather we've been having down here lately has been kind of a mixed bag. While I would never go so far as to complain about sustained January temperatures in the upper 50s through the mid-70s, it hasn't been without some issues, the primary one being fog. On a morning with the temperature in the upper 50s, I might normally venture out wearing little more than summer kit for a long weekend training ride, but when you look out the window and see everything shrouded in a thick blanket of fog, your plans, or at least your wardrobe, require a bit of adjustment.  When it's as foggy as it was Saturday morning for the Giro Ride, you know you're going to be good and wet. It's like riding in a cloud. For me, that meant arm-warmers and wind-resistant base layer, and even knee-warmers. By the end I was regretting having left the shoe-covers at home.

Sunday's WRS group coming over the watchtower hill from the easy direction.

Despite the fog, we had a pretty large turnout for Saturday's Giro, and with such a cluster of blinking tail lights, combined with the typically low early morning traffic volume, I wasn't feeling too concerned. My only real worry was that place where we merge onto I-510, crossing two lanes of interstate traffic, on a curve, in the fog. If I'd thought of it sooner I'd have tried to convince everyone to take Bullard and the service road instead, but they were at the front and I wasn't and it was too late by the time I realized it would be kind of risky.  Incredibly, the front of the group didn't wait until it was all clear and basically pulled in front of a tractor-trailer rig. Luckily the driver wasn't going super fast and saw what was happening and slowed down -- a lot. It was kind of lucky that everyone made it across that time.  A number of riders turned back either at the end of Hayne or when we got to Chef Highway, but as it turned out, the ride down Chef was smooth and controlled and there was practically no traffic, so that was good.  I was very surprised that the fog never really lifted until I was on my way back to the house on Jeff. Davis.

So on Sunday we had our first NOBC Winter Ride Series ride on the northshore.  This is a revival of the old winter series we used to do, but rather than start in November, we're now starting in mid-January thanks to all of the cyclocross entanglements during November and December. I also decided, somewhat unilaterally, to push the start time back to 8:30 so that the sun will at least be above the trees. We're also starting from Abita Springs so that there's a fairly easy 20 miles or so at which point the short ride can split off.  After that, there will be a few designated Sprint Zones (like the WBL has) with the rest of the ride being a little less aggressive so that most riders are able to stay with the group.

Ben and Dustin spent a lot of time on the front riding
easy tempo which kept things together nicely.

Last Sunday we had a few of the Nth Degree Junior riders on hand, being shepherded by Stanton.  I think it worked out pretty well.  We did around 67 miles with a few fast sections and they all stayed together until the last then miles or so. By the end of the last Sprint Zone up the watchtower hill and continuing to Tung Road we'd lost a couple of riders, so when the front of the group continued on, I turned back to pick up one of the Juniors and Charlotte and Stanton who was keeping track of the last Junior. Afterward about ten of us had lunch at the Abita Brew Pub.  Basically, it was a really enjoyable ride and the Sprint Zone sections were fast enough and long enough that I felt like I got a pretty good workout.  I'm already looking forward to next week's ride.