Twenty-Eleven

This year is my first winter training on the bike, and I have quickly learned motivation does not come as easy when you have to dress like Bibs the Michelin Man in order to sneak a ride in before its dark. I almost always like being on my bike, but picking out the right base layers and other accessories while the remaining daylight ticks away can make it a cumbersome process.
I thought to myself on my last ride, "why am i doing this? whats all this hard work for?"
The first answer that popped in my head was "too get stronger+faster, duh", but what was I doing that for?
It was at this moment that I realized I still haven't made any 2011 goals! So last night I sat down and wrote some down that have been floating around in my head. They are just preliminary ones right now, and I'm sure the list will grow as the season progresses. Here's what i have so far. I figured 11 was an appropriate number to start with...

2011 GOALS
1. Compete in a licensed road race and criterium
2. Race in the Michaux Maximus
3. Win a race, any race
4. Become a Cat 4 (road)
5. Finish in the top 1/4 of a sport 19-29 mountain bike race
6. Score points in a MAC cross race (killa b's)
7. Top 10 in an elite junior field cx race (gloucester, USGP, granogue...)
8. Meet a new person to ride with
9. Get on a team for road/mtn
10. Discover what type of racing I'm best at
11. Race on the track

htfu.

After missing my SAT class this morning, i decided to put my kit on while snow continued to fall from the sky and blanketed wayne, pa. after a brief argument followed by a threatening text from my mother, i was on my cross bike drifting all over vacant, snow covered streets. I was only out for 90 minutes and stayed in the 'hood, but it was the most fun i've had on a ride in a long time.
on days like this its easy to stay indoors and maybe spin on a trainer, but for me riding when the weather is less than perfect is a refreshing change. when everything is covered in a white blanket, even the most familiar streets become foreign and offer a new perspective of whats close by. so please, all three people who are reading this: put the embro on and htfu.