Knock, Knock. Who's there? WINTER.

So, it's winter.

Just in case you didn't know.  Or, in case you've been holed up so nice and warmly inside your home that you haven't noticed the snow outside.  Again.

I'm not complaining, really.  After all, it is winter.  And, as a midwestern Michigander, I am well aware that winter means snow.  Lots of snow.  Just after I was born, in fact... this happened.

The great Michigan Blizzard of 19-something or other.

And, though I do not remember that particular storm, I have old family photos of me as a child, bundled up in the best early 80s snowsuit we could find, standing next to piles of snow in the driveway that were over 6 feet tall.  We used to have to stand out in the street and direct the car out of the drive because you couldn't see beyond the shoveled snow.  And, we nearly always had school.  Snow was just part of what we dealt with living in a northern state.  Though, I do remember school being canceled one day because the wind chill was 40 below zero.  That was a rough day.

Now, this post isn't designed to be "see how tough we were and how wimpy we are now."  Trust me, I don't like snow.  If I had my way, I'd be living somewhere with a 50-60 degree average temperature and no real wintery temps.  However, in a certain way, I'm really pleased with the wintery weather we've been having.  Though it may not be for the reason you expect...

See... I'm a tad bit behind in my training this year!  And, past "winters" have come and gone with lows in the 40s, not a drop of real wintery precipitation, and cyclists out on the roads training throughout.  This year, though... everyone's stuck on a trainer!  This is good news for someone like me, who is just starting to get down to brass tacks on the bike.  I'm not saying that I'll be with my peers when the first race rolls around - I'm certain that this year will be weekend after weekend of struggle.  But, I'm also pretty sure that I'll be less behind this year than I would have if we'd had a nice warmish winter.  

So, here we are... in the mid-Atlantic region where we have gorgeous springs and falls, lovely temperate summers, and winter.  So, Winter... do your thang.  Just stop doing soon, ok?  I miss the roads!

xoxo,
Choppah