Winter Fun Continues

Boarding at Killington, spinning in the cellar, early morning hotel workout rooms and ice biking make up the routine as winter works its magic.

With all the meaningful snowfalls landing far south of us this year, conditions at Killington have been less than ideal.  However, the snowmaking and grooming and extensive choice of terrain and exposure at Killington allow you to make the best of it.  I was able to host a business associate from Michagan on a Friday and we enjoyed nearly ideal conditions and had a blast.  The other trips have been solo Sunday affairs with high wind, below zero wind-chills.  The wind blows off the manmade snow exposing the white china below making it fast and dangerous.  This is school vacation week, so I will avoid the crowds, cost and out of control / runaway skiers and riders and find other ridn to do.

With the snow pack gone and very cold conditions, ice biking on the home trails and corn/hay fields has opened up.  Even when there is snow, it is so dense and packed or ice covered that the studded-tired Epic stays on top.  The bare brush woods are ideal for bushwacking new paths on the moutain bike.  The added resistance from the snow makes it even more of a leg searing / lung busting workout.  I found some good "trails" behind our neighbor to the east yesterday. With temperatures in the 20's and being sheltered from the wind in the woods, there were no cold issues in the 90 minute ride.

It was good to get outside on the bike again as I have been limited to spinning on the Y-Foil in the basement.  These one-hour workouts are good, with sprinting and climbing intervals, but it does not compare to having to balance yourself on changing terrain and breathing fresh air.

Less than eight weeks to go before the Tour of the Battenkill!!  I need to step-up and lengthen out the workouts if I want to do the 62-mile race on hilly dirt roads without cramping or bonking before the finish line.