Time to train

There is a recommended training schedule for the coast to coast ride. I don't need to start it until next month, but since I will be out of town with no bike for a week in March, I decided to start early... I began last week (a good thing) but it took more than a week to complete the first week's training (a bad thing) first week: 101 miles. Most of that was done indoors on my trainer. This morning it was too cold to run (my usual Saturday morning activity) so I rode 2.5 hours on the trainer, calling that my scheduled 45 mile ride. Daughter Erika came over and rode with me for a while and we watched an old movie on VHS--lucky for me Luke left a little TV with built-in VCR in the basement when he left... Now I can watch all the movies I always meant to watch while I get in thousands of "miles" on my bike. Anyone who knows me knows I can hardly sit still long enough to watch a movie at home... but this is not really sitting still!

I received one of the new saddles I ordered and put it on the trainer bike--not as comfortable as the old one, but I'll give it another try before I send it back. Thanks to my work group who gave me a very generous gift certificate to Performance Bicycle as a going away present! I am also going to order a new set of aero bars--the ones I have are not adjustable and I feel as if I am reaching out too far. I would welcome advice on aero bars on road bikes...

I appreciate all the comments and encouragement from friends, relatives, and people I don't even know! I am going to get weary of riding indoors.... I already know that. I called a friend who is teaching spinning class at a local facility--I could do some of my shorter rides that way--more intense than what I do on my own.... I use a heart rate monitor, but I tend to not push myself really hard on the trainer--need to simulate those mountains, and spinning class might be good for that.

Ride on!