Saturday slush

I could go on about how generally crappy this winter has been but after hearing about what my cohorts from the rest of the country have been up to...I'll save it.

Reports range from cold and wet to freezing and snowing...again. For example, got word that a few areas of southern PA have over three feet of snow on the ground. Even as it melts it is hard to ride. No trails for sure, and the amount of road space, coupled with the sand/gravel/slush mix makes travel on a bike pretty sketchy at best.

So, despite it all, I have it better than the bulk of my non-local friends. (save for one report about a nice long run out in CA with temps near 70)

The great snowstorm of 2010 dumped a lot on us here in the DFW area. The official measurement was 12.5 inches. Wet, heavy stuff. Great for snowballs and snowmen (or snowpeople to be PC?) but not so good for driving or cycling. I normally like to drag the CX bike out in the snow for a winter ride, but this stuff was wet and deep, so I made the right choice and didn't even try.

Two days later and there is still a lot on the ground. Today was sunny and the warmth was nice, quite a treat considering how little it seems we have seen around here lately. Everything was melting. This meant the roads, mostly clear of snow now, were wet. Wet like they get when it rains heavy in a lot of spots. Some of the more major roads were dry for the most part, so I tried to stick to those that had the combo of low water content and low traffic volume.

I succeeded for the most part. I did fail to stay dry. Within about a mile my posterior was soaked, and conditions continued to decline from there. The sun helped, and the lack of wind kept things generally pleasant, so I tooled around for a couple hours and returned home with numb feet but a smile on my face. So I'll chalk this up as a good day for sure. I also encountered several instances in which drivers went out of their way to give me a break. And that will always make me smile.

Hopefully tomorrow brings more of the same.

Oh yeah... Texas road racing season is in full swing now. Just seems too early in the year. Especially when it has been a struggle to log serious time on the road consistently. And to hell with a trainer! Medieval torture that is.