Back on the horse - Mid winter miles

The fifth of January marked the end of my sloth-like Christmas. Three weeks of binging on cake and drinking endless cup of tea had to eventually cease. I started riding again this week, and the weather in Boulder has treated me very well so far. We've had a mixed week of snowy nights and dry days. I've ridden outside every other day, and found enough entertainment to keep me busy whilst riding the rollers inside.

I love being outside at this time of the year. The world seems to be stuck in a mid-winter slumber. The farms on the plains to the east of Colorado smell like the farms I grew up around in Devon, and that familiar smell is amazingly comforting for this country boy. There are places in Colorado that I only travel through in deepest January. The desolate farm roads that roll endlessly towards the horizon, and the closer-to-home dirt roads that snake between the busier routes - quiet short cuts that give you your own space to ride. It's been a great first week on the bike.I've ended up riding more than I really needed to, but the miles have ticked by easily and I'm feeling comfortable with the training. From here on, work in the lab at CU is going to pick up to the point where mid-day rides will become rare. Combined with the lengthening days, though, and I'm very happy to be training and working in such a wonderful part of the world.