Ending One, Beginning Another

This was a weekend that brought the ending of one season and the beginning of another. From snowmobiling on Friday to the first race of the season on Sunday, it was a busy few days!

End of Snowmobile Season - for Us

Friday, Mike and I played hooky from work to go out for what was likely our last snowmobile ride of the season. I say last for us, because given the amounts of snow still up north, they'll be riding in places well into April! There were places where there had to be 5-6 feet of snow still on the ground, and it was snowing while we rode.









We started our ride in Newry, and traveled north to Andover and Byron on trails we had never ridden before. Conditions were excellent, and we only saw 4 other riders all day. We even stopped to explore "Devil's Gap" - a beautiful chasm full of ice flows. The day ended with about 90 miles, and then we headed back home to MA.

Training for Treats

Saturday was a training day for me, and a fairly mellow ride day for Mike. I headed out with some teammates (Cris, Tami and Janet) in below freezing temps. It actually SNOWED while we were out riding - guess Spring still hasn't arrived here ;-). Cris and I split off from Tami and Janet at the top of Nagog Hill, and continued a solid effort through West Acton, South Acton, West Concord, Concord and home. I ended with just about 44 miles, and Mike and I met back up at the house.

Hard efforts deserve yummy rewards - don't you think? This week on the Food Network, Mike saw a show on the best donuts in the country. One of them happens to be in Saugus, MA, so we went on a road trip to Kane's Donuts to see for ourselves ;-). The verdict? VERY yummy donuts, and really big! Definitely good post ride food ;-).

The Beginning of Race Season

This morning, with temps in the high 20s, Mike and a couple hundred other men (and one woman) from the region tested their legs in the first crit of the season in Marblehead, MA.

NEBC men made up almost a third of the racers in the men's 4/5 field, and it was exciting to watch Geoff M in a breakaway for the final 5 laps, and his teammates riding across the front of the peloton to ensure a chase was not in the cards. Unfortunately, Geoff wasn't able to maintain his break in the final lap, but he looked great, and NEBC still finished well with a 5th place finisher! Congrats to the whole team - you looked great out there!

The next race was the Masters race, and Mike was joined by Wayne (who had just finished the first race), Tim and Michael G. - oh, and 80 other racers ;-). Jean (Wayne's wife) and I walked the course backwards during the race, and the guys looked great! Mike and Tim were solidly in the front of the pack, and Michael and Wayne riding strong in the middle. It was fun to just be a spectator today - no women's field, and it is too early for me just yet anyway. Jean and I cheered for all of the team before we all went out for a quick cooldown before heading home.

Once home, it was back on the bike. I started a training plan this week, and needed to head out for a 3 hour ride at endurance pace (keeping my HR below 135). God bless Mike for coming out with me for the duration, even though he had just finished racing! We noodled through Concord, Sudbury, Wayland and Lincoln and ended almost 3 hours with only 38.9 miles! ACK! I never knew it could be so hard to ride so slowly... This will all payoff in the long run, I am sure! I'm tired now, after a long week of training and activity, but for now, I think I'll have another donut ...