THE "OFF" SEASON

I was down in the PURE Cycling Studio (cold, dark, unfinished basement) the other night riding the trainer when a good friend of mine called. He asked what I was doing. I told him I was riding my bike. He kinda giggled and said "Why are you doing that. It's only January. Isn't this the off season?" My friend is new to cycling, having just bought a mountain bike last summer. He still thinks cycling is JUST about having fun. Maybe he's one of the lucky ones, and it will always just be about having fun. For some of us, it turns into something a little more than just fun. Sure, it starts out innocently enough. You go for a ride, get some exercise, have a little fun. Then, you realize, the more you ride, the faster you can ride, and the MORE fun you can have. Pretty soon, your riding more, just so you can ride more, makes sense to me. Then, somehow, some way you decide to do a race. Game over. Now your a competitive cyclist, you'll never be the same. Now, it's more than just fun. Your going to go through a slight metamorphosis. Subtle changes, like watching what you eat, trying to get more sleep, drinking more water and less beer. Ya, crazy, I know. Other changes are not so subtle, and you may receive a little bit of disapproval from people close to you. Things like shaving the legs, spending large chunks of cash, and usually credit on cycling stuff, wearing lycra and neglecting work, family, etc to get in a long ride or race. You're no longer only riding, you're training. Before you know it, you find yourself down in your basement, riding a bike on a trainer, pedaling fast, but going nowhere, in January. Believe it or not, to me, at least, that can still be fun. I've gone through that metamorphosis, so for me, there is no off season. There are breaks, and time away from the bike, but to get faster, you gotta ride. Here's a short list, in no particular order, of some of the many reasons you'll find me on my bike in January- Josh Tack, Scott Herzig, Clint Muelfeld, Frank G, Matt Butterfield, Ben Parsons,and Matt Seely to name a few. And there are more. Montana may not be a "hotbed" in the cycling world, but we have some strong riders, and most of our races are pretty intense. All those guys are beasts, and if I'm not training, I don't have a chance of competing with them. Not to mention some of the strong men on the GAS team-John Curry, Alex Lussier, Seb White, and Brian Frykman. If I don't ride my trainer in January, I won't even be able to hang on their wheels on a group ride later on, let alone try and help them win some races. So, ya, for me, there is no off season. Enough blabber, I gotta go ride.