Making the Commitment

Today was a good day. I registered for two spring rides and bought a round-trip ticket to London. As I dropped the two envelopes in the mail and clicked the “make this payment” button on the airline’s website, I felt a noticeable level of clarity and focus; things were really falling into place.

Guys have a bad rap for avoiding commitment but this has never been the case for me. I’ve been happily married since I was 29 years old, have two wonderful kids and I love to get cycling events nailed down on the calendar. It’s a relief, in fact. No more “well maybe this one, maybe that one” or “if this one, then that one” thinking. Now I have some specific goals with firm dates that the family and I can plan around. While I registered for LEL in 2009, shelling out the cash for the airline ticket made it much more real.

So at this point, I have my first brevet (the Saratoga 200K on March 29), my first race (the Connecticut River Double Century on April 19) and my largest event (LEL – July 26-30) all lined up and ready to go. My training is becoming more focused and specific as I end the base and enter the build phase. Spring is officially two weeks away, Daylight Savings begins on Sunday and the weekend forecast calls for temps in the upper fifties. Maybe this winter will end after all.