In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb (We Hope).

Whenever I think of the month of March, the phrase "in like a lion, out like a lamb" enters my mind, often accompanied by memories my mother's voice. Growing up in the Northeast, March has always been a dramatic transitional month between winter and spring. This year, though, the month has not only come in like a lion, it also challenges the imagination to think that anything lamb-like is remotely around the corner. Last week, temperatures hovered in the teens and low-20s after we awakened each day in the single digits. To be honest, with a solid covering of snow and ice in every direction, it feels a lot more like January or February in these parts.

That said, the calendar tells me that in just three weeks I'll be clipping in for my first brevet of the season and while my training is a bit off, I could not be more excited. There are several 200K options on the calendar for me in that last weekend of March and I certainly hope that something more lamb-like than the current weather is in store for all of us who chose to begin the 2014 brevet season this month.

Despite the arctic visuals, during today's morning ride, I enjoyed temperatures in the balmy low-40s and actually felt the warm air fill my lungs with the hope of spring. No longer was I forced to take shallow breaths to avoid the shock of frozen air, and this alone seemed to put a direct and dramatic spring into my legs.

What are your riding plans as winter finally recedes into memory?