Winter Training

Just to clear it up for everyone, I hate winter: the vitamin D deficiency makes me grumpy, I feel smothered and trapped by rain gear, my circulatory system goes on strike and forgets my fingers and toes, and I'm never warm.  The sad thing?  I also live in the warmest part of Canada...and so really, can't complain.

This winter has actually been more enjoyable, with my new job I have actually been able to schedule work around training, which means fewer mind (and phalange) numbing night rides with only a small circle of battery-produced sunshine to guide me through winter training.  Riding in the daytime also translates to higher temperatures which makes me almost able to convince myself that it isn't winter.  Double that with getting back on the mountain and road bikes, and I can actually say that I have been loving the extra hours on the bike, the sweet new trails I have missed out on over the last few months, and the chance to catch up with all of our riding buddies and this is shaping up to be the best winter yet.

On the life-front, so far this year we have changed tenants, had a minor flood in our basement, started to dig out drainage in our backyard (which will, in the future, lead to some beautiful landscaping, but now looks like a war zone), and catching up with socializing with some of our closest friends who put up with our 8 month absence from social life each year.

As far as work goes, Marin has been getting some awesome press.  Check out Bike Reviews discussion of the 2011 Marin Quad XC Series (which Drew and I will be showing off during the mountain bike season) and this month's Bike Magazine for a review of Marin's new XM9, there is an awesome review in this year's "Gear Guide" :



That is all for now...I'll keep updating over the next few months!  Hope everyone likes the new blog layout!