Making It Easier To Do Hard Things

Over the years, you may have heard me say that the only intervals I do reliably are intervals of overeating and regret. When it comes to intervals on the bike, my record is poor. I know, of course, that I could be a stronger cyclist if I did more intervals, yet on most of my rides, indoors or outdoors, I get into a comfortable rhythm and simply stay there.

On the road, elevation changes create natural intervals. You will work harder going uphill, like it or not. But on a rail trail like our Eisenbahn, you might stay in the same gear for the whole ride, pumping out mile after mile with almost no changes in power, heart rate, or perceived exertion. I now do so much of my training on the Eisenbahn that I need an artificial stimulus to make me surge above the baseline effort.

I want to be in Zone 2 most of the time on most of my rides. It is the fat-burning, mitochondria-building approach that I can sustain long enough to produce results without producing too much fatigue. But it needs to be complemented with intervals if I want to continue to be more than just a Zone 2 rider. And despite an almost complete absence of elevation change, the Eisenbahn still can be a good place to do intervals.

I have created two Garmin segments for myself. The first is 0.80 miles from Maple Drive to Auburn Ashford Drive.

The second is 0.51 miles from Haven Drive to Century Drive. Between them is a recovery segment of 0.60 miles.

As I approach each work segment, my Garmin Edge is going to alert me. On days when intervals are part of the program, that alert will be my cue to push harder until I reach the end of the segment. “Harder” will mean something between Zone 3 and a series of all-out sprints, depending on the training objectives of the day.

Garmin will time all of my transits of these segments. On Zone 2 days, that won’t count for anything. On interval days, however, those times will serve as additional motivation. Who doesn’t love going after personal records?

But I won’t be ripping down the trail when other users are present, and you don’t need to worry about me creating any Garmin segments in West Bend, Kewaskum, or Campbellsport. The segments I created are safely removed from population. Someday I may create another pair of segments between Campbellsport and Eden, but when I go that far north the objective is always Zone 2 endurance. Not sure I want to arrive at the north end of the trail already gassed from intervals and still facing a 23-mile ride home.

Starting The Next Phase Of The 2026 Season

I reinstalled my trailer hitch-mounted bike rack today. That’s a good sign. That’s optimism. That’s me getting ready to take the mountain bike to nearby trails. That’s me being pretty sure winter really is gone now, despite a couple of instances of overnight frost this week. And that’s me looking forward to my next East Coast trip. I made my vacation request today for dates in June and July. The mountain bike won’t go on that trip; the Scott Addict will be the right tool for the jobs I have in mind. At home or away, I like a mix of roads and rec trails.

The Scott Addict is wearing its power-sensing Favero pedals again. They were on indoor trainer duty over the winter. (It was somewhat less duty than anticipated, but still.) It’s fair to say that I have not yet realized the full potential of training with power data, whether indoors or outdoors. Today’s ride was a very evenly paced 33 miles on the Eisenbahn State Trail and the numbers were right where I expected … with one exception: left/right balance. I recorded a 44/56 split, with my right leg doing most of the work. Last year’s splits were more like 48/52, still favoring the right side. But the sample size was small. I didn’t get the pedals until September. Ideally, I should hit 50/50, though the imbalance isn’t stopping me from enjoying my rides.

Photos From Yesterday's Cheesehead Roubaix XV

The 2026 Wisconsin Cyclocross Schedule

Slow, Steady Progress

Sunday's rain-shortened ride started a 6-day streak of rides that never took me far from home.

Today was my sixth straight day on the bike and that’s pretty good for April in Wisconsin. In fact, that’s the first time I’ve accomplished the feat since 2020. The streak won’t get any longer, though, as tomorrow’s wind chill will be in the 30s. Sunday looks cold too. And that kind of cold is not uncommon around here in April, but it will feel like a real insult after our recent run of warm weather. On Monday, West Bend reached 80° for the first time since October 5.

I’m up to 20 outdoor rides so far this year, which is far ahead of last year’s pace. In 2025, I didn’t do my 20th outdoor ride until June 5! Miles are starting to add up, too. Today’s ride brought me to 400, year-to-date. That’s only 20 miles per ride on average, but longer rides are coming soon.

This was my first 100-mile week since September 29–October 5. That was a 203-mile week, and it will be a while before I do one of those in 2026.

I’ve said many times that I don’t feel “switched on” until I have the first 1,000 miles in my legs each season. I would need uncommonly good weather to reach that threshold this month, but things are looking good for May.

All Of This And Weight Gain, Too!

On April 1, only a fool would claim to know that Washington County is done with winter weather. In fact, there’s a freezing rain advisory tonight, so don’t be surprised if tomorrow’s news is filled with highway accidents and power outages. A month into the semantics fantasy of “meteorological spring,” we are just as likely to have a day in the 30s as one in the 60s.

Weather in the first quarter of 2026 had its ups and down; it wasn’t a complete disaster. I took the road bike outside more frequently than expected. Nonetheless, it’s disappointing to come out of this winter with the same significant weight gain that characterizes all of my winters. I begin the second quarter of 2026 heavier than I was at any point in 2025. Some of that weight gain was intentional: I have improved my bone density and added about 5 pounds of muscle by following a new strength training program. But I have added too much fat at the same time. Just like last year–just like every year–I will rely on long bike rides to burn off the belly.

I freely admit that I didn’t do everything I could have done for my health and fitness during the first quarter. Commitment to a good indoor cycling program might have made a big difference. I’m satisfied with the other activities I tracked, but yeah, I could have done more. Here’s the breakdown:

Oh, and:

The grand totals:

That’s a lot … yet, not enough. It’s never enough.

Spring 2026 Officially Arrives!

My outdoor rides so far. Short and slow, but outdoors!

It is no longer a false spring. Spring 2026 officially arrived on Friday. And that was a nice enough day but not as nice as today’s 72° masterpiece. I rode outdoors on both days, racking up 42 miles. So, that’s 9 rides and 182 miles this year, a humble start but far better than last year’s pace: 2 rides for a total of only 30 miles by March 21. High winds kept me from doing more today. You take the bad with the good in Wisconsin’s spring: if not for the high winds from the southwest, today’s high temperature would have been 40-something.

There are few remaining traces of the 8-inch snowfall that hit West Bend earlier this week. Still, I’m not willing to rule out more snow before spring takes a firm hold. While our afternoon highs will be in the 40s and 50s next week, overnight lows will sometimes fall below freezing. I’ll make all of my cycling plans with a pencil until May 1.

My preseason plan was to spend 50 hours on the trainer before May 1. I’m not even close to that total and I won’t make up all of the deficit. Ongoing sleep issues lead to low energy that I simply cannot overcome by upbraiding myself for my lack of motivation and discipline. Getting outside does allow me to overcome low energy. Just being outside would be enough but there’s the extra reward of making progress toward my mileage goals. In the 40 days that remain before May 1, I should surpass the 50 hours of cycling that might have been exclusively indoors if not for better-than-expected weather.

The False Spring Of 2026

Today was the first 70° day in West Bend since October 18. I rode outside, of course. And I rode outside yesterday, so I’m 2-for-2 since Daylight Saving Time returned. But the good times won’t last. When I’m shoveling snow this weekend and watching overnight temperatures fall into single digits, I’ll try to remember the last two days with gratitude and accept the return of winter with less bitterness. The weather is not supposed to be this nice this early. My 7 outdoor rides and 140 miles are more than I had any right to expect by this date.

Wrapping Up February 2026

In February, even slow miles are good miles.

In West Bend, today was the seventh day this month with a high temperature of 50° or more. That's not normal, but it has my approval. Things go back to normal tomorrow: freezing temperatures and a little snow. I won’t ride outdoors tomorrow. This month I completed 4 outdoor rides for a total of 82 miles. Yes, I missed a couple of opportunities. No regrets, though. I came into this month expecting nothing. My personal record for February is 285 miles, set in 2017. So, I didn’t come close to setting a new PR, but 82 was my highest total outdoors in February since 2020, and today’s ride was my longest so far this year. Good enough.

First Outdoor Miles Of 2026

I dispute Garmin’s claim that West Bend reached 50° today. We got close, certainly, and it looks like we’ll get there on each of the next three days. Whatever the real temperature was today, it was good enough to draw me outside for my first ride of 2026. And the ride wasn’t much – I started too late in the afternoon to be ambitious – but the first ride of a new year is always an occasion to celebrate.