As I looked outside my window just now at the almond tree in full bloom, it hit me that I’ve survived my first winter since 2011 without dusting off the indoor trainer. This is part of my ingenious new training plan of not having a plan. Other parts are:

• Ride at least two hours each time out.
• Limit weekly sorties to 4.
• Ride ‘hard’.

I’ve been doing all these things, or at least I think I have (no power meter anymore to tell me how ‘hard’ I’m riding, for one), and other than the weight taking its good ol’ time to come off this year, I’m feeling pretty good.

I’ve really enjoyed forcing myself to get out and ride on wet roads from time to time (friends in Scotland and Ireland, restrain yourselves from falling down in fits of laughter, please), but the cleaning part really sucks. It’s also been nice to get to use my winter gear for a change.

One thing that is suffering because of my new anti-program program is my pro race viewing, which used to be done while sweating it out on the trainer in the past. I’m forced to now take time away from Facebook ‘cat vs cucumber’ videos each evening to catch up on what’s been happening in the peloton. That hurts.

The objective test is coming soon – the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo next weekend. Shoko and I are driving to Siena on Thursday, watching the pros on Saturday, then seeing what all the fuss is about with these ‘white roads of Tuscany’ on Sunday.

In other news, I recently received my French citizenship, so if the tone of this blog takes a turn for the ‘whiny’, you’ll know why.