Those close ones

I think I know why I slow down so much in the winter. Nothing to do with intensity zones, watts, temperature, building phase. It's about storing energy and blood pressure for watching basketball. A close sprint like Dominguez's win (left top) in Tour of CA Sunday is played out for hours in a trading-points bball game. ODU and JMU women (right top) were in a game-long slug fest for the line, finished only in the last seconds Sunday. It was like a slow motion sprint that ODU took with head down across the line.

I also watched BTW high (bottom left) play earlier this season before they went on to capture the Eastern Regional title Saturday. And there is Laura Van Gilder (MY age) out there hammering against 100 of the best women in the world in Australia this week, only .18 seconds off winning prologue time (bottom right). Class acts, both of 'em.

Even with a busy March coming, I will be in front of the TV, toggling between cycling spring classics and March Madness. My college hoops championship picks: UConn (Women) and Memphis (Men).

Photo sources: Mitch Clinton (Dominguez), Virginian Pilot (ODU), Jason Hirschfield (BTW) and John Flynn (Van Gilder).