Winter months keep me stuck indoors. Can't keep much of a consistent training program when it is all grim suffering on the indoor equipment. Even snow-shoeing requires getting in the truck and driving miles and miles to a `forest preserve.'
I used not to mind putting on 10 - 15 lbs in the winter because, as a casual cyclist, I could count on taking it all off by May or June. As a competitive cyclist I need to be race ready by March. City winters retard fitness and performance capability.
These last few months in Chicago ... are very, very frustrating.