I am back...on the road, in the pool, in my life...

I finally got back from Austria two Fridays ago. I just moved into a new apartment right next to the CCSU campus. Austria was great but very stressful at the same time. I was there to spend time with my girlfriend and to study some Math and Economics. I was scared at first because I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle European universities. The beginning didn't seem too difficult but as the semester went on it got tougher and tougher. Towards the end I was in the library studying 10 hours every day. So much for spending time with my girlfriend. Starting just after Christmas I wasn't home much. I had one month to prepare for 4 final exams which I had to pass. Without these credits I would have had to add another semester in the US. I received my grades last week and I passed my classes. I haven't been happier in a long time. Now I am back trying to reorganize my US life....
Since I didn't have time to swim for over a month last week was my first time back in the CCSU pool. It felt weird and I was exhausted pretty quickly but I managed to get in 2000 yards. The time before Christmas I was swimming a lot in Vienna and I felt great in the water. Now I just have to get back to that...
on Thursday I finally got around to cleaning my bike and on Friday I went back on the road. It had been even longer since I road my bike so I started off with an easy 25 miler around Farmington/West Hartford. It was beautiful outside but the cold was taking a toll on my toes. I ordered a pair of shoe covers right when I got back. Yesterday I went out for a ride with Rob. He picked my up and we drove out to Lake Waramaug. At 35 degrees it was just above freezing but the wind around the lake was a real killer. At the parking lot we met this guy named Greg. He is a pure cyclist riding for a team in Boston. Really nice guy. So the first 25 miles we stayed with him until he went home. He lives right on the lake. I wish that house was mine. Greg has the best possible training roads that you could ask for. The loop around the lake is flat and if he wants to ride hills he has Gear Mountain right around the corner. After we dropped him off Rob and I did two more loops around the lake for a total of 42 miles. I couldn't go any further since my toes had no feeling what so ever...but I am glad to back in my life.