riding and training during the winter in iowa

i've been making a big deal lately about the effectiveness of roller riding versus riding outside, even when the weather turns north, as it has the past couple weeks. folks will come up to me and tell me about how killer their 45 minute spinerval workout was, or how "the team got together and rode trainers for a brutal hour."
what, are you nuts?
all winter long, i've been hitting the roads--once literally--and slogging out four-hour plus snowy gravel road rides. i've ridden alone, with one pal, or sometimes with four or more teammates. we have another group of maybe 8 or more lined up for later today, around noon or so. this is causing me to forego watching the nfc and afc playoffs. okay, i'll sacrifice, even though unlike some of my station mates, i DO enjoy some ballsports, and DON'T dis the sports in which i do not take part. plus, i can have the second game on at the station while i do my show.
i've been riding with a 2.4 powertap [thanks, folks!] since last spring, just accumulating data. i'm beginning to pay attention to it now, and starting to understand what the numbers mean. it's not dictating my workouts [yet], but DOES tell me how i'm doing.
and i think i'm doing okay.
take yesterday, for example. sadly, i haven't figured out how to post the graphs the software spits out for me, but here's what yesterday's ride shows:
basics: 4h32m; 96.31 km; 2318 kJ [don't know what THAT means, other than how much i worked, but it's good for comparison's sake to other rides]
power distribution:
recovery--124 minutes [46%]
endurance--114 minutes [42%]
threshold--19 minutes [7%]
race pace--10 minutes [4%]
max--2.5 minutes [1%]
supra max--1.5 minutes [<1%]
heartrate distribution:
recovery--15minutes [5%]
endurance--159 minutes [58%]
threshold--93 minutes [34%]
race pace--6 minutes [2%]
max--<1>
fun distribution [totals may exceed 100%]:
fun--272 minutes [100%]
lotta fun--272 minutes [100%]
whole hell of a lotta fun--272 minutes [100%]
now, what does THIS tell you? by the way, i continued to exceed previous peak power personal bests at several interval segments yesterday, including at the 5 seconds, 30 seconds, and 120 minutes intervals, meaning that i'm riding my ass off, having a hell of a GREAT time, and getting more and more fit all the time. nothing killer about it, not epic [oh, maybe if we'd have gone another 70 kilometres and had to deal with numerous dogs [we DID see lots of labrador fangs yesterday--uphills a few times] AND dealt with heavy snow or sleet or drunken hunters. but none of that.
but it WAS extremely fun. so you guys riding your rollers and patting yourselves on the back, good for you. i've gotta make some pb&j sandwiches for today's ride.
don't forget to listen to today's show--talking with mountain bike pioneer charlie kelly tonight, 600 to 700 pm, kxno.com.