Decisions, decisions! Last year was a banner year for me on the bike because I rode my bikes more than 8,000 miles in a single year. Having said that, what do I do next year I thought to myself? I would really like to set the bar at 10,000 miles, but I don’t want to be obsessed with striving to attain such a lofty bar. (Mozam, chin in hand, elbow on desk, looking up and to the right…deep in thought). Some quick math tells me that to attain 10,000 miles next year, I would have to average about 833 miles per month. That’s quite a big nut to crack since I scored an average of close to 700 miles per month this year. So, what’s a guy to do? Set the goal and go for it? Or, pussy out and only go for the recommended 10% increase over the previous goal and use that as a guideline?
I was told once that goals should always be achievable. Why? I have absolutely no idea. Who cares if the goal is achievable anyway. The only person who really cares is you, so why would anyone else give a crap? Ooops, why am I putting this in my blog? Frankly, I think riding 10,000 miles in a year is doable, and if it isn’t I can always change the goal, or lower the bar, so to speak. But hey, isn’t that cheating? Let’s see: I’ve already committed to riding 5 Double Centuries next year with my riding buddies so that’s 1,000 miles already in place. And…if I do another, say, 10 Centuries during the year, i.e., one per month or so, that’s another grand, so theoretically I could make it, right?! I love arm chair logic, don’t you? Get’s you all fired up inside and ready to hit the tarmac with a vengeance. Now, how do I crack that 833 miles per month in the summer time when it’s 100+ °F on the roads around here? Things that make you wanna go hmmmm? I would talk this over with Mrs. Mozam, but when I mention stuff like this she just stares at me with that 30-years-of-marriage, evil-eye and says, “you’re crazy!”
2 comments:
Sir Mozam,
Do as I say and not as I do. I did 8,000 miles last year and 10,000 miles this year. The 10K goal was a mistake (although I will love bragging about it forever and ever!) Too much time away from work, even though I'm self-employed and didn't have that bigga workload. I rode 13 centuries and a triple-metric (186 miles). I don't regret those a bit. But that need to do 32 miles a day 6 days a week (with one rest day every week) was a bit daunting at times!
Nope, next year I'm going back to 8,000 miles. Nice big fat doable number, if you ask me.
You were asking me, right? :-D
At least one century every month, a bunch of brevets -- 200K, 300K, 400K... 600K? Plus, the HooDoo 500 in September and all my other favorite rides like Triple Bypass and Horsetooth Double Dip and Bicycle Tour of Colorado and el Tour de Tucson. Yeah, without all that 32-miles-a-day-no-matter-what pressure, 8,000 miles is just about right.
For me anyway. Go ahead and shoot for 10K so YOU can brag about it like me (I RODE 10,000 MILES THIS YEAR, SUCKER!!!) But you'll be back to 8,000 miles the following year. Just you watch...
Seems to me that attaining your goal isnt as hard it would seem. Simply, quit your job, sell everything you dont actually *need* (like pets or kids) and set out on a year long "tour de couch" of Bike Journal members. You could see the whole country! North in the summer, South in the winter, always riding somewhere new and always in season!!
Post a Comment