The hardest part is heading out the door
At the beginning of the year I made the bold prediction that I would sweep aside 2006's dismal bicycling mileage and double my output to 4,000 miles.
Not much for the 8,000-plus mileage crowd (you were in the upper 17% in my poll), but good enough for a cyclist who has only hit 4,000 miles (the last time in 2003) a few times since completing a cross-country bicycle tour in 1984.
Doing the math, I'd have to click off an average 333.33 miles per month to hit the mark. That must be more difficult than it sounds, as I only bicycled 206.5 miles in January.
Looking back at the bicycling logs I've saved since 1991, my worst January was 58 miles in 2002; my best was 268 miles in 1996, my first January living in Austin, Texas.
Excuses
I'm sure I'll hit a better stride when spring and summer rolls around. There are too many excuses and distractions right now for not cycling. Two of them are represented in that photo — a school-closing snowstorm that kept the streets unrideable for 4 or 5 days, and a whole pile of maple rounds from fallen trees that need to be split.
But, in spite of that, I pushed myself down the driveway for 16 rides this month, rather than just waiting for the random “nice” day. Looking back, I could only find two or three “nice” days for bike riding in the entire month.
Lessons:
Here's a few things I rediscovered:
1. If I dressed properly — and I do dress properly — I would get over the shock of riding in the cold or drizzle or wind just a couple of miles down the road. Since most of my rides were about 10 miles, I'd get home before the weather got to me. In fact, I always came in the door feeling better than when I left.
2. Having bicycled on the crappy days, I could go further on the “nice” days and really enjoy the weather and being outside.
3. It's easier to split wood with an 8-pound maul after getting the heart pumping with an energetic bike ride.
Here's January's mileage, published for all the world to see in order to motivate me to do better in February to reach my 2007 goal of 4,000 miles:
Total for year: 206.5 miles
Needed for goal: 333.3 miles
Difference: Minus 126.8 miles
Recent Comments