Two thousand miles and counting.
Yesterday’s ride took me over the 2,000 mile mark for the year and my goal for 2010.
Whew! Glad I made it! I am fortunate I stayed healthy this year, and suffered no injuries. Knock wood.
Last year I set my goal for 2,000 and ended the year with nearly 1,700 miles. Weather played a part, but also injury. I was injured in a mishap while at the Grand Canyon North Rim park and lost a whole month of riding while I recovered.
One factor in surpassing my goal with two months left in the year, were the two bike tours we took this year, the Katy Trail and Quebec Bike Tour.
When you ride every day as you do on a tour you pick up a lot of miles. Almost 600 of my miles were from our two one week bike trips. Bike tours are also a fun way of getting the miles and relatively easy too since every day your only activity is just to ride.
My kind of work.
Beyond the satisfaction in completing my goal, I also feel good about my conditioning and level of fitness. I am in the best condition I have been in since 2000.
Prior to 2000, I routinely rode 3,000 plus miles. My top year was 4,800 miles in the mid-90’s when I was riding throughout the year, winter included. I re-discovered bike riding in 1990, and during the next 10 years, I routinely rode 3400 miles plus.
So, it feels good to be back in the neighborhood of 2,000 miles for the year. Something else I love is having a riding partner, my husband, Mark, to enjoy it all with. It makes all the difference sharing not only the bike trips, but also just the routine miles with all the many moments that make bike riding the complete experience it is.
Although you wouldn’t know it from reading this post, it actually isn’t about the miles, or meeting a goal for me. I actually didn’t even know I was close to meeting the 2000 miles because I don’t check where I am at mileage-wise that often. With my Garmin Edge I keep track of my miles, but they aren’t why I ride. With the Edge I monitor my fitness level too (heart rate, etc.), but that isn’t why I ride either.
I ride because I love it. I will tell you though, with winter approaching and the days of riding dropping (I am now a sissy and don’t ride when it is very cold out), I feel determined to not lose the fitness I have obtained.
That means riding my trainer, running on the treadmill (ugh), yoga, weights, and whatever else I can do to keep myself moving.
It might mean setting some new goals for the winter months just to keep me motivated.
