My goals. I find that every goal on my list is quite doable. I know that I could do everything. However, I need to make a change.
100 miles a week. I had set a goal of 100 miles a week, or 5200 miles a year. It seemed doable when I thought about it. Why? I don't know. I'm a slow bike rider...and average 10 miles per hour. That is 10 hours a week. Doable...yeah. I was also thinking ahead to summer and that when I ride in GWG, I'll knock out at least 25 miles that day. That's 1/4th of a 100 mile goal. So I was thinking 100 would be a good number. I did set up an escape plan of 60 miles a week...or 3120 miles for the year. But in my mind if I only reached that goal I would be a failure...it was the 5200 miles or nothing in my mind.
So I started out my first week of this challenge. I've ridden every day. Some days I've ridden twice. And I'm still close to 40 miles away from reaching my challenge. For me to make 100 miles this week, I would need to put 2 hours in on the bike today and two hours in on the bike tomorrow. I would not be giving my body a day of rest. Because come Friday my 100 mile a week ticker resets and if I miss a day...I'll be behind. I have already stressed myself out over this 100 miles...how...when.
I was at the gym yesterday and I realized that a goal of 100 miles is not realistic. In order for me to reach that 100 miles I'll be spending 10 hours on the bike each week. (on to of that I have my strength training goal....so add more time in). I like to have a varied workout. Some days I go to the gym I like to do the treadmill...or the elliptical, etc etc etc. But those other machines and exercises don't give me the higher mileage...so I know me...in my zeal to complete my mileage, I'll only do the bike...because it's my best chance. That is ok short term...but it's not cool long term. My body needs the different workouts.
The last factor is the fact that 100 miles a week gives me absolutely NO wiggle room. As mentioned above I have to pretty much work out an hour and a half a day....every day So what happens when I drive out to my brothers house for vacation. A day of driving out there and a day of driving back....that's two days that I wont be riding that week. What happens this summer when I spend my complete day off....8-10 hours working in the garden and yard....or when I work from sunup until 2 or three the next morning because green beans needed to be picked and canned....bushels of them. In the summer we grow and preserve a lot of our food....it takes time and work. Manual labor. On some of those days, there is NO way that I can add in 1-2 hours of biking. But with my 100 mile challenge I HAVE to.
Sooooooo, I"m going to lower my number. I"m lowering it to 3000 miles for the year. 60 miles a week is actually 3120 miles. But I"m going to make it an even 3000 miles. That will account for a week of vacation and it will also give me another week's wiggle room in case I get sick or something else happens (when my brothers in town...or stuff like that).
I'm still going to keep that 5200 miles in the back of my mind. I'm not going to stop at 60 miles each week. If I reach the 60 miles early (due to a big bike ride or something like that) I'm going to push onward. I would still like to reach that 5200 miles. But I'd rather face the truth NOW and admit that 5200 miles may be out of my reach THIS year. Why? Because a realistic goal is one that I will strive for long term. An unrealistic one.....that will disappear from my radar within a few weeks. And don't worry...the 100 mile challenge will come up periodically in my weekly goals. :-)
