Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - 2009 goals: record yours here!

I have begun to realize that short and long term goals are very important, especially to those of us of the Clyde/Athena persuasion. I am currently working on a set of goals for calendar year 2009, both on and off the scale. I'm working on a complete set, because for me personally, long term goals can only be achieved by reaching a series of milestones to keep me on the path.

If you've got goals for 2009, I hope you'll take the time to record them here. I personally need detailed, specific goals, but whether yours are as simply defined as "I am going to lose weight" or as detailed as "I'm riding a century each month, plus 100 additional miles", please think of this as a place to put them in writing for yourself and to inspire others.

Mine will be up sometime today, in this very thread.

1.) Finish the Dirty Kanza 200. 200 miles of gravel, late May, in Kansas. I'm not sure why I'm doing this to myself, but I am.

2.) I won't have another drop of beer (after midnight tonight) until I weigh 267 pounds (thereby busting through the 300 pounds lost mark). If I want to have spirits, I'm limiting myself to either rum and diet cola or wine. I really like beer and really don't like either of those. :)

i wanna do two century rides this year minimum.

The way I am wired, stating goals out loud is usually the kiss of death for me. But I will give it a shot, we will see how it goes.

Physical goal: eat less, ride more, drop two pants sizes (for the past two years I have considered my bike computer to be my enemy. Every couple of months I take a hiatus from worrying about the mileage and average speed and then the rides become like when I was a kid.I am going to concentrate on riding for the sake of riding, and keep the fun in each trek.)

Mental goal: be happy, be nice and be helpful. (I am a firm believer that this goal is the key to achieving all others. When I get down I can't concentrate on being my best)

Clyde/Athena goal: reach out and touch a Clyde/Athena or two. Physically meet up and ride.

Jay

2,500 miles total, or more.

at least 3 self-supported centuries (did 1 this year, was awesome).

1-3 organized events (only ever done one, loved it).

at least 400 miles with my daughter on the trail-a-bike. She's here, with me:

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd133/adrien_028/034.jpg

Mental goal: be happy, be nice and be helpful. (I am a firm believer that this goal is the key to achieving all others. When I get down I can't concentrate on being my best)

Clyde/Athena goal: reach out and touch a Clyde/Athena or two. Physically meet up and ride.

Jay

+1 on both. I started the goal of being kind a few years back -- it is very much the right thing to do.

:o

While there was that really long similar post earlier this month, here is what I'l actually use for 2009

Miilage:
Ride 3,000 milles (this will be tough)

Complete a Frostburg to Hancock and back ride (unsupported Century Ride)
Complete at least 1 organized Century ride


Weigh less than 200 lbs on December 31, 2009 (currently 223 after getting down to 203 at the start of August)

Find a way to build up/ have built up a new bike w/ Rival and a frame that is nicer than my aluminum OCR

That is it for now. I had wanted to include a 200K ride and a triathalon. But decided to go for sustained success rather than up and down success like this year. The 3000 miles will be tough. Hopefully I'll get started on that tomorrow regardless of weather.

While there was that really long similar post earlier this month, here is what I'l actually use for 2009

Miilage:
Ride 3,000 milles (this will be tough)

Complete a Frostburg to Hancock and back ride (unsupported Century Ride)
Complete at least 1 organized Century ride


Weigh less than 200 lbs on December 31, 2009 (currently 223 after getting down to 203 at the start of August)

Find a way to build up/ have built up a new bike w/ Rival and a frame that is nicer than my aluminum OCR

That is it for now. I had wanted to include a 200K ride and a triathalon. But decided to go for sustained success rather than up and down success like this year. The 3000 miles will be tough. Hopefully I'll get started on that tomorrow regardless of weather.

The weight control is a real problem for me.
Started at 223 lbs, dropped to 198 lbs.
Got in 11,200 miles, Now 210 lbs.
2009 Goal, 20,000 miles, I eat to have the energy to ride.

2,000+ miles
At least 3 full century rides (supported)
At least 3 metric century rides
I'd like to lose some weight, but I can never get serious about dieting

- 4000 miles (almost got it this year. 2009 I will hit it for certain!)

- Finish a brevet series up to 400k (200, 300 and 400k this season. Aiming for a S-R in the future.)

- Get my weight fluctuation under control. Lost 30 pounds in 2007, rode more but gained it back in 2008. I don't care if my weight is stable at 230 or 250 pounds, just that it's stable.

2500 miles
Drop 50 lbs.

last year I wanted 3000 miles and only got 2000 so maybe this will at least be achievable.

I set a personal best back in 04. A 10,000ft century in 7:40 timed event. 7:10 on the bike. I did it 3 years ina row. I was 220 and felt great. In 07 I managed to lose sight of goals and began concentrating on keeping Gina on the bike. I did a 12,000 ft century, completed it well within the time limits but didn't feel as good at 235 lbs.

So my goal is to drop backdown to 220 at an attempt to break my 04 personal best on the ride.:thumb:

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/albumnumbertwo/Bear.jpg

Lose 50 pounds
Quit Smoking
Ride a century
Bike commute to work more

Ok, having been the one to start this thread, I wanted to make sure my goals were what I wanted them to be.

So here they are:
- Minimum of 1 race per month after January. Whether it's walking, running, or triathlon, it gives me a short term goal to work towards. The first 4 are as follows:
2/15/2009 Last Chance for Boston Half-Marathon
3/8/2009 Arnold Classic 5k Racewalk
4/18/2009 Miami Student Foundation Triathlon
5/2/2009 Capital City Half-Marathon
- Increase my speed per mile:
- walking: down to 12:00/Mi
- Running: "just do it" - My fiancee (1 mile without stopping)
- Riding: sustain 15 MPH for 1 hour mimum
- Swimming - 400 meters under 12 minutes
- Distance
- Walking: Complete a marathon
- Running: Complete a 5k
- Riding: Complete a Century
- Swimming - 800 meters without stopping
- Weight
- Lose 79 pounds by 7/19/09

I think that gives me enough serious goals for the year. I need to break the weight one down, but it will basically be small goals of roughly 10 lbs a month. That's easily doable.

I will loose the 40lbs and get to 190lbs
I will do 3 centuries un supported
I will do one ride over 200km
I will ride 4000km
I will help club organize new tour
I will promote cycling to anyone who will or will not listen
I will buy another bike
Those are cycling goals for the year but they will never get in the way of my main goal every year. Be the best father and husband that I can.

For my goals, I kept it simple this year:
1. Ride more than last year
2. Lose 2 pounds a week.

I've tried WW, counting calories, etc, and it just doesn't work well for me. So I decided I would just focus on eating less. For example, instead of having 3 sandwiches, have only one or two. Naturally, I'm going to have to exercise more, as well, so I'm going to biking more, and pushups, crunches, etc.

So, that's about as detailed as I want to get for now.

Good luck with your goals!

edit: Number 3. Watch my temper a little more closely. Three is enough for the year. :0)

Get to the point where I'm not allowed in the Clydesdale forums any longer. :)

The weight control is a real problem for me.
Started at 223 lbs, dropped to 198 lbs.
Got in 11,200 miles, Now 210 lbs.
2009 Goal, 20,000 miles, I eat to have the energy to ride.

HOw the heck do you find time to put in close to 1,000 miles a month? That is amazing!

I could use a couple pointers since I'm going to need to average almost 300 a month to get to my 3,000 mile goal

How the heck do you find time to put in close to 1,000 miles a month? That is amazing!

I could use a couple pointers since I'm going to need to average almost 300 a month to get to my 3,000 mile goal

It is very easy for me.
First you have to retire from Work.
Second move to a warm climate. Rode 87 mi yesterday Temps 39* to 74* Sunny.
Third meet a group that rides SIX days each week.
I commute to Dave's House 7.5 mi one way.
He rides his Birthday 6 days a week. He is 65 y/o
He is also a bike mechanic. He knows something is wrong with my bike when it first appears.Then he fixes it. He has sponsored a ride from his house for over ten years now.
So please move and come ride with us.

Give me 12 years, if everything works out, I'll be right there with you. If I could retire in my 40's and just ride bike, life would be the epitamy of the definition of "grand".


It is very easy for me.
First you have to retire from Work.
Second move to a warm climate. Rode 87 mi yesterday Temps 39* to 74* Sunny.
Third meet a group that rides SIX days each week.
I commute to Dave's House 7.5 mi one way.
He rides his Birthday 6 days a week. He is 65 y/o
He is also a bike mechanic. He knows something is wrong with my bike when it first appears.Then he fixes it. He has sponsored a ride from his house for over ten years now.
So please move and come ride with us.

Ride 3000 miles
Drop another 34 pounds to get below 200 pounds.
Compete in the 70-mile version of the Tour of the Tucson Mountains in April
Compete in the 109-mile version of the El Tour de Tucson in November
Increase average speed

Short Term - No junk food for two months. I think I can manage that one. I know saying it for a year would result in failure and then a bad mood. :o Maybe next year I can swing 4 months and the next a whole year or something.

Long Term Goals-

1) Eat less junk for the rest of the year after the two months of no junk. Hopefully even throw in a couple more junkless months in.

2) Break 2000 miles on my trike this year.

3) Tour for the first time and hopefully accumulate at least a month of touring time.

4) Get back down to my weight when I got married. It might not be slim, but it would knock me out of the Athena category. I think with lots of cycling (especially with the help of touring), it's a doable goal.

3,500 miles
Some upper body workout
drop 50 lbs.

I would like to be around 260 by the end of the year. This years ankle surgery and massive OT at work has really kept me off the bike and out of the gym the last part of 2008. I knew I would regaun some weight, but not keep it this long. Hope to keep working out, joining Weight Watchers, and just relax. That seems to work the best for me.

Need to get the house back up to par. The outside gutters need redone, replace ALL the sceens, paint, and fix the front porch rail.

Cleaning up my life, and work space. I need to get ALLOT of crap out of my life and garage. Thoreau would have a fit! Get rid of junk around the house and garage. Clean up my schedule and free up time. Quit having specialized junk and get more general. Except for riding shorts! Need to sel/move a couple fo junker bikes and parts that I only need in case of "28 Days Later" type futures. I'm willling to risk it with my Hardrock and road bike (to be named later).

I want to hit all five metric centuries in the St louis region this year. Get down to jboyds and ride the trail monthly, and even cross over to KY and ride a few trails down there.

I will only use my cycle-computer for the first twenty days of the month! The rest is mine to have fun with.

Jerry

I'll relist from the previous list, and some additional thoughts and goals.

1. March: Soldier Ride Lone Star Challenge for my brothers and sisters https://www.woundedwarriorproject.or...gory/127/1011/
We will ride from Dallas to Austin and joing the group. From there we will ride with each Soldier Ride group all the way to Corpus Christie.

2. October: Livestrong challenge Austin for those I've lost and those who won.
http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/s...IoE/b.3921455/

3. Contemplating seeing how many times I can circle Indianapolis Motor Speedway (This is more of a wish than a goal)

4. At least 4000 miles for the year. Hopefully more.

5. Commute part time

6. At least 50 pounds weight loss.

7. Race at least one mass start Crit by the beginning of Fall.

8. Help start a bike Co-Op in Dallas

9. Complete a 200K Brevet in the designated time allowed

10. No more Physical Therapy. Probably not gonna happen, but I can dream.

1.) Finish the Dirty Kanza 200. 200 miles of gravel, late May, in Kansas. I'm not sure why I'm doing this to myself, but I am.

2.) I won't have another drop of beer (after midnight tonight) until I weigh 267 pounds (thereby busting through the 300 pounds lost mark). If I want to have spirits, I'm limiting myself to either rum and diet cola or wine. I really like beer and really don't like either of those. :)

Ben, do you have, or are you allowed, support for the Dirty Kanza?

I had a strange realization around 5 years ago that I hadn't had so much as a beer in longer than I could remember. I never set a goal or made a decision to cut alchohol out of my life, it just sort of happened.

If I want to have a drink, I have no reason not too. I've even sort of had plans to share a beer or a drink with friends and then just drank soda or water, lol. Oddly enough, I just realized that the last drink I had was last New Years Eve night when I had one CC and water and a half glass of champagne.

So it looks like I just went 365 days without a drink and didn't even realize I was doing it. It can be done.

1. go from 100kg to sub-95kg.

2. enter a cycling race of some sort.

3. go faster than 7:20 on the Concept2 rowing machine over 2000m at the local indoor rowing champs.

my goals for 2009 is to take different routes to work save up to buy a real road bike and to drop my weight to 220 pounds or below goodluck to all

I lost 28 lbs this year, I'll lose 28 lbs next year :).

I rode about 2000 miles this year, I'll ride 3000 miles next year :D.

I would also like to do about 4 century rides next summer :thumb:.

One of my goals is no new bike gear next year, I overspent this year :o.

Michael

I had a pretty lackluster year on the bike in "08". Probably only got about 350 road miles in period. So this year that will have to change.

Ride more
Eat better
Weigh 140 by 2010 (currently 168)
Ride more club rides (I belong to 2 clubs /1 in PA & 1 in WV so why not take advantage of the ride calendars)
Sign up for as many event rides as my wallet will allow
100 miles at Indianapolis Motor Speedway / Tour de Cure (Go Team Stormcrowe)
Start running again, and train for a 10k sometime in the late summer / early fall
Think positive :D

Denny

Walk more. Pick up the pace closer to a run.
Ride more.
Hit the gym for cross-training more.
Eat better.
Tour de Sewer.
LA River Ride.

1. 4000 miles - stretch goal as I'm starting from almost nothing
2. 4 organized centuries, first one in April
3. Get down from 215 to 195 lbs
4. Wear 36" waist pants again (related to #3, above)
5. Travel no more frequently than once every three weeks (related to #1, above)

Doesn't rain much here and daily high temperatures are rarely below 50, but I do still work for a living. Working at home 75% of the time lets me get in a 15+ mile ride at lunch time.

1) Loose fifty more pounds.
2) Ride my bike, at least somewhere, five days a week. Commuting five days would be ideal. If I take a coupe days off commuting, ride on weekends.
3) Make the tour I have planned for september. Using the adventure cycling route, go from Washington's northern border, into Oregon. I took two weeks off for what should be a relaxed one week trip, so I should have enough time. lol.

I always try to ride or run 5 days per week. Nothing too specific. Better to live life as it comes, somewhat like this passage from a Steinbeck novella:

“We must remember three things. Number one, and the first in importance, we must have as much fun as we can with what we have. Number two, we must eat as well as we can, because if we don’t, we won’t have the health and strength to have as much fun as we might. And number three, and last in importance, we must keep the house reasonably in order, wash the dishes and such things. But we will not let the last interfere with the other two.”
Doc Ricketts in “Log From the Sea of Cortez”, by John Steinbeck

I'll relist from the previous list, and some additional thoughts and goals.

2. October: Livestrong challenge Austin for those I've lost and those who won.
http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/s...IoE/b.3921455/

3. Contemplating seeing how many times I can circle Indianapolis Motor Speedway (This is more of a wish than a goal)



Well have to get a group together for the Livestrong Challenge! As of now, Im getting my stuff in order to start collecting funds in a BIG way and get to Austin.

I want to log more miles...starting today.
I want to commute more.
I want to eat less crap...this is really hard for me, I need to pack my lunch more, and for more reasons than one!
I want to ride Pisgah Ntl Forest, DuPont, Tsali on the MTB, The BlueRidge Parkway on the roadie. All these are within a couple of hours.
I want to get good grades at college to start my second career!

Did 1600 miles in 2008, starting in June. Would like to achieve 4000 road and 200 mountain bike miles in 2009.

In addition:

Lose 20lbs or 5% bodyfat
Ride in MS150
one unsupported Century Cincinnati to Marietta
2 overnight rides in SW Ohio (Cincinnati to Springfield and/or Columbus)
Unsupported 5-6 day ride from Cincinnati to Cleveland

Log at least 100 miles per month on bikejournal for a minimum 2009 logged distance of 1200 miles.
Build or buy a backup bicycle for mechanical failure days. (better yet, a tadpole trike as the new primary ride)
At least 25 lb weight loss from the assumed starting weight of 265 lb. (265 is my last measured weight, size has been steady, scale is broken.)
Get a new scale.


Happy New Year and good luck with your goals!

Well have to get a group together for the Livestrong Challenge! As of now, Im getting my stuff in order to start collecting funds in a BIG way and get to Austin.

Absolutely! As it stands right now, I'm a soloist. It would be great to have a group to help each other get it done!

Actually, we have a fair amount of C&A North Texas members who I need to casually pester to death to join in, lol.

Log at least 100 miles per month on bikejournal for a minimum 2009 logged distance of 1200 miles.
Build or buy a backup bicycle for mechanical failure days. (better yet, a tadpole trike as the new primary ride)
At least 25 lb weight loss from the assumed starting weight of 265 lb. (265 is my last measured weight, size has been steady, scale is broken.)
Get a new scale.

Happy New Year and good luck with your goals!

Ya know, I stopped weighing myself except for maybe once a month. I'm going on the idea that if I concentrate on the process, the results will follow.

Pounds are just one of the metrics. It's hard to measure in numbers but the overall increase in energy, the enthusiasm of looking forward to a ride, Bike Swhagaholism*, and of course just plain old fun on the bike are meaningful things.

*I'm not sure how Bike Swhagoholism actually makes us heathier, but it sure is fun, lol.

After long thought, I've come up with some goals for 2009. Not all of them are cycling related, but all of them have some connection to extreme weight loss.

1. Get the weight loss moving again. I've been at 275 or above for a few months now. I don't like it. I'm sluggish, tired, my clothes don't fit right, and when I do exercise I don't perform up to my potential. Summer of 2007 I hit 242, and while I still looked fat, I was in the best shape of my life.

2. Get riding again. I have some big rides planned for 2009, and I need to get back in the saddle for them:

April - Girls With Gears - 40 hilly miles. (It's a ride sponsored by a woman's health charity and my bike shop. It's not just a chick ride, although there are a LOT of women in lycra riding.)
Late April-early May - weekend tours
May - Clyde ride from my home to Philadelphia and back - 72 miles on the Great Cheesesteak Hunt
June 13 to 20 - Bike Forums ride from Pittsburgh to DC.
July - September - weekend tours.
October - MS City to Shore

3. Resume a regular lifting routine. Aside from making me stronger and looking better, it helps with my scoliosis.

4. Simplify my life. I've got too much junk, too many commitments, too much debt.... my Amazon store is helping me get rid of stuff and address my debt problem. Listing stuff on Ebay will help as well. Goodwill should be the beneficiary of stuff I can't or won't sell.

5. Remind myself I am a writer. I've been slacking on doing the one thing I enjoy most. I have a book I need to finish for a publisher, another manuscript I've been asked to submit to another house, and various essays and articles that would make a nice collection. Also, there's a book on the Perkiomen Trail I've wanted to write. This will probably mean less time on Bike Forums, but so be it.

6. Resolve my various biomechanical problems on bikes. If this means getting a 'bent, or never riding clipless, so be it. I'm tired of dealing with it, and you folks are probably tired of listening to be complain.

And finally...

7. Return to school and get a degree. I want to see myself as a full-time student in January 2010. That gives me a year to work on the other areas listed above. It also gives me the chance to move to a warmer climate. I love PA but I can't take the winters any more.

My 2009 biking goals, in no particular order:


3650 total miles (average 10/day)
One century per month (January could be difficult; Kasia & I are in Poland until 01/13)
At least one 1000 mile month (I've come close a couple of times, but haven't quite done it yet)

1. Ride 2009 miles this year.
2. Do a few metric centuries, first one scheduled for 1/31.
3. At least 1 full century.
4. Get my weight down below 250, currently 283.
5. Prepare for the 2010 Bike Sebring 12 hour event where my goal will be 150 miles.

1.) Finish the Dirty Kanza 200. 200 miles of gravel, late May, in Kansas. I'm not sure why I'm doing this to myself, but I am.

2.) I won't have another drop of beer (after midnight tonight) until I weigh 267 pounds (thereby busting through the 300 pounds lost mark). If I want to have spirits, I'm limiting myself to either rum and diet cola or wine. I really like beer and really don't like either of those. :)

Wow! Losing 300 pounds! That is a truly worthy goal. I hope you get it and I know you are feeling better with the loss you've had so far; I lost 120, and I feel so much better. Great job!

My goal for the year is to complete the "Super Randoneur" series: 200k, 300, 400, and 600k. My first run is one week away--200k on 1/10. After several centuries last year, I feel good about 200k. The rest, who knows? But I'll give it a good try.

I was a slacker in 2008. :o For various reasons (attitude, illness, injury, and oh yea - attitude), I rode 1/2 of what I did in 2007 and I plumped up rather nicely! :(

Goals for 2009:

3/21 -- Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, Virginia Beach, VA. (The 8K not the marathon!)
http://www.shamrockmarathon.com

4/18 -- Tour de Cure Century Chesapeake, VA (I'd welcome any sponsors!)
http://main.diabetes.org/goto/4Acure

5/16 -- 33rd Annual Knotts Island Century (Tidewater Bicycle Association)
http://www.tbarides.org/

5/31 -- The Black Bear Triathlon (Jim Thorpe, PA) The Sprint not the Half IM. This will be my 1st TRI !!http://www.cgievents.com/cgiracing/bbt/index.html

8/16 -- Covered Bridge Metric Century (Lancaster, PA) Rode it in 2007 and had a blast!
http://www.lancasterbikeclub.org/

Perhaps overly ambitious, but weight loss and overall improved health should follow the training program.

Best wishes to all on their journey of accomplishment. Wish me luck.

1 major goal, this year. I'm going to attempt a 311 mile, single day ride, from lake Michigan to the Ohio River. An Indiana Coast to Coast.

I wanted to do it last year, but my May crash and injuries trashed my training program.

1 major goal, this year. I'm going to attempt a 311 mile, single day ride, from lake Michigan to the Ohio River. An Indiana Coast to Coast.

I wanted to do it last year, but my May crash and injuries trashed my training program.

Kudos to you! We're going to try something similar in Ohio... BUT we're going to do it in 5 or 6 days...:eek:

Overall...I want to drop the 26 extra pounds and get to 200 for the first time in 14 years. (hey, I was at 262 in 1999!)
Cycling related.. There's a guy on our club. A retired Navy Doc who's a year or two older than I.
(I'm 66)
I want to be able to 'hang with this guy for five minutes on a level road at top speed'
fwiw the end of last season I hit 28.49mph ..and he still dropped me!

It is very easy for me.
First you have to retire from Work.
Second move to a warm climate. Rode 87 mi yesterday Temps 39* to 74* Sunny.
Third meet a group that rides SIX days each week.
I commute to Dave's House 7.5 mi one way.
He rides his Birthday 6 days a week. He is 65 y/o
He is also a bike mechanic. He knows something is wrong with my bike when it first appears.Then he fixes it. He has sponsored a ride from his house for over ten years now.
So please move and come ride with us.

All can say is...Wow.

Michael

1 Finish the resto on my 68 Varsity.
2 Buy some bike shorts.
3 First metric.
4 First century
5 if I drop a few #s on the way that's cool too
6 and ride the MS 150 Pedal to the Point

1 major goal, this year. I'm going to attempt a 311 mile, single day ride, from lake Michigan to the Ohio River. An Indiana Coast to Coast.

I wanted to do it last year, but my May crash and injuries trashed my training program.

That's lofty. It could take you 24 hours. Is there support along the way?