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07-19-11, 10:54 PM
this might sound like a #humblebrag but in all seriousness, I am floating a bit after having met some big riding goals last year, wondering what to do next (or just keep at it).
* I rode 5,000 miles last year, a mix of (mostly) commuting and (some) weekend distance rides. The natural next step might be "well, try 6000" but I really don't think I can spend as much time on the bike this year. I was gone a lot of Saturdays, which made my family unhappy, and I commuted through the winter, which frankly didn't feel safe all the time. So, I don't really feel like I can do more mileage.
* I cut 1/2 hour off of my 13-mile commute (1:20 --> 0:50). I'm still slow on the hills, so I might be able to squeeze out a few minutes, but it feels like I'm at the point of diminishing returns. Also, lately I have been trying slightly longer routes with less traffic both for safety reasons and to make the ride more pleasant...but not faster.
* I rode my first century, building up from a half century to a metric to a full. Of course I need to repeat, and I could try to cut time on that, but a century means most of a Saturday and so I can't do it often enough to see continuous progress without abandoning my family more than I'd like.
So...I am a bit lost as to what sort of goals to set this year. I have thought about heart-rate training and so on but don't find that as motivating as distance or speed. What sort of goals do you set for yourselves?
* I rode 5,000 miles last year, a mix of (mostly) commuting and (some) weekend distance rides. The natural next step might be "well, try 6000" but I really don't think I can spend as much time on the bike this year. I was gone a lot of Saturdays, which made my family unhappy, and I commuted through the winter, which frankly didn't feel safe all the time. So, I don't really feel like I can do more mileage.
* I cut 1/2 hour off of my 13-mile commute (1:20 --> 0:50). I'm still slow on the hills, so I might be able to squeeze out a few minutes, but it feels like I'm at the point of diminishing returns. Also, lately I have been trying slightly longer routes with less traffic both for safety reasons and to make the ride more pleasant...but not faster.
* I rode my first century, building up from a half century to a metric to a full. Of course I need to repeat, and I could try to cut time on that, but a century means most of a Saturday and so I can't do it often enough to see continuous progress without abandoning my family more than I'd like.
So...I am a bit lost as to what sort of goals to set this year. I have thought about heart-rate training and so on but don't find that as motivating as distance or speed. What sort of goals do you set for yourselves?