Ride # 4 - 1 week down - 51 to go
 

So a big deal for me in life is follow through. I'm not ADD but I do get destracted by new and different things so part of why I'm posting all my rides is to keep me going. Not an issue at this point, but I am proud of the fact that I'm still managing to get out afterwork regularly through the first 8 days of the year. So far of my 4 rides, 1/2 have been afterwork rides. Hopefully I can keep that up.

The challenge for the next week (starting with today) is to keep up the riding so it starts to be a routine. We have bad weather heading our way over the weekend so it will start to get harder. I hope I can keep going, I'm worried about it.

Enough of the negative stuff! Today was my 4th ride it was nice 48 degree ride out and back for 14.8 miles in 2 minutes more than an hour. Its an out and back ride to to small lake. It covered the roads I used last week but added on some more including a short but quite steep climb up the dam to the lake where I turned around. At end of that climb I was almost crosseyed and it took a good 3-5 minutes of the ride back before my legs weren't yelling at me everytime I turned the pedals.

I'm pretty stoked about how quick my capacity is returning to me. My first ride on the first I could barely manage 12.2 mph over 11.1 miles of a similar kind of ride. On sunday I did 44 flat miles at 16.3 mph without much residual impact and then today I got out and back at 14.2 mph over a longer distance with tougher climbs. I think sunday's ride actually helped make that possible.

Anyway I"m pretty stoked about the whole thing. So that means 88.1 miles down 1911.9 to go for the year.

Just spinning the my wheels in Western Maryland

Good! You realize, if you hold this mileage, your little ol' 2000 miles will be hit about June, right? You're looking more like 4500...or more for the year. :D

The very thought of that scares me! I'm a great fast starter so I just need to stay on task. Plus some time in the next 8 weeks we are going to have our annual freeze where we have at least 7-10 days were in doesn't get about 15 degrees. I don't have a trainer so that's going to be tough to get through when it gets here. I've never gotten in more than roughly 350 miles in a year so I'll be excited to get past that threshold before I even think about anything more than my 2000 mile goal.

One cool thing that may help me though - my wife called me today to ask if I'd like the idea of me commuting via bike than meeting her at the Y for a ride back after she and my daughter finished their activities. That made me smile even though I thought that I' like to actually ride both ways instead. I kept that to myself since she was pretty excited about all of us getting together to conserve energy and get in shape too.

Well, all I can tell you is that as time goes, your capabilities grow, and your miles will only get better, faster and funner :D

Go ahead and do that, and eventually you will one day just say "I think I'm just going to go ahead and ride the whole way...meet ya back at the house :) ". Even if you don't do that every day, every mile helps in attaining your goal, and it's all good!

East Hill

Have fun! I wish more people would winter commute or at least ride a bit more if they have a bike capapble of doing so. More than anything, it's great practice for all the other seasons because, hopefully, it builds your confidence up in general in your skill-set. I commute to work and its 20 miles round trip. Its snowed on me, iced, sleet rain, wind, etc.,etc...Yeah, its cold and dark and some days I just don't want to! But within the first couple of miles, I'm enjoying seeing the wildlife out and about, the solitude and the sounds of different snows under me wheels...Scaring foxes out for a morning hunt, racoons scavenging that sort of thing.

Temps? For me, once it dips below 10 is when the heavy duty gear comes out. Down to 10, a simple Balaclava or stocking cap (over ears!) and some multi-sport winter gloves. Other than that, I use the same jacket year round with maybe a 2 more layers at most. Leg warmers! Polypro sock liners...Whatever works for you.
It keeps me happy, working great on health and my energy is WAY up since my body has gotten used to being expected to work everyday..

Okay, now I'm rambling! I just started commuting this past August and jumped neck deep into about 100 miles a week, every week. I was sore but the sense of accomplishment meant more to me than stopping because of sore, disused muscles...

Have fun!

Thanks for being patient with my rambling...