need new goals
 

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?

That same feeling was creeping up on me as I was getting ready to complete my first century. Along the ride, I met someone who rode along with me the rest of the way. He had a jersey that said Shenandoah 1200k. I asked him about it, and he explained the world of randonneuring.

It's a natural next step from the century. If you can do 100 miles, you can do 128 (or 200k), and then you're on your way up the ladder. Check out www.RUSA.org for more info if you are interested.

Endurance racing is another way to go. There are many options for 24 hour races. You don't need TDF speed for these events. It's a combination of a lot of skills, nutrition and such, and a stubborn attitude that can make you competitive. www.ultracycling.com has links to many endurance events.

I find it helpful to have some long term cycling goals. But, there's nothing wrong with just enjoying it. Presumably, you are having fun, getting healthy, and saving some money. Anyway, good luck whatever you do.

You could also target more challenging centuries or rides. If the one you completed was a flat century, try a different variety: more climbing, better finishing time, larger number of riders, etc...

Every year, I seem to target the El Tour de Tucson century and try to finish in a better time. 1st year, I arbitrarily picked a target finishing time and met it by like 14-seconds! 2nd year, I flatted so, didn't meet my goal of beating the previous year. 3rd year, I finished 10-minutes faster! I'll be going back again this year (mid-November) to try again.