This thread is not where I was thinking when I wrote the subject, but it is interesting. Goals are important to me because I tend to not push myself without them, and yes I need to push myself to get physically fit. I played college basketball - 40 years ago - and I consider that competitive. It was competitive just to keep your scholarship, much less playing the other teams. For me, riding the bicycle is not competitive. If I were racing it would be, but I am not racing. Goals help me achieve the fitness I need to feel better, and I do feel physically better than I have in years. If I were riding just for enjoyment I would not make but a few miles per ride and I would not be in the condition I am today. Goals work for me, for some they do not.