Guest poster Don Blount sets goals for his biking. Do you?
What are your biking goals?
And how committed are you to reaching those goals?
After returning to the bike at the end of July, I set a few biking goals.
1) Ride 100 miles a week.
2) Ride 400 miles a month.
I chose those figures after talking to my doctor, who is also a cyclist and has encouraged me to ride.
I am active but was not getting regular aerobic activity. My riding was irregular depending on the demands of my job and family commitments. As a result I had some suspicious health indicators. My blood pressure was a bit elevated (stress) and tests showed that my glucose levels were high, meaning I had a sign of becoming pre-diabetic. A history of high blood pressure and diabetes runs in my family and I wanted to stay as far away as possible from any health problems that could be avoided with proper management.
It was time to take my exercising a bit further and lose that nagging 10-12 extra pounds and get in better shape.
So I turned to the bike.
In August I rode 402 miles and in September I rode 425 miles. My mantra became “every little bit helps.” I rode metric centuries, I rode short recovery rides. But I rode whenever I could and I also managed to get to the gym.
I only fell short of the 100 mile weekly goal just once in two months.
I am riding more often, farther and harder than I had before I committed to those goals.
As the weather cools and the days get shorter, I may have to adjust. But for now I am leaving my goals unchanged, instead I have been preparing my warmers, rain gear and rollers.
I enjoy the satisfaction of texting my doctor at the end of the week to let him know my totals. He is always encouraging. For me, I learned how committing to a fitness goal motivated me and helped me. More importantly, my bike fitness is improving, my weight is dropping and I am having fun.
What about you?