cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/2110225
First, if anyone uses ridewithgps, let me follow you!
Today’s ride and my progress this year. I’ve been riding pretty seriously for about 2015. At one point I was working for a bike powered composting service, where I hitched a trailer to my bike and picked up food scraps from peoples homes to bring them to a site to get composted. I’d end up with 200+ lbs on my bike, at 14-20 miles, on my 26+ lb Surly!
Alas, for the past 5 years or so I’ve become more of a fair weather rider since I moved and it’s my rainier where I’m at. Couple with bouts of pretty intense depression and gaining 35 lbs, and I end up back at point A after I build up some muscle and a bit of endurance year after year. I also hate hills lol.
I went on my first bike camping trip a couple of weeks ago, and it was magical. I had no choice but to climb and climb and climb again; the Elevation wasn’t that wild but it was just challenging enough. Since then my love of riding has been renewed and I’m going to give myself the lofty goal of 1,000 miles by January. That will pan out to 914.8 miles after today, so close to 200 miles per month. We will see how that goes! I did ride some before I started tracking but I’m going to challenge myself and not count those miles…but now I gotta start recording every ride!
Awesome!
I generally track rides in Strava.
This is week 30 of 52. Call it 20 left (xmas, t-day). 1000/20 = 50 miles a week. Looks like you’re. Making 12 mph, let’s. Call it 10 (windy sometimes). 50/10 is some easy math, and turns into 2 30 min commutes a day.
And… Bobs your uncle!
Get some fenders (it will rain) and lights (it’s getting darker every day in the northern hemi) and you’ll be ahead of the game by October.
Aw I used to use Strava but it’s not really popular where I live anymore. I do miss the leader boards and such.
I’m really hoping that my motivation for this doesn’t end in 3 weeks, which is normally what happens for me, it sucks! I do want to work my way back to relying on my car much less for errands and such so hopefully this will be good incentive to do so.
I hear ya. I’ve started plenty of habits, some many times over.
I like what James Clear says about habits: reminders, removing obstacles and setting goals are helpful, but the most powerful motivation is Identity.
To me this says: to make it stick - be that guy. Be Mr. 50 miles a week. Be Dr. 1, 000 miles this year. And, you totally can.
Your got this, dude. Now go and get it.