New Year - More Goals

Happy New Year. This was how 2010 started for me - on my bike and frozen. True to my last posting, I did delete all the mileage on the League of Illinois site. I stopped competing with those unknown other riders for collecting the most mileage. In fact, I was scrupulous about not checking at the end of the year to see how they did and compare myself to them as a lurker instead of a poster. Gotta exercise that willpower somehow, don't you know.

Last year (and continuing on to this December) I started an effort to obtain the RUSA R-12 award, http://www.rusa.org/award_r12.html . It will take 12 months of disciplined riding, much of which will be over the same course. And you know how much I love riding the same course. I'll post the lies and pictures here http://chasingther-12.blogspot.com/ .

I also have an annual mileage goal for this year. I managed to hit 9000 miles last year. However, I had 42 days on which I logged no miles. 42 No Ride Days! That's a month and a half! So one of my goals this year is to have NO no ride days. I want to log 365 days of riding. I decided that since my commute is only 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), that will count as a ride. So even if I have a project to work on, or family coming over for a visit, or am in the bed with pneumonia, if I can get out for 10 kilometers (about 25 minutes) then I'll count it. By doing so, and by increasing my mileage a little each week I plan to ride at least 10,000 miles this year.

Let's see - 9000 in 2009. 10,000 in 2010. Hmmm. What about 11,000 in 2011? 12,000 in 2012? Wow! The future could be really awesome!

Anyway, I do plan this year to focus on long-distance riding with RUSA. I will ride a 200 kilometer ride each month (some months more than once) for the R-12 award, then I'll pursue the Super Randonneur award http://www.rusa.org/award_sr.html by completing all four standard brevets in March, April, May, and June. I also have been given the opportunity to organize and hold two brevets - a 200 kilometer and 300 kilometer - in May and June, respectively. I'm hoping to find a way to find riders willing to come and ride here, and thereby develop a cadre of long-distance riders in Southern Illinois.

Finally, despite all of this cycling, I plan to continue to develop into the fine husband, father, grandfather, and friend that I have been and am becoming (if there is time left).