August Blues

I have been logging my rides in a "bike log" since 1994.  Every mile, destination, bike, main people I rode with, average speed, max speed, weather ect.  It started with a simple logbook provided by Bicycling Magazine.  They gave out with their magazine for 2 years.  And when they stopped I photocopied the relevent blank pages and purchased binders.  Eventually I started an Excel spread sheet and input my bike life electronically.

There are a few "missing years" after the turn of the century that I failed to adequately record my bicycle activities.  Got addicted to an online airplane game.  I blame myself for getting sucked into the internet and work and perhaps burnout.  BUT I still road although recording my milage was happenstance from 2002 to 2007.  I'd jot down mileage stats on the box that held my log or bike parts.

Last winter I pulled the old logs out and electrified them on Excel.  A folder for every year with each month on its own spread sheet.  A seperate spread sheet for weekly totals.  A lastly a sheet for annual.  On that page I can view what I did for every month since 1994 assuming that I recorded for said month.  August is always low.

Why?  Burnout and beat up body from Ragbrai and training for Brai is one reason.  Too damn hot is another.  July is the high point of the year.  Used to get 600+ miles in July and then drop to less than 300 or even as low as 50 miles for August.  Some years, 2001, a good year in terms of mileage, I had 0 miles.  Goose egged

This trend changed after 2007.  Pivotal year for me.  Quit a career that was killing me and took the summer off from working.  Focused on job search and lossing weight.  Daily rides.  August mileage hit a then record of 500 miles!  2008 added 30 more miles and is the record for August.  I missed breaking that record in 2010 by a mere 6 miles.  My pc was down and I was unaware of the "record".  6 goddamn miles.  One loop around Gray's Lake from my house would have done it, almost. 6 fucking miles.  Stll getting over 500 miles in this miserable monthy is pretty damn good.

2011.  At this moment I sit at 351 miles for August.  Been averaging over 100 miles a week since July of of last year.  That would be longer but broken clavicles tend to kill miles.  The only other interuption was caused by my mother and grandmother coming to town for Christmas, 87 miles that week.  I need 180 more miles.  Got 11 days to do it.  16.36 miles per day.  Urban assault will rob me of big miles next Sunday.

Weather, attitude and desire.  Align all three and I can stop crying over the 6 miles I spaced.