Days Without Riding and Records Broken or Not

Sunday I did not ride.  I had chances.  Everyday there are opportunities to ride.  Just did not feel like it.  First responsibility was a mere half mile away from home.  Second responsibility I pawned off on Mary.  I was dead.

I walked that half mile to Church.  Big day there.  First outdoor Mass at the new Grotto.  We usually walk to Church anyway.  If I rode I'd need to park it somewhere safe from the 800 people expected.  Walk.  Nothing to worry about. 

However, I was on my feet all day feeding these 800 people.  That wore me out.  Did a lot of walking that day fetching things we needed to feed the parish.  Then I walked home.

Mary greeted me.  It was my idea to have tacos.  I purchased a ton of cilantro and needed to use it.  So when she asked if I wanted to go to the store with her I said no.  I needed to veg in front of the computers and not deal with people.  I think I even napped. 

My cold was still sapping my energy.  Friday and Saturday I did not take very good care of myself.  I had 138 miles for the week.  On target for new annual record.  Current month looking like 600 miles.  No need to to ride for a short list of groceries.  Mary and Dora could handle it.  Perhaps if it was a flat ride I would have given it more thought.  The 2 miles to Hy Vee has very strong gravity on a serious of false flats.  The real hills on that route are better than the false flats.  But I was not motivated.  A day without riding.

This was the fourth day this year, 2011, that I did not ride.  The others are:
 
Jan 16-feeling ill
Apr 2--out of town
Aug 6--no reason

Better than last year.  2010 I missed 2 days in February because I went camping with my Scout Crew.  3 days in March, 1 due to rain and the other two at the end of the month for unknown reasons.  I never recorded why.  Weekend days at the end of the month.  Must have had all the food we needed and enough miles not to care.  Memorial day was another day without biking.  Then the broken collar bone on June 2.  I managed to ride once the next week and a few more times the following weeks.  No century weeks until Ragbrai.  I stopped looking.  No point.

So on this rainy eve as I feel the virus killing my throat and think about the coming winter I have a chance to reflect.  4 days without riding this year.  Not too shabby for me.  Years ago my mantra was ride once a week every week to set mileage records.  This forced me outside on the bike at least once a week.  It adds up in the end.  But those were 3000 mile years.  Now I am going to hit 6000+ miles for 2 years in a row.

The new mantra is to get 100 miles per week every week.  So far I have done this.  I would have been doing this since 'Brai 2010 but Christmas week cut me down to 87 miles. 

I also noticed that I reached my goal of 5600 miles for 2011 near the end of September.  I still have 3 full months to add to this.  Bonus miles.  I set new monthly records for every month but July.  Strange that a Ragbrai month I cannot set a new record.  Less than 800 miles.  Blame it on the heat.  Always next year to beat 857 miles.  My goal was for 900, 115 miles short.

This month will not set a new record.  Not even close.  672 miles is the standing September benchmark set last year.  I will barely achieve 600.  Still, that is a lot of goddamn riding in a busy month.

So my conservative estimate is 7000 miles for 2011.  Another 100 to wrap up September.  500 for October (636 in 2011).  400 for both November and December.  I've done this before.  Keep at the 100 per week and pray the snow does not get too deep.