Mile # 1001

The 4th digit will only change 7 more times this year if I am lucky.  Any more means that I am riding too much.  Hard to balance family, work, house and life when in the saddle for 7000+ miles per year.  I narrowly missed 8K last year and have a feeling I will reach that point this year.  Many opportunities are available for it.  But 9000 or 10,000 miles?  I don't think I even want to run that river dry.

My original guess of where I would roll past that mark was near the University Tap.  I would stop in and have a beer and hope that people would join me.  But at work I redid the maths in my head and realized that University Tap would not make the nut.  I would have to ride farther.  Water Works Park.  So I stopped at Windsor Heights Hy Vee and purchased a bottle of Barefoot Citrus Fusion champagne for Mary, as she probably has her 1000,  and I to share at home and a bottle of Stone Brewery's Cali-Belgie IPA for my self when I hit the magic spot.

That spot was in view of George Flagg Drive so I rode an extra mile to the Fleur Viaduct to break the seal on the beer.  Discretion.  Legally purchased drugs must not be consumed in view of the public.  The viaduct is a better place anyway.  So I pulled over and parked the bike.  Photoed the bottle on the bike and Tweeted it.  Then another biker pulled up and asked if I needed help.  I wished I had a 2nd bottle to offer.  But we had a nice conversation.  When we finally exchanged names we realized that we pass each other almost every morning at 5 am somewhere on the Bill Riley Trail.  Every morning, snow, rain, -5F, wind from hell, ice, warm weather ect.  The last time I took Ingersoll instead of the trail he did too!  I cannot think of a better person to enjoy the moment with than Paul except for Mary and Craig and a few others.  But someone that has been there this year, this miserably rough and overlong winter.  Paul has been there.  Where was David this afternoon?  Probably the streets.

But 2014 is starting very good for me.  My commute is now over twice as long as it was when I began 2013.  My preference to bike instead of drive is as strong as ever.  I have only driven to work once this year.  And I have survived the very worst that weather can dish out at a bicyclist.  Hoping that the winter will retreat soon but I think I can handle more, not that I want too.

It was at the last quarter of 2007 that I started dedicating myself to riding more.  Through the years I made simple goals.  One that really helps to add the miles up is to have at least 100 miles every week.  Not an easy feat but this year I have done that thus far.

So lets look at my best years.

2010 it took 14 weeks to achieve the first 1000 miles for the year on April 3rd.
2011 it took 9 weeks to achieve the first 1000 miles for the year on February 27
2012 it took 9 weeks to achieve the first 1000 miles for the year on March 3rd
2013 it took 9 weeks to achieve the first 1000 miles for the year on March 3rd (again!)
2014 it took 8 weeks to achieve the first 1000 miles of the year on February 19