How's this years cycling plan going?

[coffeejo]

Each year, I increase my mileage target so I don't get comfortable with where I'm at. I find it's normally an excellent incentive to get out on the bike, even when I'm struggling with depression, but this year has been tough thanks to physical and mental ill health.

I'm slowly clawing my way back. Sticking with the Metric Century challenge has really made a difference but I know I've got to be well ahead before autumn sets in. To help with that, I set myself the target of 800 miles for June. I managed 842, so have decided to have a go at 900 this month and aim for 1000 in August or September (I'm giving myself two goes!). I'm shattered and don't seem to be losing much weight but my rides on Thursday, Friday and Saturday added up to 180 miles, a figure I wouldn't have dreamed possible not long ago.

 

[gbb]

Dunno really. I should be happy to be achieving what I am but struggle with getting some regular mileage in, motivation is hard to come by when I work fairly long hours, workload is heavy and all I want to do is relax when I get home.
My illness has for the most part gone so 16mph average after 2 years off is a reasonable achievement, shorter distances of course. Then I think, I'm 57 and never going to regain what I used to do...its a bit mixed up in my head sometimes.
Overall...not too bad. I didnt have specific goals...just try to regain fitness. Thats been partly achieved.

 

[uclown2002]

Year's target was 15K and I'm comfortably ahead of schedule.

 

[ColinJ]

Each year, I increase my mileage target so I don't get comfortable with where I'm at. I find it's normally an excellent incentive to get out on the bike, even when I'm struggling with depression, but this year has been tough thanks to physical and mental ill health.

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I'm slowly clawing my way back. Sticking with the Metric Century challenge has really made a difference but I know I've got to be well ahead before autumn sets in. To help with that, I set myself the target of 800 miles for June. I managed 842, so have decided to have a go at 900 this month and aim for 1000 in August or September (I'm giving myself two goes!). I'm shattered and don't seem to be losing much weight but my rides on Thursday, Friday and Saturday added up to 180 miles, a figure I wouldn't have dreamed possible not long ago.

I can see what your intention is, but there is an inherent risk that you will eventually have to push it to a level that causes you real problems which is what you are trying to avoid ... A friend of mine got ill once and pushed himself too hard to try and get fit again afterwards. He ended up overtrained and ill for nearly a year! (It was the only time I ever got fitter than him ...)

Could you come up with a gentler target, such as (making one up on the spur of the moment) to ride xxx miles a month on previously unridden roads, where xxx is a challenging but sustainable distance?

 

[Accy cyclist]

I've fallen way behind my past years mileage due to me being knocked off my bike in April. A lot of enjoyment has gone as i mostly see it as a chore rather than pleasure when i set off on a ride.

 

[Katherine]

I've fallen way behind my past years mileage due to me being knocked off my bike in April. A lot of enjoyment has gone as i mostly see it as a chore rather than pleasure when i set off on a ride.

Sorry to hear that. Can you ride with someone or join a group ride?

 

[coffeejo]

I can see what your intention is, but there is an inherent risk that you will eventually have to push it to a level that causes you real problems which is what you are trying to avoid ... A friend of mine got ill once and pushed himself too hard to try and get fit again afterwards. He ended up overtrained and ill for nearly a year! (It was the only time I ever got fitter than him ...)

Could you come up with a gentler target, such as (making one up on the spur of the moment) to ride xxx miles a month on previously unridden roads, where xxx is a challenging but sustainable distance?

Hmmm. I see what you're getting at. I just want to see if I can do it. My real benchmark is 100 miles a week as that's easily achievable so long as I don't get lazy (it's the difference between CBA and "nope, can't adult today"). Anything over that is a bonus, really.

 

[ColinJ]

Hmmm. I see what you're getting at. I just want to see if I can do it. My real benchmark is 100 miles a week as that's easily achievable so long as I don't get lazy (it's the difference between CBA and "nope, can't adult today"). Anything over that is a bonus, really.

Yes, that should be ok. I was worried that you would eventually end up at (say) 400 miles a week!

 

[coffeejo]

Yes, that should be ok. I was worried that you would eventually end up at (say) 400 miles a week!

Good grief, no! I'm pushing myself at the moment because I had a slow start to the year but I'll only be gutted if, barring injury, I manage less than 5200 miles by the end of December (that being roughly 100 a week). Otherwise, it's just for fun (my target for this year amuses me) as I enjoy my cycling. It's my escape, not something to beat myself with.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm having a crap year, my mojo and fitness isn't there and though I'm doing OK on the mileage front I've not done the long miles I've done in other years, I think my longest ride this year isn't much over 60 miles, last year by this time I'd done a 108 mile forum ride and a 100 mile audax, plus I'd done a couple of charity rides, I've done no charity rides this year.

 

[EltonFrog]

I've stopped bothering about targets and mileages, I just go out when I feel like it now, the consequences of which mean I have done very little riding this year. quite a lot of running but that's not the same. I've got The Ride London/Surrey coming up and I have not yet done a 100 mile ride this year. I ain't bothered though, I did 80 miles the other day and felt I had the legs for another 20, so I'll be OK.

There's not point in doing it if it ain't fun.

EDIT: 898.48 Miles this year,

 

[Accy cyclist]

Sorry to hear that. Can you ride with someone or join a group ride?

Oh i'm ok about it thanks, To be honest i feel a bit better having lost the i must do more miles each year obsession. I probably do about half as many miles as before but i've got myself a turbo trainer so come winter i can pick up the mileage in the safety of my home.

 

[Katherine]

The most I've ridden, so far, is just over 50 miles and that's only 3 times. After reading about everyone else's targets and achievements, I'm starting to think that I should set a target of 60 miles and build up to doing 100 miles one day. The most I've done on my own is about 35 miles, so another target will be to go further on my own.

 

[Mark1978]

Way way behind at 800 miles with a target of 3000 due to work and family issues earlier in the year leading to me being busy pretty much every weekend. Hope to start getting back on the bike soon and doing the 72 mile round trip to work in the coming weeks, Hopefully that should boost the miles a bit.

 

[potsy]

Absolutely atrociously is the short answer

Think I am averaging 1 commute in 5, hardly any leisure riding at all, even my modest yearly target of 2000 miles looks a forlorn hope at the minute.
Hoping a new bike reactivates my interest or I'll be in serious danger of giving up altogether

Well that was April, now we are in the peak of summer (yeah right) and I have downgraded my target to 1000 miles, would have done that in 8 weeks at one time.
New bike helped for a few weeks, I even managed 2 commutes this past 4 days which is an improvement on recent times.