OK... slackers! Fess up...

[bikerchick68]

comeon now... tell me I'm not alone...

last year I rode a ton, and put a lot of miles on the bike... this year... well, not so much. I am just not riding as much. I'm not sure why... maybe I needed some "downtime" so to speak...

Instead I am spending a lot of time working on my house, which is good... but man, every hill I climb I realize that I'm a just downright slacking!

ah well... there's always next year...

[mimitabby]

oh, heck, i feel guilty leaving my bike at the shop for 2 weeks!
(I can ride my old bike)

[caligurl]

ok.... you'lll probably hit me... but i haven't been riding as much this year as last year... this year i only have about 3535 miles.... last year by this time... i had 4342 (gotta love bikejournal filters! lol!) so i'm waaaaaaaay off....

[limewave]

Last summer I rode at least 3x a week even though I was pg. This summer, I get out maybe once, twice if its a good week. My sister-in-law even volunteered to babysit once a week so I could do a group ride, but I find myself calling to cancel because I just don't feel like it. Some of it is mommy guilt too.

[snapdragen]

I don't want to talk about it.........

[brok]

I'm in - not too proud of it, but I'm definitely slacking. My excuse - papers due for a class I am taking and remodeling of the kitchen and family room - anyway, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it

[Brandy]

ok.... you'lll probably hit me... but i haven't been riding as much this year as last year... this year i only have about 3535 miles.... last year by this time... i had 4342 (gotta love bikejournal filters! lol!) so i'm waaaaaaaay off....

Dang caligurl!!! That's some sweet mileage you've got there How often do you ride and how many miles? Give me a week in the life of caligurl. Please

[caligurl]

Dang caligurl!!! That's some sweet mileage you've got there How often do you ride and how many miles? Give me a week in the life of caligurl. Please

lol! i TRY to ride 6 days a week.... i was going to back it down to 5 days a week.... and do succeed with that sometimes (moreso lately it seems)

naturally i tri to ride every saturday and sunday.... and try to ride longer rides those days... depending on the weather or what we have going on...

this year... mon-thurs... i ride immediately after work (trying to beat the dark in the winter... and just cuz if i come home and relaxe in the spring/summer... i may not get back off my duff to go outside and ride) i've actually only been riding an average of 15-20 miles on wordays this year.. thus the lower mileage..... last year i had a ton of 25-30 mile after work days!

sometimes i climb... sometimes i stay on the flattest areas (which still aren't completly flat)

most workday after work rides.... i ride alone.... sometimes hubby will meet up with me, if he commuted that day... and ride a bit with me...

hmmmmm a lot of weekends he'll ride with me at least one of the days... unless he's sick of going slow.... or has something specific he's working toward....

sometimes i get mad when he rides with me... cuz he acts like "evil coach hubby" pushing me GRRRRRRRRR why not just ride? lol!

for me... i started riding as part of my fitness program when i couldn't do aerobics (cuz i couldn't hardly walk cuz i dropped a bottle of wine on my toe... yes... the bottle of wine was ok!) i liked riding and a few days later bought my first road bike... so i have a different mindset then he does or a lot of riders have... it's not all about going fast for me... i prefer going longer and burning more calories so i can eat more (but then... i've gained weight since taking up cycling! EEK!)

i have my "i don't want to ride" moments.. had one yesterday! but usually once i'm out there riding... i'm OK!

[Brandy]

Thanks caligurl. I love riding so much that I get itchy and antsy if I miss an opportunity to get out there. I'm even trying to plan ahead to when the kids start school and how I'll get rides in those days. I'm thinking that even if I can get up and riding by 5:45 a.m. that I'll be able to get at least 1.5 hours on the bike before I have to be back here to get them ready for school.

The 2-3 rides a week that I planned on is quickly turning into more and more...I'm totally addicted! I'm even skipping my beloved Spinning classes in favor of riding outside. I keep running into other gym members who are asking me what's up and why I'm missing class...I almost feel like I'm cheating on them It's okay though, we invited the ginormously tall Spinning instructor man on our long ride for tomorrow morning so he knows that we still like him.

[Blueberry]

Cali and the other ladies who ride during the week - how to you do it?

I get up at 6 - leave for work at 7, get to work at 8, work til 6 (on a good day), get home at 7 - by the time I take out dogs, eat dinner and do one or 2 chores, it's time for bed (which usually doesn't happen until 11 or 11:30, which is NOT enough sleep). Other than moving closer to work (which would mean I live somewhere it's hard to ride), or sleeping less - do you have any words of wisdom?????

Any suggestions and advice appreciated!

[Brandy]

I've been going to bed early and setting my alarm for 4:00-4:30 a.m. depending on how far I'm riding. Tiffanie and I start riding between 5:15 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. most days. It meant trading off my late night alone/internet time for early bedtimes.

[chickwhorips]

yes i am a slacker too... i must confess.

you name it i have the excuse:
-to windy (blowing over 25 kts)
-to rainy
-the bears are on the road system
-just dont feel like it
-i'll go tomorrow

the thing that's hard is the first two are mainly every day. boo! with a late salmon run the bears are hanging out WAY to frequently near the road. tried to ride yesterday and got about 4 miles out of town and a sow and two cubs were right there. so much for that ride.

then comes the trainer excuses - i only have one bike and to change out the back tire so that its slick for the trainer just gets way to hard.

ok so i'm ready. someone tear down my excuses.

[caligurl]

Cali and the other ladies who ride during the week - how to you do it?

it's hard.... i neglect things! lol!

i get up every workday morning at 4 a.m. to workout... (weights, kickbox, aerobic, etc... i refuse to give them up... i was doing that stuff long before i started riding! but that's in another thread!

(in the summer i also get up at 4 a.m. on weekends so i can get ready and ride early... but not what you are asking!)

i come home from work... let the dog out... change into cycling clothes (i get off at 4 and i'm home by 4:15ish).... then i leave... i've been riding at that time even with the high temps.. cuz i'm "afraid" i'll get comfy and not go out later when it's cooler (i think i said that already earlier.. sorry to repeat myself).... then i come home and get dinner... usually something relatively fast to prepare cook... although healthy! by then it's time to relax and i fall asleep watching tv i go to bed between 9 and 10.... usually closer to 9... so... no... not a lot of extra time for other stuff!

[caligurl]

then comes the trainer excuses - i only have one bike and to change out the back tire so that its slick for the trainer just gets way to hard.

i tend to go outside in wind or what i consider cold... or the heat.. cuz i TRUELY HATE the trainer!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fredwina]

CA_in_NC,
I have a similar schedule. Leave home at 7AM, don't get back till 7PM, Not fun.
I'm like Brandy in that my alarm goes off at 4:30am. I can usually get on the road by 4:45. I'm dressed like a total Fredwina(what else?) with a construction worker's vest and a helmet that covered with reflective tape in addition to lights. The traffic is light, and (right now) I can avoid got out when it's 103F. I also have very fair skin, so it save a lot of money on sunscreen, too.Plus, I'm going to try and try do a Brevet series next year, so i've been using rides to try out new stuff. It's a matter of making time/ setting priorities. Sometimes, cycling will lose.