Woo-hoo--1000 miles!/Goal-setting question

[GLC1968]

I haven't set total milage goals yet, but that's mostly because I tend to set other types of goals.

This year, my goal was to complete a century (did it Aug 12th). This goal quickly morphed into completing 2 centuries (the second one is Sept 9th).

I also set goals to:
start commuting to work (done)
learn to ride in the rain (done)
get to where I can average greater than 17mph on rides over 35 miles (done)
ride a minimum of once a week through the winter
lose 15 lbs (off me...not my bike!)

I'm working on next summer's goals but they will likely be 'challenge centuries' (greater than 8000 ft of climbing) and or self-supported touring. Though...racing interests me as well. No matter what my new goals are, I still plan to continue to meet my old ones (I plan to ride the same centuries next year, too).

I think I may also set some milage goals for my commuter bike...just so that I'm forced to commute even when I'd probably rather just jump in the car!

[Geonz]

Good ideas - distance isn't the only goal, eh?
My goal this year was to have more miles on the bikes than the car. I'm ahead by over two thousand miles So unless I drive to my sisters a couple more times... Before that, my goal was to do that for a week, then a month. (Then I got the Xtracycle, and got more comfortable with *flying* to my sister's...)
It helps me to break it down ... how many miles per week will that be - and are there going to be "bad weeks?" THanksgiving has very little riding on my schedule, usually, and while I've now expanded my commute to blazing a night-time trail, it's usually the 15-mile version in the winter, not the 35 or 40 mile version (hmmm... maybe that will be the new goal... longer cold weather miles...since I was given Gore-Tex, what's my excuse?)
KNowing that inspires me to squeeze in those Sep and Oct miles (like riding to Bloomington instead of driving), and it's fun to build up my "mileage bank account" towards my goal of 7000 - 7500 for the year... 7000 is my "know I can make it," 7500 is my "go for it!" goal. (I need goals I *know* I can achieve to "stay ahead" of... that's how my motivation works. So I started with a 5000 goal. If I'm "behind," well, I stop and smell the flowers... woops, I'm behind on the club newsletter... be back later... )

Set those commuter bike goals!! The more of us who are out there, the better chance we have of getting some respect by drivers and planners