I'm sitting at home now basking in cycling nirvana after having just completed a 15-mile ride in the country will hills and headwind, wonderful temperature and beautiful scenery . And wondering why I didn't ride another 10 or 15 miles, which surely I had the time and energy to do.

One reason I didn't is that I don't want to do too much too fast. I'm 51 and do not have a very good bicycle (12-year-old cheap steel bike - heavy and not very road worthy) so I don't want to set myself up for bad cycling experiences when I'm just getting started. I also didn't have usable bike pump and although I'm out in the country this weekend where everyone has a compressor, I didn't want to have to walk my bike 2 or 3 miles in case of a flat. (It gets hot out here fast!)

Last weekend I rode 36 miles in an event and will ride either 30 or 50 miles in an event next weekend (on a new bike!!). The event will have SAG (which I don't intend to use or think I'll need) and rest stops.

During the week I use my bike for errands so ride 5 to 10 miles 3 or 4 days a weeks and do a 14-mile group ride once a week. I want to work my way up to a consistent 100-mile week and then add 10% or so a month until I am a well-conditioned cyclest with proper (or at least improved) technique.

Ultimate goals: 1) many years of healthy cycling at 300+ miles ea month; 2) at least one or two multi-day tours a year; and 3) able to do one or two centuries or MS 150 rides each year.

If I was 25 these goals would be different and I could just ride til I dropped, knowing I could and would fully recover and be ready to go again in a day or so. At my age, recovery and gradual increases are the plan as well as a necessity in achieving my cycling goals.