goals- the finishing year and the new year

[maillotpois]

How funny - I started reading this thread, and didn't even realize it was from last year til I got to my own response. I did scratch my head about your El Tour thing, azfiddle, and said to myself "I swear she did the whole ride..." (because you'd done it this year but obviously didn't complete it last year.)

It's obviously been a long day.

Anyway I hit 3850 miles counting outdoor miles only (I do a computrainer class 1 1/2 hours, ideally 2 times a week). I will probably get to 4000 by the end of the month. I've only had 52 outdoor rides for the year, which seems to show I lived up to my comment from last year about riding for quality not quantity. That said, I did a full brevet series and a half (2 x 200k, 2 x 300k, 1 each 400k and 600k), 3 double centuries and some other fun rides. I had a lot of fun and made some great new friends and left myself some "unfinished business" for next year as well!

Congrats to those of you who've hit your goals - or came close!

[goldfinch]

Round about December of last year, or maybe January of this year, I decided to start losing weight. I had no particular goal in mind, it was a low carb experiment while wintering in Texas. I did count calories, figuring that 1200 a day on average was going to lose about a pound a week for me. After I had lost about fifteen pounds I decided to have a weight goal of 115 pounds.

I made it. I lost a total of 46 pounds, going from 158 to 112.

Now my goal is to maintain my weight in the 110 to 114 range.

I started cycling this year. I have roughly 1350 miles in for the year and may get fifty or a hundred more once I am back in Texas on December 15.

I have to think what would be reasonable goals for 2012. Maybe 2000? 2500? I can't believe it is going to be 2012.

[Catrin]

I totally missed my mileage goal for 2011. My goal was 3,000 miles and I got half that. I am not upset about that however, because the reason I missed it was that I discovered mountain biking and started spending my former long ride day (Saturday) on the mountain bike trail I also started 2011 recovering from an injury and have been dealing with an injury since mid-October.

For 2011 I would like to ride 2,500 road miles and would like to do at least one metric century. Someday it would be nice to do a full century, and this might be that year, or not. It seems that the true centuries I am inclined to do are just so very early in the season that I don't want to commit to them. I will do the Hope Ride in September, and whether I go for the metric or full century option at that time will depend on my condition.

I would like to lose 15 pounds and, more importantly, increase my muscle mass/finally loose my apple shape so will continue with weight training - ramping it up slowly as my neck improves.

I want to continue to increase my mountain bike skills, and plan to at least do the short route in the Brown County Breakdown next October. The Gravel Grovel might be a good choice as well, but that is a long time off and I won't lock myself in this soon.

I am starting to think about specific rides I want to do next year, but I don't want to commit myself to more than mountain biking as often as I can and riding the road when I can't mountain bike

Hmmm, my goals are very different than this time a year ago - but I am learning that it is more fun to leave things open with just a couple of specific targets to reach for. Oh yes - it would be nice to finish next year without injury

[Owlie]

I'm going for 1000 miles in 2012. I'd like to be able to do at least some of my own maintenance (saves money long term). I'd also like to manage a metric century in early summer (June).

[marni]

I totally sluffed on my mileage goal this year. Between ongoing Breast cancer issues between March and June, and then 90 year old resident fils' health issues all summer and for the last two weeks I haven't really been able to be consistent in my riding. I did manage to get myself back to the weight and measurements I was at before all of the BC issues, and am currently at or above the weight and resistance weights I was doing before the surgery, and my cardio is back as well. I did manage to train into running enough to be able to run a 5 k, which got cancelled two days before the race so I have sort of let that slide for awhile.

My goal for 2012 is to get myself in shape (TITS) time to ride a cross country ride from New Orleans to Lake Itasca, MN in May-june with my sister and as a celebration for a hopefully clear of the big C. I am also determined to get my weight down another 10 pounds and get my body fat strongly under 20% instead hovering in the 19-22%.

I will consider it a success if I can ride every mile of the cross country without sagging at all and add maybe another 1000 miles as far as bike riding goes.

Congratulations to everyone for their amazing achievements and tries. This year I have been a committed (committable?) tryer rather than a doer.

marni

[Crankin]

My only goal(s) for next year are to ride the same # of miles I rode this year (at least 2500, but really want 3,000) and do at least 2 metrics and one century distance, not necessarily organized rides. And more 50 mile rides.
Some of this will depend on our vacation plans. We are currently deciding on 1) a 7 day cycling tour across Portugal next fall, with the same company we used for our Spain trip or (2) a vacation to the northwest, where we will visit friends in Friday Harbor and go other places, too, bring our new bikes, and ride when we want to. And the possibility of a trip to Norway has come up with our friends, who know people there.

[azfiddle]

I am still thinking about this year and haven't even thought about next year yet.

Maillotpois- got a chuckle from your post. I am always impressed by your super long rides.

Not sure what I'd set as a goal for 2012. It partly depends on the unpredictable "wonky" lower back/hip/leg issues go.

I've been invited/encouraged to do a 200k brevet on Jan 7. It's not a concern about endurance but the possibility of over stressing the unstable side, as I had problems after mile 75 in El Tour. I will probably just try to maintain the average of 80-100 miles per week that I rode this year.

[Roadtrip]

Oh yes - it would be nice to finish next year without injury

THIS. Yes. THIS.

Outside of out-riding the injury bug, my goals are a.) increase mileage which has been hard with work, so short evening rides and longer weekend rides b.) weight loss and good food choices c.) winter work indoors for strong spring riding d.) Metric Century before it gets stupid hot/humid or later in 2012... e.) have FUN.

Shannon