April went well. (But, here we are a week into May before I’m writing about it…)
Spurred on by a mention by the always upbeat and inspiring Harry Hugel, and a mention or two from cycling icon Kent Peterson, I poached the 30DaysOfBiking Challenge and decided to ride every day in April. The distance per ride was immaterial, according to the guidelines of the ride, and I had to slip under the rope because I tried to sign up on April 1st - after doing my first ride - but the site would not let me join.
So, I said “screw it” and decided to do it anyway. Tagged a tweet with #30daysofbiking and voila! it showed up in the stream on the 30 Days of Biking site.
Ended up going 30 for 30, one day at a time, with only a few 11 pm neighborhood loops in the mix. There were a couple of times when my legs just wanted to shut up and go home, but I either tricked them with the fixed gear (they just had to follow the pedals) or the promise of lower gearing and coastability (”No, really. You can rest whenever you want!”)
By month end, it just seemed like the normal thing to do. Made me realize that it was probably the longest string of riding I’ve ever managed. It’s always very easy to opt out for the day - working remotely, or having too many things to do. But, even with all that, throwing the leg over the frame and heading out - whether under the stars and through the nighttime breezes, or greeting the rising sun - put that perfect note into the sometimes overwhelming cacophony of the day. There were some days when I really needed it, too.
The tally was helped, and maybe this year can be propped up into the 5K realm after what I knew was going to be a challenging start. Nevertheless, I’ve learned again that one ride, right now is what matters.
April Bikey Mileage - 467 miles 30 Days for 30 (and reading ahead, went 5 for 5 in May.)
Only manged 6 yoga sessions - instructor was out one week.
2011 Mileage So Far - 1065
May 11th, 2011 at 4:11 pm Hey man, Way to go! I read your blog regularly, thanks for taking the time and posting your rides and all our bike pics and stories. I’m planning on doing just this come Summer, an entire month of riding to work, one way for me is 22 miles, Santa Cruz near UCSC to Pajaro. Anyways, good on ya! Way to inspire me.
May 18th, 2011 at 11:27 am Congratulations! It’s been a cold spring here and a challenge for many to get in the distance. I’m guessing you braved some April showers …. Still, I always say any day on the bike is a good day.