Tuesday, November 1, 2011

40 +1000 +...


I am pretty freakin' proud of myself.

Let's backtrack a bit...
-I am 40
and I have had a heck of a stressful first half of that.

-The key early summer months in Minneapolis were hindered by winter,

Summer really did not arrive until the week of July 4th.

Because of those two points,
my riding season
was purposefully reduced.

I am not a hugely goal oriented gal,
but sometimes in life
you need to set goals for yourself.



Goal 1:
Knowing I would never match the feats
of my last two summers~

1400 miles

AND

1500 miles

I did have in mind
that a nice cool 1000
(hmmms sounds familiar)
would be respectable
after a year like this.
Come hell or highwater,

with each ride
I could feel it getting closer
and closer

until it was down to that deceptively easy 300...

Goal 2:
To be able to ride through the end of October.

I need to set myself up for that winter weight gain
by going into it
with what I like to feel is a respectably awesome me.
Usually by August I am looking
and feeling
fit
and can enter winter

knowing I will gain a few pounds despite my best efforts,

but I will be okay.
NOT SO EASY WHEN YOU ARE 40
and had a year like I have had.
I feel like I already have that winter weight, and I'm not happy about it.
B
ut one thing that was important to me
was to at least
get as much riding in as I could before the end of October.

I am proud to say I met both of my goals and I am a very happy girl.
I've been giving myself a mental pat on the back ever since Sunday.
At about the same time

and about the same place

as last year,

I quietly rolled 1000.
I stopped my bicycle,
gave myself a mental embrace,
and proudly kissed the Trek again.


One of the best things I ever did for myself

was to let H talk me into a road bicycle.

One of the second best things I have ever done for myself

was to use it.

I can't explain the elation I have felt for the last three years.

What I have accomplished has been beyond any goal I ever imagined.

One step at a time,
life begins to embrace us,

or we it.

Time passes.

I feel like 20-40 went in fast forward.
Where did it all go?

It's a difficult reconciliation.

But one thing I will never regret
is taking care of me,

accomplishing my goals,

and being the best me where I am now.


I love good design,
and dressing the part.
But even more right now,
I love fast bicycles
and lycra.
There is a time and a place.

I am much more fit at 40
than I ever was at 20.

Mentally maybe I'm struggling a bit,

physically this year I may be struggling a bit.
But some days
I freakin' rock it.


Thank you fast lovin' lycra gal...


ps this doesn't include the miles I put on Lexa.
in fact, a few hours later we biked off to a bikish meeting together...