Comments on: Setting Goals for Improved Bicycle Riding

By: 2008 Bicycle Riding Goal | Biking To Live

2008 Bicycle Riding Goal | Biking To Live — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:14:27 +0000

[...] a followup to my post last week on Setting Goals, I thought it was time that I established my 2008 goal. I know, it’s already August but I [...]

By: Running Goals « chrisfit2009

Running Goals « chrisfit2009 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:54:02 +0000

[...] So I improved – but slowly. It wasn’t until I started setting myself goals that I really started to improve. At first they were small goals – get to work in under twenty minutes, get out to the uni and back in a single ride, get over the hill with zero stops…that sort of thing. And I’ve already set my first running goal – 2.5kms by months end in 11½ minutes. It’s a SMART goal. [...]

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:26:21 +0000

@331: Thanks. When I started out I was doing ok but then I had the major setbacks with the burning of my hand and the crash that messed up my knee pretty bad. I'm fully healed now and with this tropical storm gone I'll be back to riding again in earnest.

I'm going to try and find a group ride and give it a shot.

By: 331miles

331miles — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:20:15 +0000

Just started reading your blog. Great stuff. I hope you're dropping the weight you wanted to lose. I had a similar goal (went from 223 to 173), and cycling plus a little jogging got me there. Regarding groups — one of the things that had the biggest impact for me was finding a group ride. YOU CAN FIND ONE THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS. You just have to look. And it makes a big difference. Keep up the good posts!

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:02:02 +0000

@jaxgtr: Brian, you're welcome. That's awesome how much weight you've lost.

By: jaxgtr

jaxgtr — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:17:49 +0000

When I started, I had one goal. Lose weight that's it. I've lost 80 lbs, but have many more to lose. In my second year of riding as an adult, I completely lost track of that goal and shifted to riding a specific mileage which really blows my one and only stated goal.

I have re-assessed my program and have come to terms that I need to also have other exercise in my program. Weight lifting, swimming and….gulp, running, well right now, walking really fast ***snickers***. This time next year, I want to have lost another 50 lbs at a minimum.

Thanks for a great post Bryan.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:39:41 +0000

@Noah: Thanks and great comment. You've got some great goals for this year and I know you'll get them. You bring up a good point about tackling too many at one time.

I'm in the process of re-defining my goals for 2008 and I'm tempted to not even make a goal about my weight. Ever since I was in the military I've worried and fretted over my weight and invariably turn into a scale watcher. I would ride an emotional roller coaster as my weight fluctuated from day-to-day. I think it discouraged me in attaining weight loss. I think I'm going to concentrate on my riding goals throughout the end of the year and let my weight take care of itself. If I follow some good riding goals, it should.

By: Noah

Noah — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:35:16 +0000

Great post. I opted to post my 2008 goals on my blog at the beginning of the year: http://kc-bike.blogspot.com/2008/01/plans-for-08…. – My three goals were to get 5,000 miles this year, to do at least one official century ride, and to have less than 10 car-commute days.

I'm on course, having driven to work only once this year so far, and having done the 200k brevet (137 miles in one run of things).

Mileage has me a bit concerned. I scraped together a bit more than 4,200 miles last year (my first full-year of cycling as an adult). So far, I've averaged 14.1 miles per day. If I can keep that up through the rest of the year, I'll be fine. If that average at any point slips below 13.7, I am in jeopardy of losing my goal.

I have other "wish list" items such as wanting to get below 190 pounds and STAY under 200 over the coming winter. Those are pie in the sky. Tackling too many goals at once is always a bad thing — especially when those are goals that require diligence throughout the entire year (like driving to work as few times as possible, keeping weight off and getting a certain number of miles).

Things such as mastering 100 continuous push-ups, building up to a century ride, or doing your first triathlon are potentially easier if they're goals that you're capable of accomplishing within reason.