My birthday (week) 2010
So, I had a birthday a couple of days ago. I'm 39. I can't believe it, but I'm 39. I will be 40 in less than a year. Sounds so old, so old.
My Userpic is of me riding in the Vermont 50 mountain bike race on my birthday in 2002. It is a 50 mile mountain bike race that is run on the last Sunday in September every year. 50 miles off-road on a mountain bike is the mountain bike equivalent of running a marathon. It's a long distance, one you have to train for, but not so crazy long that only a few elite people can survive it! In those 50 miles there is over a mile of vertical climbing. It's beautiful and really well run, but not easy by any stretch. It is a benefit for a charity - an Adaptive Sports charity. They do a 50 mile run as well. They limit the biking field to 650. It's a huge, really well run event.
http://www.vermont50.com/
In 2002 I finished the race in just over 9 hours. I rode it in 2003, but ended up DNF'ing it after it began raining about an hour in. I rode and walked and slipped and slided to the last check-point prior to the finish (so maybe 5 miles left) and was just done and took a tar road back to the finish. I just couldn't slip and slide through ankle deep mud anymore. I'd been out there more than 10 hours. I remember feeling great that morning: I actually sprinted away from the start line and was in the lead of my group for 5 minutes. I knew I would pay for that, but it was fun! Watched a guy break his chain on the start line, youch!
I haven't really been on either of my bikes much in the past 3 or 4 years. Here and there I've ridden to work when a car was broken or something like that. I've sporadically hit the gym.
At the beginning of 2009 I told myself that I needed to start getting some exercise again. I've put on some weight, didn't feel so great... I've been trying to get to the gym in my office complex 2 or 3 mornings a week. Some weeks I've made it twice, some once, some none. I've been much more consistent over the past 2 or 2.5 months. I'm feeling better and getting stronger.
So I'm making a goal for myself. I've been thinking about this for a few months. MY GOAL: I am going to race the Vermont 50 mountain bike race in 2010. It will be on September 26th, 2010 3 days prior to my 40th birthday. It will take this next year to build up fitness and endurance to be able to do it, but I'll be OK. I know what it takes.
It sounds kinda crazy, but the event has grown in popularity and it is actually hard to get one of the 650 entries. In 2002 I hemmed and hawed for a week or more before deciding to go for it, and didn't have any troubles. In 2003 I missed the 1st day of registration and had to talk my way into the event (I was working in the bike industry then). The registration opens at the end of May, 2010. If I get online as it opens I shouldn't have a problem with that.
I will do most of my training early in the mornings either at the gym (where they have a nice recumbant stationary bike and a Nautilus weight machine) and on the road bike from home. My goal is to not be too high maintenance and add to Jessica's load and not to ask her for tons of extra time. Maybe I'll hit a half-century or century in the Spring/Summer for training purposes. Maybe I'll ask for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon here and there...
There it is, my goal. I have always enjoyed riding, but have been less than motivated in the past years. I believe that having a hard concrete goal will help me to get up and get working. My problem is that I got out of the habit (with kids and jobs and stuff) and it's been hard to get started again.
Now that I've said it Aloud (as it were) I hope that will help me keep motivated! I'm a little nervous: I watched the weather and it rained this year for the event! I'll still go in 2010, but I would really like a NICE day! I'm putting in my order for a good weather day NOW!
My Userpic is of me riding in the Vermont 50 mountain bike race on my birthday in 2002. It is a 50 mile mountain bike race that is run on the last Sunday in September every year. 50 miles off-road on a mountain bike is the mountain bike equivalent of running a marathon. It's a long distance, one you have to train for, but not so crazy long that only a few elite people can survive it! In those 50 miles there is over a mile of vertical climbing. It's beautiful and really well run, but not easy by any stretch. It is a benefit for a charity - an Adaptive Sports charity. They do a 50 mile run as well. They limit the biking field to 650. It's a huge, really well run event.
http://www.vermont50.com/
In 2002 I finished the race in just over 9 hours. I rode it in 2003, but ended up DNF'ing it after it began raining about an hour in. I rode and walked and slipped and slided to the last check-point prior to the finish (so maybe 5 miles left) and was just done and took a tar road back to the finish. I just couldn't slip and slide through ankle deep mud anymore. I'd been out there more than 10 hours. I remember feeling great that morning: I actually sprinted away from the start line and was in the lead of my group for 5 minutes. I knew I would pay for that, but it was fun! Watched a guy break his chain on the start line, youch!
I haven't really been on either of my bikes much in the past 3 or 4 years. Here and there I've ridden to work when a car was broken or something like that. I've sporadically hit the gym.
At the beginning of 2009 I told myself that I needed to start getting some exercise again. I've put on some weight, didn't feel so great... I've been trying to get to the gym in my office complex 2 or 3 mornings a week. Some weeks I've made it twice, some once, some none. I've been much more consistent over the past 2 or 2.5 months. I'm feeling better and getting stronger.
So I'm making a goal for myself. I've been thinking about this for a few months. MY GOAL: I am going to race the Vermont 50 mountain bike race in 2010. It will be on September 26th, 2010 3 days prior to my 40th birthday. It will take this next year to build up fitness and endurance to be able to do it, but I'll be OK. I know what it takes.
It sounds kinda crazy, but the event has grown in popularity and it is actually hard to get one of the 650 entries. In 2002 I hemmed and hawed for a week or more before deciding to go for it, and didn't have any troubles. In 2003 I missed the 1st day of registration and had to talk my way into the event (I was working in the bike industry then). The registration opens at the end of May, 2010. If I get online as it opens I shouldn't have a problem with that.
I will do most of my training early in the mornings either at the gym (where they have a nice recumbant stationary bike and a Nautilus weight machine) and on the road bike from home. My goal is to not be too high maintenance and add to Jessica's load and not to ask her for tons of extra time. Maybe I'll hit a half-century or century in the Spring/Summer for training purposes. Maybe I'll ask for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon here and there...
There it is, my goal. I have always enjoyed riding, but have been less than motivated in the past years. I believe that having a hard concrete goal will help me to get up and get working. My problem is that I got out of the habit (with kids and jobs and stuff) and it's been hard to get started again.
Now that I've said it Aloud (as it were) I hope that will help me keep motivated! I'm a little nervous: I watched the weather and it rained this year for the event! I'll still go in 2010, but I would really like a NICE day! I'm putting in my order for a good weather day NOW!