Winter Maintenance

A year ago today, I posted my goals for the 2007 riding season. These were:

• Sub 5 hour century


• Eight century rides this year (don't all have to be organized rides)


• STP in less than 11 hours


• Get to 195 pounds


• Ride the "Hotter 'N Hell Hundred" with Hogg and Trickle - all of us under 5 hours

I just wanted to provide an update on my goals and tie a bow around this last year's worth of riding. I did not get to a sub 5 hour century - my best was the first century of STP at 5:19. I did get in eight century rides this year: Solvany, Reach the Beach, 2 @ STP, Vine Ride, Tour de Tucson, and two centuries I did here in Newberg with my dad and Christine. I missed the STP 11 hour mark this year but am going after it again this coming year. 195 pounds escaped me. Sadly, we did not make it out to HHH this year.

All in all, it was a good year on the bike. The best part was Christine's interest to spend time with me on the bike. I'll ride solo because I love to ride but being able to spend the hours with my bestest buddy, absolutely marvelous. Riding into Portland after 200 miles on the road with Christine next to me was a day to remember. Pain is easier to suffer with someone else.

Another highlight was being able to spend time with my dad on the bike. We rode quite a few miles together this year to include several centuries. It has been nice living so close to my family. I have seen my parents more this year than I have in the previous ten years combined. This is not only important to me but to my children as well.

Jens and I got in some great riding as well. We started it all in Solvany with a road trip and ended it with a lap around Tucson - nice bookends to the riding season. The best of it was the five days worth of seeing the desert scenery around the Phoenix area for two bills worth of miles. Thanks JD for all the pain and fun.

Now for 2008 - just two goals: Get below 200 lbs and ride more than in 2007 (in aggregate). I spent some time with my doctor on Friday. He told me I have to change my diet to incorportate more fiber and bran with more water while eating less sweets and caffienated beverages. Losing weight can only make me faster on the hills and devasting on the flats. Well, okay, by devasting I mean to my old self if I was riding with him. I have already started to prep for the riding season. It all starts in the torture chamber and Mr. Carmichael. This Saturday due to schedule and weather conditions, I was in the garage doing Chris' work out from Bicycling Magazine. It was painful but worth it. The plan is three days a week of Chris with some hours of riding on Saturday with weather willing. It is going to be three months of work but it will be worth it in the end.

One thing I realized is that this year, I need to do more lengthy rides on Saturday. I need the 60 to 80 mile rides on the weekend so that I am better suited in the second half of centuries. The metric century right now is my power alley. I need to expand my power alley to encompass the 100 mile mark.

Well, enough said.