Rolling over the odometer
Category: Cycling/Running/Fitness...
Posted Monday, October 17, 2005 at 01:39 PM [GMT-6]

I hit 2,000 today, during a bike ride that was remarkable in that much of it took place in the midst of a dense fog that limited visibility to as little as a tenth of a mile. The fog is itself a rarity in these parts; it's even more unusual that I'm out in it on a bicycle.

Anyway, the reference to 2,000 means that I've accumulated that many bicycling and running miles thus far this year, about 1,500 of the former and 500 (check my math, would you?) of the latter. Looking ahead, barring any serious injury or illness, I should finish up the year with somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 miles.

This doesn't necessarily represent achievement of a goal (at least not in the way you might think; more about that in a moment). I don't set out each year to ride or run a certain number of miles. I do have a goal of averaging at least 30 minutes per day of exercise (at the end of September, I was just over 34 minutes per day in 2005), but the mileage itself will vary depending on the mix of running and cycling. Plus, there are other forms of exercise that don't involve mileage, like the to-be-avoided-at-all-possible-cost windtrainer.

I don't always achieve that 30-minute-per-day goal. My record's pretty good this century, but I missed it more often than not in the previous two decades. The thing is, I still set it out as a goal every new year and tracked my progress; looking back over the records, that progress has been steadily improving. If there's a lesson to be learned, it's one of discipline. I rarely enjoy my workouts, in the sense of, say, enjoying a good movie or a meal at a good restaurant. My rides are not pleasant meanderings through the neighborhood; my runs are at the edge of my endurance level. That's why the discipline is important. If I didn't understand the end game, I wouldn't consistently put myself through what it takes to get there.

My end game is personal and the details aren't important. I can assure you that it goes beyond being physically fit just to be physically fit. The discipline itself is part of it, and that becomes increasingly important as I grow older.

If this sounds like a vague metaphor for something more than running and bicycling, you're probably giving me too much credit. On the other hand, as they say, your mileage may vary.