"You had me at 39!"

So what does a borrowed line from Jerry Maguire, in reference to a speeding ticket have to do with cycling?

Bear with me, I’ll get to the point eventually, and remember it is not the destination but the journey that is interesting.

A few months ago, I was pulled over in my driveway by a local policeman who had clocked me doing 39 mph in a 25 mph zone.  He asked me if I had any excuses, and my response was “Well, I have plenty, but they are just that,  excuses - the simple fact was that I was doing 39 and was inattentive to the speed at which I was traveling - and if you have in you any leeway, I’d appreciate any lenience you could steer my way.” After a return to his car, and a check for my non-existent rap sheet, he returned with a warning and no ticket.

At the end of March, I was reflecting on an abysmal past 6 months of cycling, more accurately "lack of cycling". I came to the conclusion that my biggest enemy was creating and accepting as valid excuses for not riding (It is cold – or only mildly warm as was the case this winter/I am tired/I just don’t feel like riding/I rode yesterday/etc. etc.) Wah! Wah! Wah!

I decided to shake up the game and try and ride practically every day (or at least 90% of the days) for 10 weeks straight.  After all I did that in the summer of 2010, when “excuses were not permitted” – whether you rode or not that day, the truck carrying your gear, and to some extent your dreams, was heading 70 – 100 miles east.

So how am I doing so far?   I am 10 for 11, with two rides planned today – my attempt to ride the Wednesday evening shop ride last night was thwarted by a business call that went into double overtime, and a wicked chest and throat cold that I managed to get once this pathetic excuse for winter (I am an avid skier) was over.  

 I have also learned from "my summer behind bars" that your Power to Weight Ratio is key to climbing – I knew that before, but never really experienced it – drop 20 lbs (or 80 sticks of butter as I like to think of it)  and even the slightest increase in power will flatten out all but the toughest hills.  I started my “training diet” 5 weeks ago and have dropped 12 lbs of the “winter 10” that I thought I could avoid in December.

Now get out there and ride. If there is an excuse interfering with your decision ask yourself this question; "When was the last time I finished a ride and did not feel better about myself at the end  than at the beginning?"
Cheers,
Bill