2012 Goal

Following up on my last post, evaluating how well I did with my 2011 NYRs, I thought I'd post my big goal for 2012. I'm calling this a goal instead of a resolution because it's something specific I want to accomplish, as opposed to a lifestyle change or something I need to work on.

(Food for thought, readers: What's the difference between a resolution and goal? Do you set resolutions or goals or both? Do you approach them differently?)

My goal is to ride a century (100 miles) on my bike in 2012. Riding a century is for cyclists what completing a marathon is for runners. It's the ultimate achievement (for us amateurs, at least), the Holy Grail of the sport that pushes the levels of your endurance to the max. It requires focus and training to be able to ride a century, not to mention a lot of calories!

There are many organized centuries in this area throughout the summer and into the fall, so I'm sure I won't have trouble finding the opportunity. Last year, I came very close to riding a metric century, which is 100 km or 62 miles. A metric century is sometimes considered to be a benchmark on the path to riding a century. My longest ride last year was 60 miles (read about it on my health and fitness blog), and although it was challenging because I was riding with a bunch of overachieving speed demons, I was in shape enough to do the ride.

With many rides of 40+ miles under my belt, I am confident I can ride a century this summer. I'm motivated by the idea of pushing my limits and achieving something I hadn't previously considered or thought possible. There's no better feeling in the world than realizing that you've done something you didn't think you could do.

After riding 100 miles, what will my next goal be? Riding the RAGBRAI? Riding across the state or across a large swath of the country? Or how about this awesome-sounding cycling trip around the South Island in New Zealand? The sky's the limit!