2011 Ride Summary

The Year's Cycling Stats

Totals

• 8,166 miles
• 562 hours
• 40 races
• 10 CBTT's

• 53,026 miles (logged since 04/2005)
• 3,624 hours (logged since 04/2005)

Hourly Breakdown

• 227 hours road (SS & geared)
• 174 hours MTB (SS & geared)
• 84 hours cross (SS & geared)
• 36 hours trainer/rollers
• 30 hours tandem
• 12 hours TT

Ride Breakdown

• 110 road (SS & geared)
• 82 MTB (SS & geared)
• 55 cross (SS & geared)
• 43 trainer/rollers
• 9 tandem
  
• 10 TT

Summary
Well, it's 2012 and 2011 is but a distant memory. As the calendar flipped over so did the log and the odometer goes once again back to zero. This past year was OK, in terms of riding and racing, I guess. Not spectacular by any stretch and unfortunately, not a benchmark year. I'm coming to realize that this may just be the norm and I may be on the backside now. It's bound to happen at some point so just live with it.


In looking at the numbers I was short of my 2010 records by most counts. It was still a solid year and my 4th in a row logging over 8000 miles. I blame much of the shortfall on the fact that 2011 was an incredible snow year. As such I spent lots and lots of time on the skinny skis. The time away from the bike was therapeutic and when the weather finally broke and the skiing disappeared, I was anxious to get back on the bike. This was a good thing, I think, in that it helped minimize burnout this year.

Unfortunately, my fitness just wasn't what it had been in the past. That was something, along with motivation, that haunted me all season. I just couldn't get motivated to suffer the way I had in the past. This was particularly evident at the CBTT, where I just couldn't make it work, sat least not on the TT bike. On the MTB and cross bike, at the CBTT, it was a different story. I was able to make progress on both fronts.

The actual MTB racing was not bad, which of course also implies not good. Again, it was at times OK and others, not so much. This held for the cross season as well. All in all, not what I'd hoped for but not a disaster by any stretch. As I said before, it is what it is. I'm coming to realize that self realization is truly what it is all about in terms of keeping expectations in check. It is easy for us to think or worse, believe that we are better than we really are. You want to aspire and strive for me but at some point, reality needs to ground us. I'm coming to realize that and in so, am coming to grips with the truth of the matter.


So now I'm sitting here, a full week into 2012. Because we have had no snow, it's been all about riding bikes still. Last week was big and this week, despite being back to work, wasn't far behind. I've spent a ton of time on the MTB, a bike I've been away from since the middle of the summer. I'm glad to be back on it, doing something different that is yet very familiar. It feels good. I'm optimistic about the year to come. Nothing is written yet. Hopefully when I'm sitting here next year, writing this same synopsis, the reflections will be at least as good as they were this year.