By Maureen & Megan
JANUARY RECAP:
Total Miles to Date: 884
Total Number of Strava Group Members: 251 members -from all over the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Germany, Greece, England, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, USA.
I am SO excited to see this many people jump in on the challenge!
Challenges?: I've had a raging head cold since Christmas eve. It's made it nearly impossible to ride hard on the trainer, or to ride outside in the cold, because that just makes it worse. I confirmed I don't have the flu, and have just been dealing with the stuffy nose and cough with hot tea and cough drops. We also got some snow in Colorado which made riding outside nearly impossible (nearly - fat bikes make it possible!) .
Highlights?: I have been fortunate this month to spend some time in warm, sunny AZ and also CA, where it was easier to log bigger miles. I've also been really thankful for Zwift for indoor trainer rides, it keeps it fun and engaging!
THIS MONTH’S QUESTION: How has your daily schedule/routine changed to meet this goal?
Every day I wake up knowing that somehow, I need to average 27 miles/day. If I miss a day, I know I'll need to make those miles up. I went to see family for a weekend in Omaha, where the weather outside was atrocious (and I also didn't have a bike) and so I committed myself to riding miles on the hotel exercise bike each morning. Sometimes I wait until the evening and do a two hour trainer ride. A few times this month, those rides weren't starting until 9 or 930pm at night because the day was just too jam-packed. And it was totally ok. Making it happen is what it takes. Sometimes I use the commute to work for some miles and then add on. I was also looking forward to the Trek Travel bike camp I'm on this week (in Solvang) to add some miles -which will hopefully bring up my averages and give me a headstart for February.
There is no question that every day, I know 1.5-2 hours need to be spent riding. This has given me a reason to schedule my evenings much lighter, and to minimize my after-hour commitments and social engagements, so that I have time to get those miles in. It's been really nice, actually, to have that daily focus. I am encouraged to get better/more sleep, to stretch and to take better care of myself knowing I'll be on the bike almost every day. Overall I am feeling really invigorated and motivated by this goal!
Here are some photos from my rides in January:
