Year Eight of my journey since I began this blog is in the books. This annual post looks at the statistics recorded by my Garmin vivoactive 3 watch and Strava fitness tracking app. They show the numbers of what I did bicycling, walking, and doing yoga (with a few swims). Beyond the data, it tells a story of being active as I age and despite my efforts, remain a fathlete. Let’s take a look at how I did whe compared to 2022 (which you can read about in this blog post). Spoiler alert, I beat every year except 2020 and 2021. Not too bad, comparing myself to me, which is the only way to really do it.

The My Stats chart shows the cruel reality that happens every January 1: the clock resets to 0. But it shows the last four weeks I was averaging 131.4 miles by bicycle. Mostly that was on the road, some on the trainer when it was cold, late, wet, or a combination of all four. (All images Copyight Strava 2024.)

Less the 121 miles at the ass end of 2015, when I first got a smart phone, my total lifetime bicycle mileage on Strava is 42,123. That means from 1/1/2016-12/31-2023, I averaged:

• 5,265 miles per year
• 438.78 miles per month
• 101.26 miles per week
• 14.42 miles a day

If you had told me eight years ago that I would accomplish this, I would have thought you crazy. The numbers may seem abstract to non-cyclists. But if you bike, you can appreciate what it took to ride those 42,123 miles. Not much to some, a lot to others.

At the end of the day (or year), it’s a lot for *me,* and I’m satisfied with my efforts at meeting my goal of beating 2016-19 and 2022. The fact that I’m older than I was in all of those years, with more health challenges, shows that in some respects, I’ve “still got it.” But I’m pretty tired, too, with no off days for four-plus years. Somehow, I keep going, because I both need and want to.

Also, Strava puts together a slide show with some spiffy info graphics. Mine are below, so enjoy. They include walking and yoga (the latter having no distance or elevation, of course).

It’s interesting that cycling takes so much time but is not that far ahead of walking or yoga in terms of percentage. My longest ride is good, though not as far when I was training hard for charity rides. Not doing those longer rides is why I do the daily streak. Elevation was just 400 feet shy of 100,000 by bike, so for the first time I didn’t crack that. But walking got me over the hump, so to speak.

In the distance chart, you can how see the heat reduced my hours in July and August. January and February were down due to cold weather, and in April I had some sort of upper respiratory illness that really set me back, but I kept going. Who knows how the photos are picked, maybe views? And in the third slide you see my daily bike-walk-yoga fills it up nicely. No rest for the weary.

In the end, I made up for the lost time and figured out how to “git ‘er done.” These Strava screenshots not from the slideshow further tell the tale. Behind each mile was effort, struggle, suffering, discipline working toward a goal, involving fun, fitness, and fatigue for this fathlete. Far too many sights were seen to share, but the point is I got out there and did what I could with the time, energy, and body I had.

Did you do your best, too? If so, great! If not as much as you would have liked, guess what? It’s a New Year, 2024! But you don’t have to make any grand New Year’s resolutions. Take it moment by moment, a step, a pedal, a stretch at a time. Do what works for you. The only competition that truly matters is you.

What does 2024 hold in store for A Dude Abikes? Having to procure as much filthy lucre (money) as possible always looms large. But keeping in shape, or at least not losing my current shape, is key to what level of health I do have, so I’ll keep on pedaling. I hope you can do that too, regardless of the activity. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous New Year.

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