…just to be A Dude who biked 2,000 miles to be at your door. Those are paraphrased lyrics from The Proclaimers, a Scottish band’s big hit. And it’s a milestone I just passed. Well, yesterday. I added 20 miles tonight. Usually, I’ll get into my Strava statistics on the 11th, but five days early, so what?

Two thousand in five months and six days aint bad, but I’m pretty far behind on my usual 100 miles per week goal. Actually, I had inflated the goal to.6,000, hoping I’d have my second best year ever. I’ve got 24 days to make up 580 miles. I can theoretically do it, but it’s hot, I’m tired, and I have other fish to fry, so I seriously doubt I will. Maybe I can chip away at it. Some goals must be revised because life keeps lifeing.

The answer to beating the heat is cycling inside at the gym. But it’s a hassle to get there and back. Doing more errands by bike would make sense were it not so dang hot, not to mention the UV rays are extreme. That would seem like an excuse to an observer, but it is a reason when you’ve had the issues I’ve had. Early morning is not in my genes.

As you can see, my weekly average over the last month is just under 85 miles, Usually, it’s 100 or more. Again, not bad, not great.

The effort is still there, but my speed and thus distance is decreased. Even with Soqinthe new Cannonondale Quick 4, Im not that fast. For whatever reasons, I’m not getting faster. That’s okay, I’m more about the enjoyment of doing it now than I used to be. Some days, it’s a real accomplishment to bike at all, or even for five miles. Ten on weeknights, and 25 on Saturday and Sunday would handle it. There’s still a good chunk of year left.

Here’s another visual view of my efforts:

All in all, it’s good to be able to ride a bike. How fast or far are bonuses, and not really important in the greater scheme of things. Many people dont have a bike or the health to ride one. Still, one likes to have goals and hopes the inevitable decline of age is years away. Until that day comes when I cannot, I ride. Until then, do your best and forget the rest.