Part of the enjoyment in riding is tracking progress. It’s a mosaic from the data, the season’s race results, and the elapsed times for the places where you train against the clock. You know the numbers — almost by heart. And you know when you’re doing better (or worse). The metrics game, though, can sometimes border on overkill. Weighing food or counting calories? Body fat percentages and BMI? With so much technology in the marketplace to measure what happens on the bike or inside your body, it’s no wonder you don’t get dizzy and crash. I look down at my Garmin 305, and see no fewer than 6 data fields. I could have 8 if I wanted.
But worshiping at the altar of numbers alone can lessen some of the joy of riding, so pick your spots. Heartrate training. Wattage training. Hours in saddle. Average speed. Whatever works. I don’t race, so only three pieces of data interest me: total miles, feet climbed and one related to charity. Year-to-date, I’ve now gone over the 5,000-mile mark, and I’m closing in on 350,000 feet of elevation gain. I’ll do that here in Bend, Oregon, while on family vacation. You may have seen the pics?
For me, hitting these numbers is a mystery and a surprise. But daily time saved from a “zero” work commute (the office is 1 mile from the house) in tandem with year-round sun in San Diego essentially helped produce the numbers. I just pedaled, took photos and tried to remain thankful.
The third piece of important data for me is the simple “Penny per mile” goal. It’s quite easy. I encourage you to give to the charity of your choice in the privacy of your own lives. If you don’t already, there’s a good start list here. Another way to be involved is by getting BikeCrave to the $250 mark for the Austin, Texas Livestrong Challenge in October. Just 30-40 more lattes must be sacrificed to hit the goal and help support people who Livestrong and face down cancer.
The Tour is over, but the battle continues. I hope you peer inside and challenge yourself. We’ve got to do all we can to turn miles into money for the cause. Thanks for reading. Hope to see you in Austin on October 25.
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