5,475 / 393,225

Two low-mileage weeks with some Palomar Mountain repeats for inspiration. Thirteen days gone by. That’s the inauspicious start of September for BikeCrave. Meh. Sometimes I’d rather not ride with a computer. It’s so clinical. Cut-and-dried. Lacking imagery or human emotion. But high-tech equipment on our bike can tell a story, if we’re willing to listen. I mean, really pay attention. Reviewing raw training data is like reading a diary that only you, the author, can understand. There is a stack of mundane predictable entries and numbers. Every once in a while, however, the data gives way to the exciting re-discovery, that cycling unexpected, the nuanced satisfaction of being aboard the bike, and keeping the fires burning. The statistics in my Garmin hold a small handful of diamonds that shine long after the rides have ended and the memories have been pushed deep inside the archive files. It takes time to reflect and understand the meaning of miles you’ve logged and feet you’ve climbed. If you keep a computer training log (Garmin or other device), you know how easy it is to become a slave to it. Quantity over quality (the old cliché) passes for enjoyment (or progress) as we juggle careers, family and life’s chores. I like quantity because I enjoy centuries and want to do more double centuries. And I love quality. It’s not always easy to balance the two.

Here’s where I’m at as of tonight: 5,475 miles with 393,225 feet climbed. In those numbers are a personal diary of happiness, disappointment, challenge and passion.

It starts with an idea, then requires a little care and feeding. Then after that, who knows. The road is open. The hills and mountains beckon. I try to mix in some saddle time.

How about you? What’s your cycling story, your diary, your dream?

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