Jay Thanks for those words. I get it that work can poison the entire notion of being organized, and I TOTALLY get how escaping one's work-head-space is necessary for some people. It sounds like you've got something going that works great for you. Saturday was one goal (finish a 300k) and I spent essentially zero time thinking about that while I was on my ride. I had a 15 hour bike ride to bliss out on everything else. The fact I had a goal didn't get me to the end. The goal got me to the start. I very very rarely regret going on a ride when it's in progress, and almost never do I regret it when it's over, but in a totally unstructured format, devoid of any goals, the other demands and gentle requests of life, layered with my own intertia/laziness make it harder to begin things. Cycling is "my church". Goals help get me to church.
Take my front yard for example. We had a fair bit of work done, and it looks great. It rained all winter, and now Spring is coming and all the weeding and pruning needs to happen, and it's still cold. It is really easy for me to put it off in the moment. It's pretty clear to me I need a structure. Spend 90 minutes every Sunday out in the yard. If I want Sunday off, do it Saturday. If I did, I'd make a dent in the new growth. The other thing I'm doing here is selfishly using the RBW Group. By just typing the words, "I intend to do activity X by date Y", that hacks my brain to make it happen. Lots of people have these unfettered aspirations "I'd like to learn an instrument", "I'd like to run a half-marathon", "Someday I'll ride a century". For some of those people, just picking a date and writing it down starts the ball rolling to actually taking the action to getting that big thing done. Some people write it down and put it in a safe place. I type it on RBW Groups. I forget sometimes how the huge majority of participants here are readers and not posters, and I apologize if I come off as a self-indulgent show-off. I do post a lot, but I try to post stuff that is helpful, or generally positive and/or adds to the balance of content. One thing I try to NEVER do. I never (o never intend to) tell anybody else what they should do. Typing my goals here, and then responding to those posts makes all of you my accountability buddies, and it helps me. Thanks to the RBWGroup for that. I promise that there is absolutely no chance I will actually do my first 400k on April 13 unless I talk about it, a lot. :-) BL in EC On Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 5:03:49 PM UTC-7 Jay wrote: > Bill - that is amazing what you've already done in the first two months of > the year! Happy 55th! My favourite of your goals is summiting Mount > Diablo 5x on 5 different bikes. I watch a lot of YouTube cycling videos, > some from California, and it looks amazing (I'm in Ontario, an hour outside > Toronto; I love where I live and ride, but often envious of what you have > there in California). > > I work for a large company where it's all about goals; I get it, and > S.M.A.R.T. is the way to go. That said, when I ride a bike I'm not just > disconnecting from technology, day-to-day problems, work, and anything else > that needs disconnecting from, but when I ride it's like I'm a different > version of myself. This is where I get to go with the flow, not have a > plan (or I have one, deviate from it, and often!), pause or take a break > for any old reason, get really deep at times (in my mind), and at other > times just be present with little thoughts other than observing what's > around me. I smile a lot when I ride. I stress about nothing (99% of the > time). As this feeling (state) started to evolve over years of riding, > I've done away with goals, for the most part. I may have a goal of a > multi-day ride to a destination, and I really enjoy planning for such > rides; however, that is where my work-mind kicks in and I have lists, > plans, a calculated mindset. I do enjoy the pre-work aspect, though on > those rides I let my other self lose control (not take control!). Like I > said, this has evolved over a long time and I didn't realize it was > starting to happen until I looked back after a few years and realized it > did. I wonder if when I retire, will I enjoy employing some of that > big-corporation thinking into cycling again? > > On Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 11:22:02 AM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote: > >> At the beginning of the year I listed several S.M.A.R.T. goals: >> >> 10,000km ridden. (on-pace, over 500 miles/month in rainy Jan and Feb) >> Summit Mount Diablo 5 times on 5 different bikes (on pace, 2 done, one >> more next Saturday) >> Put myself in the position to attempt my first 400k brevet (DONE! I >> finished two 200s and the 300k yesterday) >> Complete the Marin Mountains 200k brevet (It's in June) >> Complete 25% of every city in Contra Costa County on Wandrer (on pace, I >> knock out 100 new miles each month) >> Complete 25% of Marin County on Wandrer. (I'm picking this up in earnest >> after Contra Costa is in order, but I snuck in a few wander miles while >> doing the 300k yesterday) >> Ride 55 miles on my 55th birthday and kick off riding my age on my >> birthday as a regular event (done!) >> >> Hopefully yours are going well also. >> >> BL in EC >> >> >> On Friday, January 5, 2024 at 10:42:01 AM UTC-8 Bill Lindsay wrote: >> >>> "I think you meant "timely" instead of "timply" in your SMART acronym?" >>> >>> Indeed I did. S.M.A.R.T. goals are a regular thing. I didn't make up >>> the acronym. It's a common technique to ward off gloom and depression. >>> Therapists, life coaches, etc frequently recommend these things. The >>> great thing about it is that it's kind of self-customized. You can line up >>> your goals to meet the realities of your life. >>> >>> Simple (sometimes people use Specific). It just means it's something >>> very clear and not ambiguous. "Have more fun" doesn't fit. "Be healthier" >>> doesn't fit. "Go to the gym twice each week" is specific and easy to know >>> whether you did it or not. That kind of thing >>> >>> Measurable just means it's objectively certain whether you did it or >>> not. There's no judgment in an objective measurement. "lose 5 pounds" is >>> a measurement. >>> >>> Achievable means it'll take a little effort but if you try you'll do it. >>> 10,000km this year is achievable for me in my current life set-up, but it >>> does mean I'm going to have to try. In comparison, for 2023 I barely made >>> 3000 miles, under 5000km. >>> >>> Relevant means it's something to build towards some other larger >>> objective that is important to me. My fitness goals are all aimed at >>> extending my life and maximizing my quality of life. >>> >>> Timely means it can happen in a reasonable amount of time. "Ride >>> 200,000 miles in my life" is not timely. "Live to be 90" is not timely, >>> but it may be an outcome that is helped along. I'm knocking out tiny >>> smart-goals almost weekly. >>> >>> Bill Lindsay >>> El Cerrito, CA >>> On Friday, January 5, 2024 at 9:39:22 AM UTC-8 George Schick wrote: >>> >>>> The trouble is that too many other things interfere with my biking - >>>> yard work, home repairs and routine maintenance, auto repair and >>>> maintenance, and of course, the weather which can be unpredictable, >>>> especially in these latitudes. IIRC the last 100 miler I rode was >>>> something like 2007, the last 100K was maybe a year or two later. During >>>> those years I managed to squeeze around 1,500 miles out of the biking >>>> season (Spring, Summer, & Fall). Not any more. I'm lucky to get 500miles >>>> a year on both road bikes. I just can't seem to get the time and weather >>>> to rack up any more than that plus I'm just physically slower than I used >>>> to be - my 75th is coming up soon. And, though I hate to bring it up, >>>> with >>>> the advancing age comes a plethora of new medical problems whether >>>> physical >>>> (muscular, joint, or arthritic) or systemic (cardiac, decreasing lung >>>> function, or just plain fatigue). >>>> >>>> Good luck with your goals, I hope you make them. When I was 55 I was >>>> far more able to do similar things than I am now. BTW, I think you meant >>>> "timely" instead of "timply" in your SMART acronym? >>>> >>>> >>>> On Friday, January 5, 2024 at 11:22:56 AM UTC-6 Bill Lindsay wrote: >>>> >>>>> Jock said "but beware the ‘ride your age’ program. I embarked on this >>>>> years ago and found we too quickly reach the point where the math just >>>>> doesn’t look so good…i.e. it’s all backwards." >>>>> >>>>> At what age did you start? How long did it go? and when did you >>>>> decide for yourself that you can no longer do it? I definitely see >>>>> riding >>>>> 100 miles on my 100th birthday would be worthy of national news. 80 >>>>> miles >>>>> on my 80th also seems a stretch. 70 miles on my 70th I absolutely won't >>>>> concede unless something bad happens to me, health-wise. There are TONS >>>>> of >>>>> SFRandonneurs riders well into their 70s doing 200k brevets like nothing >>>>> more than an honest-day's-work. I want to be like them. >>>>> >>>>> Bill Lindsay >>>>> El Cerrito, CA >>>>> >>>>> On Friday, January 5, 2024 at 9:08:36 AM UTC-8 John Dewey wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> All worthy goals…but beware the ‘ride your age’ program. I embarked >>>>>> on this years ago and found we too quickly reach the point where the >>>>>> math >>>>>> just doesn’t look so good…i.e. it’s all backwards. >>>>>> >>>>>> My grandfather, who taught me all I ever needed to know about bicycle >>>>>> mechanics, had a goofy plaque over his workbench: ‘Vee get too soon oldt >>>>>> und too late schmart’. >>>>>> >>>>>> Jock >>>>>> >>>>>> On Fri, Jan 5, 2024 at 6:48 AM Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Often we do a goals thread, and there seems to me that there's a >>>>>>> schism on how to approach goals. Some folks have very specific goals: >>>>>>> i.e. >>>>>>> "average 10 miles a day over the year". Others enjoy eschewing the >>>>>>> specificity: i.e. "have more fun on the bike". >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I'm a devotee of S.M.A.R.T. goals, which are (S)simple, >>>>>>> (M)easurable, (A)chievable, (R)relevant, (T)imply. The notion of the >>>>>>> S.M.A.R.T. goal has improved my life in several ways and maybe in a way >>>>>>> has >>>>>>> saved my life. I'm a compulsive person and I'm a numbers guy. I'm going >>>>>>> to >>>>>>> be compulsive about *something , *so if that something can be >>>>>>> achievable and healthy, then that's a good thing. I've gotten into the >>>>>>> habit of setting up tons of tiny S.M.A.R.T. goals, and it sets me up to >>>>>>> have a regular pattern of taking W's. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> My big picture goals for 2024 include: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> 10,000km ridden >>>>>>> Summit Mount Diablo 5 times on 5 different bikes >>>>>>> Put myself in the position to attempt my first 400k brevet >>>>>>> Complete the Marin Mountains 200k brevet >>>>>>> Complete 25% of every city in Contra Costa County on Wandrer >>>>>>> Complete 25% of Marin County on Wandrer >>>>>>> Ride 55 miles on my 55th birthday and kick off riding my age on my >>>>>>> birthday as a regular event >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Bill Lindsay >>>>>>> El Cerrito, CA >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, >>>>>>> send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/8a7e8cfc-b9fe-4990-876c-20c4211b6c44n%40googlegroups.com >>>>>>> >>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/8a7e8cfc-b9fe-4990-876c-20c4211b6c44n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>>>> . >>>>>>> >>>>>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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