Well friends, I have done it! I have biked over 2,000 miles this year! Given the fact I live in Colorado, this is only since about mid-April! 2,000 miles is roughly the equivalent of the East Coast of the United States…. Think about that for a second….
All I can say, What a journey!!!!
Cold days, hot days, 6 am rides, 7 pm rides, 10 mile rides, 90 mile rides, and everything in between.
The amount of emotions, thoughts, and life perspectives that have come directly out of this experience are staggering. This has been some of the healthiest time for introspection that I have had in my life. There is something you learn about yourself when you push your self to the physical and mental limits, and even passed where you thought they were. There is something that changes inside of you, and all of a sudden your body is overall stronger, quicker, and more flexible than it has ever been before.
It wasn’t all of a sudden…
It was every single day.
It was a little piece at a time.
It was a continuous striving for excellence.
The majority of the miles were completed in 15 weeks.
In that time, I rode 1,761 miles.
This is an average of 117.4 every. single. week.
I have logged 120 hours on Strava. 120 hours. 90% or more was completely solo riding. The amount of thoughts. The amount of tears. The amount joy. I cannot even explain how much I enjoyed this. I cannot even express how proud of some of the things that I have accomplished.
I would love to share a few.
June, my first month biking 500 miles. This is the beautiful county I live in.
One of my new favorite points to ponder.
Sunday, July 9th – Hoosier Pass Summit
Saturday, July 22nd – Tour de Steamboat. 70 miles, rolling hills. My first taste of long rides. A day to remember.
Saturday, August 5th – The Copper Triangle. 80 miles, almost 7,000 feet climbed. Finished in under 5 hours. Not a race, but was the 19th person to cross the line.
Wednesday, August 16th – Loveland Pass Summit
Sunday, August 27th – Golden Gran Fondo. Hardest thing I have ever done in my life. 93 miles. Over 11,000 feet of elevation climbed. Dirt roads. Finished 82 out of 161 in an actual national race series.
Monday, September 4th – Labor Day. I summitted the highest paved road in America. 11,000 feet of climbing over 30 miles.
This is just the start!
This winter I am going to send it super hard on the snowboard!
Next summer, I have plenttttty of rides still on the list to complete!!
Who wants to join me?? You know you want to!!
Cheers to completing goals!!
Go out there and set some goals that might seem a little daunting, and hold yourself accountable. Do this, and you will reap all of the rewards!
-All the Love
-Patrick
