I look outside at the grey sky and the half melted snow. I can hear the wind and I shudder at the thought of going out. I zip my hoodie a bit higher and snuggle down a bit lower under my blanket. We are now at 19 weeks before the bike trip.
My goal is to be able to ride 50 km by March. Vancouver is a great place to train since there are very few days that we need to worry about snow. This year we had more snowfall than usual, giving me another excuse to sit by the fire, sip a glass of wine and put off my training for another day. However there is a small nagging feeling slowly growing inside me. May will come quickly and I need to start riding my bike.
Since the rapid spread of omicron has shut down the gyms, I cannot even ride the stationary bike. Although truthfully, I do not go to the gym often anyways! When I do get outside to train I find it much more inspiring and the rides are an adventure on their own. Of course the problem is getting going. It is not always easy to get outside and moving. The countdown should help, goals should help, I think as I sit here drinking my wine.
Vancouver has many great bike routes. From gravel trails to bike lanes, Vancouver has them all. You can go anywhere by bike. I did some awesome rides over the last two years. I love to ride down to Olympic Village. There are great biking lanes bustling with all sorts of pedestrians, bikes, scooters and roller blades. I love to bike down for brunch to one of the bike friendly cafes, or to continue through Olympic Village, past Granville Island, past Kits beach and to Jericho Beach.
My first long ride while training for the first trip was approximately 50 km and took me through Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster (trails bc map). It was great, even though I almost did not make it back home because my legs were so stiff by the end of the ride. I thought I was going to have to call for a ride ! I made it though. This ride will be my goal for March. That gives me between eight and ten weeks to be able to do 50 km.
I think for my first bike goal, I will do two rides over the course of a week (of course that is when the snow is gone – I am a fair-weather rider), I will aim for one 10 km ride and one short but intense hills ride. I have a loop near my house that is about four kilometers. There is a 700 meter section that is about a 9% grade which is crazy steep. Similar to the grade of a mountain pass. Luckily I only have to ride that for 700 meters.
A goal that I can work on this week, while there is still snow, is some indoor training. This week I will commit to doing two Bellyfit workouts. One at home with one of Loretta’s pre-recorded sessions and I will try to join the in person session if it is still running. If it is cancelled due to covid, I will do two of the pre-recorded sessions. In addition, I will commit to further developing my weekly training schedule with achievable goals from now until the bike trip!
Want to train with me? Feel free to share your goals in the comments and we can help keep each other on track!
My Goals:
Jan 9-15 – two bellyfit workouts, and establish training schedule for the next 19 weeks
Jan 16-23 – two outdoor bike rides
Belly fit resources: