2013 in Review

This year has been a mixed year of good and bad. I’m looking back on my goals for the year that I posted just a little more than a year ago and I want to take this chance to reflect on the year that is passing and also set (and reset) some goals for the coming year. I hope you will humor me and my nostalgic thoughts.

The Good
I got myself a Wonderful Bicycle - Orange All City Macho Man Disc Brakes
My weight is down enough that it registers on my scale.
I managed to ride over 1000 miles this year (barely)
I made new friends and help others (old friends) explore cycling for the first time.

The not so good
Commitments this summer stopped me from riding more often than once or twice a week. According to my records I was only on my bicycle 61 days out the year. That kept me from spending the kind of time on my bike that I wanted to. Life is like that sometimes. I don’t regret it, it is what it is.

I still haven’t gotten up 18th street.

The Bad
At the Beginning of October my mother passed away and this took away from me (for this year at least) my joy of riding during fall. Fall has always been my favorite time to ride. I love the coolness of the air and the changing of the leaves. I missed that this year and my mileage shows it. I don't regret it, the time I got to spend with my Mother before she passed is something I will treasure. Even the frustrating times are something I can look back fondly on now.

So Last year around this time I posted my goals for 2013.

Ride Bike More
I think I managed to do this one even if I barely got 1000 miles in. (Check)

Fix Myself
well considering this is the first time in a long time (maybe since 2000) that I can actually weigh myself on a scale without getting an “Error” I have a new Job that I love and a great group of cycling friends. I’m calling this one a win. (Check)

Icicle Bicycle
I did this ride and truthfully it was awful. I did not enjoy it.  I did not enjoy being ditched by those “leading” the ride. I did enjoy the drinks and food afterwards with my friends. This won’t be on my list to do again. (Check)

Pedal Pittsburgh
I missed out on Pedal Pittsburgh this year. Unfortunately this ride fell during that time when I was otherwise committed. I did enjoy the first one, even if I got rained on, rode the ride alone, was cold and tired at the end, and the weather made hanging out afterwards a joke. What I saw was potential. If the weather had been better it would have been a fantastic ride. This Ride stays on the list for next year (Fail)

Ride more than 1000 Miles
I did manage to accomplish this (1016.66 miles), but it was a lot harder than I expected it to be. I just wasn't able to get and ride as much as I had planned. I realize now that a mileage goal is the wrong kind of goal for me. according to the records I only got out on the bike for 61 days out of the entire year. So for the next year my goal will be to get out and ride at least 100 days out of the year. (Check)

Write more
This is another one of those goals where I thought Quantity was more important than Quality. in 2012 I posted 57 posts here on the blog and in 2013 I posted 35 posts. So technically I failed this goal but as I look at the posts themselves I tend to think that what I posted here was of an overall higher quality. This year I am hoping to make the schedule for the blog and for the facebook page a little more regular. I’m calling this one a win. (Check)

Ride up 18th St
Nope still haven’t made it (Fail)

Go on 7 flock rides
Forgot to count how many rides I was on but I am going to call this one a win. I managed to get several of my friends to go on a flock ride for the first time. (Check)

Organize my own ride
I didn't manage to Organize my own ride. I was able to help out with several events that I found to be more important. The first was a ride called “Pedal for the Pantry” this was a grocery gathering alleycat that was a huge success.

I for one would be just as happy to help out with the next Pedal for the pantry than to try and organize a ride of my own. (Fail?)

My goals for 2014

• Ride 100 days in the next year
• Write better posts 
• Weigh less at the end of the 2014 than I do now
• Cherish my cycling friends
• Pedal Pittsburgh
• Pedal for the Pantry
• Write 5 interviews for the blog
• Write 9 reviews for the blog

Icycle Bicycle 2013

This is what the street looked like this morning when I hopped on BOB and headed to the Icycle Bicycle ride of 2013. A ride that will forever be thought of in my head the BRRRR its COLD ride. You may remember that in my new years resolutions that one of my goals was to do the Icycle Bicycle. That is one goal down but I also added a goal to the list in that I want to pick up at least one tag this year. The tagorama on the Bike PGH forum is something that I wanted to do and have yet been able to accomplish. More on that later.

For some reason. Maybe the cold, maybe staying up late for New Years then getting up early for the ride but I just wasn't thinking to clearly. So I rode down to the waterfront and through sandcastle. (yes I know what you are thinking. "He can't be that stupid!!")

Yes he can.

This is what the trail looked like when I got to it. If you cant tell the word for the day would be un-ridable. I'm not positive it is a real word but it for sure is a real concept. (again I know what you're thinking "Well you just turned around and got on 837 and rode into the southside"...) I wish I could give an answer other than "Its a long walk to Paige's Dairy where I could get on the road...

Remember bed late - Up early. 

Still once I got on the road I made pretty good time and Got to REI about a half hour before the ride started. I got a cup of hot coffee. I filled my water bottles and met my friends (Both old and new.) I got meet and shake hands with someone who reads this blog (Hello Vannevar) Then we did the ride. I heard that over a hundred of us were out there braving the wet and the cold.  I loved it.

After the rough start I enjoyed the ride (even though I got seperated and did the last half on my own) Lunch and beers followed then a bus ride home and even as I type this I am gazing longingly at my bed. (Terry is a tired boy) Before I go I want to talk about 2 things the first is short, the second not so much. 

First finding the dry winter hat and dry winter gloves in my backpack after the ride was wonderful. I would seriously suggest you plan ahead and give yourselves these small comforts. (cooler of ice water in the car for when you get back from hot trail ride.) things like this can make a big difference.

Secondly. You guys know that I struggle with lots of things (weight, depression, money, feeling out of place) while I was walking down the trail, having to stop every 50 feet to give my leg a rest and yell at myself for being both stubborn and stupid. I found that it was all to easy to feel like I had not right to be here.

"What was I thinking?"

"I'm not a cyclist, I'm just a fat guy."

"This just proves I don't belong on a bike."

The truth is the only thing that kept me going forward was the feeling that I was closer to the end than the beginning and it would take even longer to turn around. I was decided that I would just ride to town, get on the bus, go home, put my bike away, and maybe never ride it again. I was in tears as I walked down the trail. I got a text and looked at it. It was from a friend, it said 

"I feel like crap, Bourbon, see you at 11."

I responded
"Doubtful, May get to REI by the time your back from the ride"

He responded right back
"Walk Faster"

So I walked faster, and I made there in time to do the ride. I also realized that it would be too easy to listen to myself during the rough times and just give up. Giving up is something I have done way too much of in my life. With friends like this, maybe I can change that.

Resolution - Goals

Tis the season, so I'm told. Christmas marks the end of the year and the chance to start over. This is, of course, the time of the New Years Resolutions. I started thinking about the things in myself that I want to improve in myself. After the depression subsided I made the list you see above. For those who can't see the photo I'll give you the list.

• Ride Bike More
• Fix Myself
• Icicle Bicycle 
• Pedal Pittsburgh
• Ride more than 1000 Miles
• Write more
• Ride up 18th St
• Go on 7 flock rides
• Organize my own ride

As you can see most of these resolutions are cycling based and the reason for that is pretty simple. I view the act of cycling as being the answer to many of the problems I face, at least I view the act of cycling as being the one thing that can change me and make me a better me.

I want to talk about a few of the items (goal on my list specifically)

Ride more than 1000 miles
I added this one because I don't know that I have ridden more than 1000 miles this year. I very well might have. I did do quite a bit of riding this year. So I guess the big thing is that I want to know how far I have ridden and that means getting a cyclometer (or 2) and using it to keep track of how far I have ridden. When the last one I had broke I purposely didn't replace it because I found that I was spending too much time worrying about how far and how fast I was riding. Not sure how I can do both but I'm going to try.

Ride Up 18th
On the south side of Pittsburgh there is 18th street. a long sort of steep hill. (well long and steep for me) and last year I made a promise to ride up 18th. well it is December 21st so I don't think Ill make it before the end of the year.

Flock Rides
By Flock rides I am talking about the monthly Flock of Cycles Rides (if you're in Pittsburgh you really need to check them out) this ride is a slow paced, party ride that includes music and (weather permitting) a potluck picnic. Since this is a monthly event I have 12 chances to go on a flock ride. I am hoping to make it to more than half of them (if flock puts on a ride every month)

I also want to talk about what isn't on my list.

Weight loss
I have fought with one all of my life. I have tried to lose weight and I have lost weight, I have gained weight. I have let the idea of what I look like rule over me to to long. I will not allow what I weigh steal my joy, happiness and peace. I have decided instead to judge things on how I feel, not how I look or how much I weigh. I have noticed that more I ride the better I feel, so I'm gonna ride more and not worry about something as insubstantial as what I weigh.

Money
This is another one of those things I have struggled with my whole life, and once again I have found that I let my worries about money to steal away my happiness and leave me sleepless and sick. No More. I have over the past year learned to live a simpler life. This I plan on continuing.

So that is my list of resolutions/goals for the year of 2013 and I hope you will find it interesting and I hope that you make and keep your own set of resolutions. I for one am going to try to post my progress on these goals right here.

FGOB

UPDATE 1-1-13
I rode on the icycle bicycle ride and had a great time. You can view that post here.