June: The Month of 1000 Miles

I have had a goal since summer 2012 that I wanted to cycle 1000 miles in a month. I have tried many times to achieve this, but life normally got in the way. The issue with doing a great distance is that it takes a great deal of time. I am not the best of planners, so allocating this type of time can be difficult.

Then June started and I determined that my schedule was such that I could finally check this achievement off my list of personal goals. To give you a break down, to do 1000 miles in a month, you need to average 33.33 miles a day and 233.33 miles a week. So if you want to try an hit this goal, these are the numbers to aim for. Also, it should be noted, that I am not a particularly fast cyclist, especially when riding in traffic, so this is a lot of time to spend riding. I worked out new, longer commutes that would give me 94 miles a week. The remaining miles would need to be obtained during 3 weekly training rides. A short training ride on Wednesday, and two longer rides on Saturday and Sundays.

My June got off to a pretty good start. I was right on pace for the first half. Then my schedule got hectic. I had to take a day off during the week to train into London. Both of the people I ride with sustained injuries, shorting our rides. (Friends always come before miles.) I over did it on a weekend ride, got heatstroke, and had to take a few days off, or my body was going to revolt. I entered into the last week of riding with about 300 miles to go to hit my goal. I did not think I was going to make it. Then I made a choice. I knew I need to achieve this goal. I needed because this year has been a tale of a lack of achievement for me. I have tried to hit marks in my research, etc, only to miss them. I needed a win where I could prove to myself that I could still pull up from being behind. Even if it was only a personal goal. So I kept riding. I snuck in miles anywhere I could throughout the week. I skipped some of my running workouts to do bike rides. I ran 10 miles Sunday morning and rode 63 miles Sunday afternoon. On Monday, June 30, I was only 24 miles shy of 1000. So I cheated on my rest day and met my goal. It felt wonderful. I will be taking it easy for a few days this week, but it was worth it.

Endomondo Screen Shot of my Miles Cycled in June

I am one step closer (or is it miles cycled?) to my fitness goals, but I still behind on my fundraising for Scope charities. Scope offers services to individuals with different types of disabilities, including helping educate families and the general public. This is so important because it gives different people the opportunities to set and achieve their own goals. I am looking to raise £250 for Scope by the end of July. If you are willing to support this charity, click on the banner below to go to my fundraising page.

Thanks for reading now go out and achieve one of your personal goals. I will be cheering you on.