Goals for 2024 (will they be S.M.A.R.T. ?)

[Bill Lindsay]

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

[John Dewey]

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

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[Bill Lindsay]

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

[George Schick]

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?

[Brady Smith]

As an educator, I'm also a fan of S.M.A.R.T goals, probably more so than my middle schoolers, though. 

In 2023 I managed to ride 200k, 300k, and 400k brevets. For 2024, I'm planning on adding the 600k, in part because I've always wanted to do the whole series, in part because I scored an entry for for LEL 2025, and I need some practice riding, sleeping, then riding again. 

I'd also like to commit to more mountain biking and finally make it up Little Cottonwood Canyon on the road bike, a feat I've never attempted due to its fearsome reputation and it being just a bit farther away from home than it's less fearsome sibling. 

Brady in SLC

[Bill Lindsay]

"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

[John Dewey]

Yikes, when did I start? In my mid-60s I suppose, thereabouts. Got 75 coming up later this month. I’m ready for it so should be good to go. An old fart in Athens, whose name I can’t recall, had a good group ride-along on his 84-miler. I’d be happy with that now. 

Trouble with getting older is the years come in hot and then they fly by. Best to forget about it…pay no attention…oh yea, good luck with that 🤪

Jock

On Fri, Jan 5, 2024 at 9:22 AM Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> 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 backward

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[George Schick]

‘Vee get too soon oldt und too late schmart’  I love it. Sounds exactly like some of the things my grandfather used to say.  I may have to make a plaque for this myself.

[Bill Schairer]

My annual goals for the past for the past 7 years, going into the 8th have been Simple, Measurable, and Achievable - except I missed it in 2023 by about 70 miles due to filling a cancellation spot for hernia repair 12/26.  I do have my High goal (6,000 miles) vs my Minimum goal (5,000 miles). 2023 saw me fall short on both.  I guess the Relevance for me is the belief that the magic drug is exercise.  When my doctor wanted me to start statins I told her I'll use exercise and diet instead.  Like Bill L, I want to maintain my quality of life but I view it more as preventing an untimely end due to unnatural inactivity rather than an extension of life. There is a local guy I follow on Strava who is just a bit younger than my 70 years who did something like 15,000 miles in 2023!!  Much of that on gravel with enormous climbing.  That, for me, would definitely not qualify for Timely.  Also, I sometimes wonder if there is a tipping point with respect to Relevance to health where one can get too much exercise?  If so, I somehow think my body would let me know.

I also like to get in at least one week of touring each year. I think I missed 2020 due to COVID, couldn't handle missing again in 2021 due to COVID so went anyway and got COVID on the tour. Oh well.

Prior to these past few years I had no specific goals.  I was pretty strictly a utilitarian cyclist rather than recreational (except for touring).  It was difficult for me to motivate myself to just go out and ride for the sake of riding even though I always enjoyed it.  Having the goal now motivates me to go out, even on most of those days when I really don't feel like it, and I never regret doing so.

Off to slow start in 2024, 1 mile around the neighborhood.  Hoping to get clearance from surgeon on the 9th.  I'm getting antsy...

Bill S

San Diego

[George Schick]

[Steven Sweedler]

In 2021 I made a goal of 7000 m. to coincide with turning 70. I surpassed my goal, riding over 8000 m/ yr for 3 years now. I am tryingvto maintainnthat mikeage for at least another year. Tomorrow I start atour in Portugal that should be a good start.

Steven Sweedler
Plymouth, New Hampshire

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[Bill Lindsay]

Good luck Bill S with your healing and goals for 2024.

Brady, a 600k would be epic.  London-Edinburgh-London 2025!  Amazing.  One cool thing about goals is that writing them down is a brain hack that helps make you see it through.  Even though we aren't going to bug you about it, it's kind of like you've recruited us as accountability buddies.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Bill Lindsay]

You're living my best life, Steven.  I hope the weather is agreeable on your tour.  Will you be sleeping in beds or on the ground?

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Steven Sweedler]

Only in beds, Cindy and I gave up camping awhile ago, my last big camping tour was the Great Divide in 2016. I am riding more days and less miles/day.After tge last month of most rides in the 30’s F, high 50’s are predicted for the coming weeks. 

Steven Sweedler
Plymouth, New Hampshire

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[aeroperf]

At 74, I bike a mile farther than the same month last year.  May in 2022 I did 200 miles, May in 2023 I did 201, May this year I’ll do 202, for example.  Since the goal depends on the weather, it works out to about 1350 a year.  This keeps me (slowly) improving without killing myself.
I mean, bicycling is supposed to be fun, right?

[Toshi Takeuchi]

Hey Brady,

You live in a beautiful area!  I've only been there in the winter to the ski resorts but imagine that it is amazing cycling there. 

I don't know if your local club has 300k + 300k or something like that, then you could practice the sleep thing.  The way I approached the 600k is to ride 400k + 200k, so my practice was getting the 400k to a reasonable time where I could grab a few hours before starting the 200k after rest.  I've done a few 600k events, but never a 1200k.  It won't be this year, but I'm targeting the next Gold Rush Randonee in a couple of years.

Have fun,

Toshi in Oakland

[Brady Smith]

Hi Toshi, 

Riding in Utah is indeed a gift. I mostly trade the bike for nordic skiing in the winter, so I haven't ridden outside much of late, but riding up the canyons never gets old. 

Our club is so small as to manage only a handful of rides each year, though in the warmer months I can piece together a nice 300k out my front door (downtown Salt Lake--Emigration Canyon--Big Mountain Pass--Mountain Green--Trapper's Loop Road (past Snowbasin)--North Ogden Divide--Antelope Island out to Fielding Garr Ranch--back to SLC). I've thought about doing that as a 300+200 or whatever if I can't manage the club 600k this year, but I've finally got everything on the calendar in a way that works with the rest of our family obligations, so fingers crossed. 

Happy riding, 

Brady

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

My #1 2024 S.M.A.R.T. Goal is to ride 4x per week... more specifically, one ride per week on each of my 4 current bikes.  I hadn't ridden since Thanksgiving until this week but I just completed my fourth mid-day 30+ minute local ride of the week across 3 of my bikes so this week is a yes for 4 rides but a no for all 4 bikes.  I kind of started this idea back in late summer/early fall 2023 and despite increasing my ride frequency I still failed at successfully completing a single 4 ride/4bike week. I think I got some weeks with 4 or more rides but without rotating through all four bikes.  I didn't really intend to keep record last year so kind of failed at the measurement part but thinking I'll try to actually keep track this year and see the results.

Brian

[Toshi Takeuchi]

I'm planning on completing a 200k, 300k and 400k randonee in preparation for the SRCC Terrible Two (TT), where I am hoping to finish with at least an hour of time to spare.  I've only completed the TT with under 30 minutes to spare and am trying to pick up the pace for "fun", why not?

Toshi

[Steve]

My goals for 2024 are to enjoy every ride I take and to break for coffee outdoors on any ride over one hour in duration. We'll see if I can achieve them. 

Steve in Asheville

[Jason Fuller]

I like the Wandrer goals especially because it forces one to explore their surroundings thoroughly. I haven't set a goal specific to this, but I should consider it. It's probably my top pick for things that are magical about riding a bike.  It's my kind of competitive. 

The only goal I've explicitly set for myself is to bike-commute at least once every week for the year, excluding vacation weeks. I only need to go in twice a week, otherwise i'm wfh. It's about an hour's ride each way; not too long but long enough it takes a bit of commitment.  I typically end up in the 6000 - 7500 km range for the year. 

Another, less explicit goal is to get out for at least a few overnighter campouts on the bike. Three to six nights is reasonable. We have two dogs, one of which is quite reactive and a stress-ball, so we can't get dog-sitters nor take him with; this means I have to leave my partner to take care of both dogs (which need to be walked separately) so being away is a bit of an ask; hence the modest goal here. It's a balance. 

[John Rinker]

May each of you reach and fully enjoy reaching each of your SMART goals throughout the upcoming year! 

Steve, I really align with your goal of enjoying each ride, and this will continue to be a goal for me. I find the crux of the matter lies in being present during each of my rides; the more present I am the more I seem to enjoy the ride. Being present means I listen to my tires roll over the trail, smell the cedars, and glimpse the birds, fish, and other wildlife or flowers and fungi that adorn our forest and river trails. I feel the vibrations and textures of the landscape, and I appreciate the working of my legs, lungs, and heart in concert to keep me moving. I often find that my mind has a mind of its own and wants to wander to places and times other than the here and now. It's so easy to be distracted by other cares only to snap to some time later and realize that I haven't taken in any of the things that make riding so wonderful. It is a long-standing goal to try and practice this in all I do, and especially when I do that which I love- riding a bike.

Cheers, John

[Steve]

John, well said!!!   At the risk of using a word that has become trivialized by consumer culture, you have eloquently described the Zen of cycling.  I don't find it on every ride, but it is indeed my goal, and is what keeps me coming back for more. 

Steve

[Brenton Eastman]

I'm claiming 2024 miles in 2024. Should be pretty easy to knock out, half the challenge will be remembering to hit record on the RWGPS app!

[Bill Lindsay]

Earlier I said: 

"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"

So far so good.  

-I'm right on the doorstep of a 1000km January, so that's looking good.  

-I've got my 55 mile ride on my 55th birthday planned out, and it will be my second summit of Mount Diablo on bike #2.  

-I've got my first 200k under my belt, using the bike that I intend to use for the Marin Mountains 200.  That's also a great stepping stone to being ready for the 400.  

-On my brevet yesterday I snuck off-route a few times to sneak in a few Marin County Wandrer points. 

Keep taking those W's when you can.

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Bill Lindsay]

I did my 55 miles on my 55th birthday today, -AND- got my second summit of Mount Diablo of 2024 on a second bike.  Last month I rode my Black Mountain Cycles road.  Today I rode my 57cm Legolas (in Amethyst Smoke).  On Saturday I'll be riding that same Legolas on a 200k brevet with SF Randonneurs.  There was still some snow on the sides of the road near the summit of Mount Diablo, and the descent was VERY cold, but anything "not raining" is a welcome novelty. 

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[DTL]

Ride with friends more is a goal of mine. Even once a month would be an increase for me!

And a general ride more with no music / podcast playing / phone not on the quad lock (when appropriate) - to echo John's sentiment of presence.

I have such a good memory of a ride I did a few years ago which was a. on new terrain and b. no headphones. Both things really cemented the ride in my brain.

[Ryan]

Happy birthday Bill...great way to spend the day

Now...about your new roadeo....

Best...Ryan in winnipeg 

[Brady Smith]

Happy Birthday Bill! As a Utahn, I’m a bit jealous of SFR’s frequent winter brevets. Ours are still a few months off, so I content myself with Nordic skiing as the weather makes it available, and Zwift races here and there. Best of luck on the 200k!

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[Bill Lindsay]

"Now...about your new roadeo...."

I was kind of expecting it to be delivered today, but Rick emailed me about my seat tube decal choice, which I think means that clear coats are still to be laid on.  Probably next week is when we can start doing damage on the RoadeoRosa.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Bill Lindsay]

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

[Jay]

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?

[Bill Lindsay]

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

[Bill Lindsay]

One of my 2024 goals is knocked down.  I stated the goal:

Summit Mount Diablo 5 times on 5 different bikes

I did my fifth summit of Diablo today on my fifth different bike.  Pics prove it:

https://flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/albums/72177720313832831/

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Jason Noonievut]

Great job!

What are you doing to celebrate?

On May 19, 2024, at 7:45 PM, Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> wrote:

One of my 2024 goals is knocked down.  I stated the goal:

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[Bill Lindsay]

A whisky and go to bed early!

BL in EC