17 July 2011 Ride: Goals

My goal for the year is very clear: to ride every day of 2011.  That means that every day I get on the bike and ride.  However, the goal for the 1/365th leg of that journey for any given day may lack focus.  I mentioned that this journey is a poor man's South Pole expedition.  At times, that is how I see myself as I ride: stumbling along the ice sheet, trying to take one step after another with the washed out sky blending in to the snow field and no fixed object to orient on. 

This morning, I had a vague goal of riding the back roads to the Botanical Garden and picking up the bike trail.  It was a plan that seemed to sit well with me and get the fires stoked.  When I rode down the hill on Hwy 45 and turned on to Habberton Rd., I saw Pat Murray's vehicle parked off to the side.  I knew from there he headed out on his bike east on Hwy 45 to Hwy 412 and looped back on 412 to Habberton.  I knew I could never catch him if I tried to follow in his path.  However, I could do the course in reverse and intercept him then ride back. Suddenly, I had a very definite goal for the day and one that gave purpose to my ride.  What a difference it made in my spirit and drive.

It was 6:50 and I guessed he pushed off around 6:30.  I had fun doing calculations in my head on how many miles I could put in before running into him.  I put the number at 15 miles.  There was, of course, the possibility that he took alternate routes and I would miss him altogether but the odds were in my favor, even with alternates, that we would meet.  Sure enough, 12.5 miles into my ride, there he was on the other side of Hwy 412 coming down the hill. 

On the way to intercept Pat...

The Basset hound actually did more barking than the Lab as I came around a curve.  I quickly dismounted and called them over.  The Lab was very friendly and the Basset a bit shy but still let me pet him.

Pat and I had a very nice ride back.  I left him and put in a few more miles.  While doing so, it occurred to me that the title of today's post (which I thought about while riding) was very fitting as today is the Championship game of the Women's Soccer World Cup.  And, GOALS is certainly what I want to see the U.S. team excel in.  More fitting, is that Carol and Rachel will be at that game.

 They have been planing the trip for over a year and have had a great time. 

And, if there is any doubt to Rachel's devotion to soccer, take a gander at the picture below.

Hmm.  I'm trying to think, is there someone else in the family that would do crazy stuff in the snow?

Today's Ride:  2hrs. 32mins.  31.45 miles.  78-84 degrees.  Miles YTD:  4,564.16

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