The importance of goal setting.

Recently I was reminded about the importance of goal setting. Having a goal, and striving to reach it, can keep a person focused. The one thing that was stressed above all else when it comes to goal setting was that the goal doesn't to be huge. In fact, I've learned it's best to set "little" goals at first, to help build up confidence. Also, in the event you do fail to accomplish some of your goals for a given day, don't dwell of them. Instead, focus on the goals you did complete.

Goals are important in the life of a Christian. Everyday we should set a goal of being as Christ-like as possible. No, I'm not saying to strive for perfection, because we will always fall short of that goal. Instead, we need to keep the Scriptures in mind, weighing our thoughts and actions against what God has written in His book. I know it quite cliche', but we need to keep the old "WWJD" saying in mind.

Goals are also important when you're a cyclist. If we don't set goals, we will never know if we're improving or not. Both short term and long term goals are important. Long terms goals help you see how you've progressed over a longer length of time, usually anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Short term goals help you focus a lot of concentration and energy into a short period of time to rapidly improve.

Having said that, I have set a long term goal for myself. The past few years, I have "trained" for the Bike The Drive ride held on Lake Shore Drive the Sunday before Memorial Day. It's a 15 to 30 mile ride on Chicago's famous Lake Shore Drive. The drive is shut down to cars for five hours and open only to bicyclists. It's quite a sight to see over 20,000 cyclists enjoying a car free Lake Shore Drive.

However, that's not my goal this year. Going to shake things up some and shoot for the "Le Tour de Shore" charity ride, held this year on June 13 and 14, 2014. This is a two day, 100 mile ride from Chicago's Millennium Park to Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton Indiana (66 miles) on day one and then from the Indiana Dunes to City Park in New Buffalo, Michigan (34 miles) on day two. I've never attempted this kind of mileage before, so it will quite a challenge. The furthest I've ever ridden was about 32 miles when I did Bike The Drive for the first time way back in 2004. This past summer, the longest I rode was a little over 20 miles on a couple different occasions. However, I have about 30 weeks to train for the ride, so that gives me plenty of time to slowly build up my mileage base. I will give periodic updates as my training progresses.

If you'd like to get an idea of what the Tour de Shore ride looks like, here's part one of a video one of the riders made this past June......

Thanks for stopping by and reading today's blog entry. I'm going to try really hard to make more regular entries. God Bless!!!

Sunday Morning Hike

My wife and I went for a hike through one of our local forest preserves, Maple Lake East. It was a beautiful morning and quite a few people were out enjoying it. Psalm 118:24 (NASB) comes to mind....."This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it."  

There were people fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. I snapped some pictures, so I thought I'd share a few of them here.....

A mountain biker coming up the trail.

Another mountain biker enjoying the day.

A shot of Maple Lake; the forest preserve we were hiking around.

There's just something about a relaxin' morning spent fishing.

A group of cyclists taking a break before getting back on the trail.

Some more cyclists enjoying the trails of the preserve.

Quid Pro Quo

Mixed marriages and relationships can be disastrous. Cultural gulfs, societal pressures and ugly prejudices often tear lovers apart. Shattered, both partners are left wondering whether they should've stuck with their own kind.

Yes, it's tough when a cyclist hooks up with a non-cyclist.

At first your two-wheeled hobby seems quaint, even cute. "You want me to wear my Lycra skinsuit to bed? Why would I . . . ohhh."

But six months later, your snookums is screaming: "If I open a cupboard and get clobbered by one more water bottle avalanche, you're going to be sleeping with your precious bike -- in the garage."

For most non-riding partners, the last straw is the new bike purchase. To help you navigate this tricky but essential relationship rite of passage, here are three strategies:

Social Consciousness. You say: "If I have a new bike, I'll ride it to work. I'll use less gas, reduce pollution and cut greenhouse-gas emissions."
This works if you actually start pedaling to work. Or if your partner belongs to Greenpeace, PETA, et al.
It fails if you put your bike in the car and drive six hours to a race every weekend. Or your partner works for the Petroleum Institute.

Personal Growth. You say: "I'll ride more, which will make me happier and less stressed, which will make me a better partner."
This works if the partnership you're referring to involves your lover, not your new bike.
It fails if you ride so much that you're overtrained, which makes you unhappier and more stressed, which makes you a jerk.

Bribery. You say: "If I get a new toy, you get a new toy."
This works . . . every time.

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While I would love to take credit for this humorous missive, I cannot. This comes from the brilliant and hilarious mind of Scott Martin; columnist for Road Bike Rider. This was just too funny not to share.