Goal Hit!

Yesterday, I hit my mileage goal for cycling this year 😀 Hello 2012 miles!

I started out the year with a goal of 500 miles. It was my first full year of riding and I had no idea how far I could go. I remember thinking how nervous I was that I wouldn’t reach it. I’m looking forward to next year and considering different goals.

Right now, I know I want to hit around 1100 miles by mid July, but I’m aiming higher for mileage.

I’d also like to increase my speed, so I’m looking into those scary clipless pedals. One of my goals for this year had been not to break anything. I accomplished that. I’d like to keep that on the table for next year, but being locked into the pedals makes that a little tougher. The good news? Typically falls in this situation happen at slower speeds – like stopping at a stop sign because the cyclist forgets to clip out soon enough. Also, this tends to happen once or twice. Pain and embarrassment are quick teachers.

In addition to my cumulative miles and speed goals, I’m tossing in a century ride to aim for. In June, there’s a flat century – at least they claim – a few hours away from us. My hope is that it’s a good one to start with. I’d also like to do the century on the MS ride next year, and it’s a tougher route. And maybe, if I’m really lucky, I’ll get to sneak away for a weekend with the husband and do another flat century on the east coast. I’ve got a big birthday coming up in 2013, and I’d like to do a century before I hit it 🙂

Wow. What a great cycling year.

Updates

Yay! It’s October 😀 One of my favorite months. And with that celebration out of the way, let’s move on to updates!

I have a query letter and I’ve started researching agents for Deceived (young adult Sci-fi). It’s a little overwhelming and scary, but it’s cause for celebration. I’ve never gotten a mss this far. One final read through, and I’m calling it done. Feels really good.

When I told dh that querying was a little scary, he said,” The worst they can say is no, right?”

Actually, they can say worse, like, “This really sucks. Never email us again.” Or something similar. But I think something just as bad would be saying Yes. Then I’m obligated. Then it’s real. Then all the fear and doubts creep in.

If I never send things in, that will be the reason I’m not published, not because I tried and wasn’t good enough. But I seem to like challenges–hence the bike riding and four children–so I don’t have it in me to not try. But that doesn’t mean it’s not scary. It just means some of my crazy might be showing.

In cycling news, I reached my goals for the year. I’ve surpassed some of them and set new ones for next year.

I’m well over miles ridden. Goal was 12oo. I’m between 15 and 16oo, with season left 🙂 I rode the 71 mile leg of the MS Ride last week. I’m still in awe that I went that far, and that I had energy when I finished. That day, I think I could have done the 100 mile route.

Sadly, though, I’m off the bike. I really upset at least one nerve, maybe two in my right hand during that ride. I’m off until I can get the tingling sensation in my right hand to go away. It’s mostly my pinky and ring finger. My hand started tingling during the MS ride 9 days ago, and hasn’t stopped. But this morning, I noticed some improvement, so I’m hopeful that I won’t be off too long. It’s worth it though. There was a lot of money raised for MS research. I have friends that battle this disease every day of their lives. It’s worth a weird tingly hand. This is momentary, theirs is chronic.

And that brings me to my cycling goals for next year. 1180 miles by July 24th. Reach 15mph average (ended last year with 8.9 average. So far this year I’ve seen some 13mph averages) and do at least one century ride (100 miles in a day).

This year’s brave cycling thing was upgrading to a road bike from my hybrid. Next year, could be clipless pedals.

And as always, my main goal will be to not break anything. The MS ride was so much better without a cracked rib! I’d like to keep that trend going 🙂

Well, lunch is done. Off to start my final read through for Deceived!

Did it!

I reached and exceeded my cycling goal today! 1306.87 is my total for the year so far 🙂

Need to set a new goal, there’s still more riding time 😉

Kids go back to school soon, so the riding time will shorten, but I still get to do it, so I’m good. Furthest ride this year remains 60 miles, but I’m doing between 40-50 regularly during the week. Still intend to do 75 for the MS ride in September – so looking forward to it!

And…I’ve been editing, too 🙂

New Cycling Goal

I hit my first cycling goal of the year last week. It was 500 miles. Since there’s still plenty of riding time left, I needed a new goal. I thought about it a lot. I wanted something that was reachable, but not too easy. I wanted something that meant something to me. I found it.

This year, I will cycle a minimum of 1300 miles. I’ve done 560.23 miles of it so far. I have 739.77 to go. I can do this.

I already have another goal in mind for next year 😀

I’m a Bad Blogger

Or rather, it’s summer. I have four kids. They’re home – or not. All this translates into, “What’s sucking up all my time?”

So, dear blog, here are some quick updates, to prove I haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth, or been eaten by some mythical creature that turned out to be real (like they’d ever find me!)

In cycling news, this week I hit my 500 mile goal – Yay! I’m currently working on coming up with a new goal. Something challenging, but not out of reach. I’ve also gone on two 40 mile rides in the last couple weeks to work on my distance. Those were hard. My body wasn’t amused. I’ll be working on getting in better shape so the distance doesn’t affect me so negatively. And my long Monday group ride (21.5 miles) has now become my shortest ride of the week. I added a 27 mile ride to the list of weekly rides. And, I’ve been able to keep the most important goal so far – don’t break anything.

For writing, I attended Lori Foster’s Reader and Writer Get Together in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. I met with Sue Grimshaw from Random house and pitched my sci-fi. I knew going in that the line she’s shopping for didn’t include Young Adult, but it was good practice. Even though she wasn’t able to request mine, she did say that the outline of what the story was about was really good. That alone was worth sucking down the fear and shutting out the whispers of doubt. I knew I had something I could use in a query letter. Which brings me to my next update. I have a query letter – or at least a first draft of one 🙂 It’s now going out to crit partners for some feed back.

I’ve also finished a short piece for an open submission call for an anthology called Once Upon an Apocalypse. They asked writers to retell a fairy tale of their choice, but include a zombie apocalypse of some sort. It was fun. That’s also going out to my crit group.

Next writing goals involve making things shiny – the query letter, the book, and the short piece. Then send them out. At that point, I can jump back into the second sci-fi book 🙂

There. See? Not a slacker, just a very busy mommy.

Hope your summers are filled with pixie dust and wishes that come true! And to the dads – Happy Father’s Day!

Yay! Done!

Okay, except for the blogroll info that I need to collect, I can cross this project off my goal sheet 🙂

In other news: Got out for my first double digit bike ride today. 10.82 – I could easily have hit 11 miles, but dh wouldn’t stop until he had a higher number, so I let him have 11. I also rode 4+ miles with my son earlier in the day, so my Saturday total was higher than his anyway 😉

I set a 500 mile goal for cycling this year, and after the first week, I’m 473.5 miles away from it 😀

Almost Done!

Just need to get a few more things working and I can let people know about my website 😀

Need to put up something under the writing section, and figure out how to make my Blogroll work right… then voila! I’ll be done, and can check another writerly goal off my list.

In other goal news, my mileage goal for bicycling this year is 500. This is my first week, and I’ve taken 11.4 miles off that goal. I’m hoping for a double digit ride tomorrow. I’m signed up for a Cabin Fever ride on the 14th, which should also be double digit. And we’re already signed up for the MS ride later in the year. If you want to be part of a team and raise money for MS research, we’ve got space, just let me know 🙂