From Wheels to Skis (Happy New Year’s Eve)

Happy New Year’s Eve!

I know that it has been a while since I last posted. I could make every excuse in the book and list every reason as to why I went radio silent for a couple of months, but the truth is in the pudding — so to speak.

I prioritized other things ahead of my biking goal and this blog.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead I prioritized my grad school classes, my prep work for school, my responsibilities as a wife and partner, and most importantly, I prioritized my mental health.

So as we sit here on Dec 31st of 2020, you all may be wondering whether I accomplished my goal to figuratively bike from San Diego, California to Hayward, Wi (a distance of 2,125 miles).

The answer to that is a big ‘ol nope.

I started my journey in San Diego, CA and I stopped my journey right around Kansas City, MO with a total distance of 1,583 miles.

But just because I didn’t meet my goal doesn’t mean I failed. To give you all some context, in 2019 when I set the goal, I spent my summer biking 500 miles total from May to August. I did over double that distance from May to August this year despite spending most of June with a broken bike. That’s crazy and impressive. Crazily impressive!

So when I set my goal to bike figuratively across the country, I really chose a distance and an amount that was pretty arbitrary. Also when I set my distance goal, I did so with the expectation that I’d be able to go to the local gym and use the stationary bike during our long Wisconsin winters. I did about 100 miles on the stationary bike before COVID-19 changed everything. I could’ve changed my goal to fit my changing circumstances, but I wasn’t going to let something like a nation-wide pandemic be the boss of me.

Despite not hitting my mileage goal, I accomplished so many things this year in terms of biking and physical fitness. (New readers — feel free to look back through the archives to see those accomplishments).

I don’t think my next fitness goal will be a yearly one. I prefer goals in three month increments like I did with my 2019 100-mile running goal.

Currently and up through the end of February, my new fitness goal is the one that sparked the idea for this blog.

I will ski the Korteloppet ski race with my sister Alyssa and I will finish it!

So as we say good-bye to 2020 (thank God), take some time to reflect back on your own accomplishments this year. If your goal was to further your education, or to save money, or to lose weight, or to simply get through this year without losing all of your sanity, just know that I am proud of YOU.

Who knows what 2021 has to bring, but I’m confident that good things are on the horizon. And if not … then I’ll tackle that mountain just like all of the others