At The Midpoint (2011 Edition)

Today I finally hit the 2,000-mile mark for 2011.  Last year I reached that milestone on June 18, so I’m two weeks behind.  I know miles aren’t everything and there are plenty of cyclists who achieve better fitness riding less, but I enjoy racking up the miles and I always feel better as they accumulate.

Through June 30 I had ridden 1,961 miles in a total of 70 rides, an average of 28.01 per ride.  That’s down from last year (2,290 / 69 = 33.19).  So, I’m 329 miles behind last year’s pace but I’m starting to cut into the deficit.  I posted a low total in May as I prepared for a mountain bike race, focusing on trail riding skills at the expense of long hours on the road.  In June I got back to my old routine.  Here’s the breakdown by month:

000 January
055 February (PR)
286 March
465 April
450 May
705 June

I don’t fret over how much time I spend on the indoor trainer.  For what it’s worth, I’ve done 31 hours of indoor training this year compared to 49 hours last year through June 30.  With better clothing this year, I got outside on several late-winter and early-spring days that would have been trainer days in 2010.

The second half of 2011 should include a few centuries and those are always good for plumping the stats.  I remain hopeful that this may yet be my first 5,000-mile year.