Halftime 2022

At the midpoint of 2022 the numbers don’t lie: I am a long way from where I would like to be. My total of 1,455 miles is my lowest first half total since 2006! Those miles were spread over 48 rides, and that’s a respectable 30.3 miles-per-ride average. But by the end of last June, I had ridden 66 times for a total of 1,945 miles. And down is down. There’s no hiding it.

Should I blame Zwift? Having a good indoor option made me less willing to ride in cold weather early this year. Add my indoor miles to my outdoor miles and the overall total would look much better.

Should I blame Garmin Connect? Going after walking goals has sometimes been an acceptable substitute for riding. But unlike Zwift, Garmin Connect isn’t new. I was going after walking goals in 2021 too, and this year’s numbers aren’t quite as good as last year’s numbers. Whatever time I’m spending on those goals is not enough to explain the cycling dropoff. And Garmin Connect has encouraged me to get at least some outdoor exercise every day. I have a nice streak going: I have done a ride and/or a walk every day since May 1. That’s 61 days in a row … and counting.

With 755 miles in June—my highest total since last August—I feel like I have found some momentum that I can carry into the second half of the year. This July and August should be high-mileage months too. I will need them to be. My weight is coming down nicely but I’m still a few pounds heavier than I was on this date in 2021. I have competition goals in the second half of 2022 and few things will be more beneficial to me than losing weight.