Now What?!!

Okay,

I will admit that I am still having issues with goal setting since I have been back from my Transcon.  I am a person who needs goals - requires goals, otherwise, I just seem to flouder around without any purpose.  My problem is that I just don't know what I want to do athletically right now. 

My passion is touring.  However, I just found out that I can't self support tour with my CA2 - it is not recommended to mount racks on this carbon bike.  So, to tour, I will either have to get my Independent Fabrication out of the moth balls, put my Corsa back together, or borrow Dougs Giro.  So, Friday, I got the IF out of moth balls and took it in to get a few parts repaired.  I will see how I do on the IF before playing with the Giro or Corsa.

Next, I am just bored.  If I am not touring, the next "goal" for me in cycling would be ultra racing.  I just don't want to have to train as hard as I will have to to race.  Plus, if I were to race, I would want to win and my competitive nature is not a nice one.  I don't like my attitude when I have to "be the best".  Why race if you don't plan on winning?  I am the type of person who tosses the monopoly board if I am not winning.  Although, I hope I can be more mature than tossing Boardwalk and Park Place across the room, do I want to put myself through that frustration on a bike?

I could continue my randonneuring.  I am still riding 200 and 300k rides somewhat frequently.  The pursuit of doing my cross country trip and the fear of riding at night has curtailed my riding the longer brevets - the 400 and 600k rides.  I have not completed or even attempted a 400 k on the recumbent.  I am much faster now and have better lights. Pat and company finished a 400 k last night - somewhere around 3 or 4 am.  Yuck!  They made great time finishing it in 21 hours - 6 hours to the good.  I just don't know that the pursuit of pushing yourself to ride as long as possible is fun to me anymore.  I used to love, and still do love to answer the question "what is your longest ride" with 257 miles!  But, do I really want to do that now?

Is it time now to experience some other athletic endeavors?

Mountain Biking:  I have always wanted to try mountain biking.  I never have as I have always had some other goal looming in the future.  I was afraid that the day I tried mountain biking I would break something and not be able to complete whatever my upcoming goal was.  Now is my chance to try.  I am going to go out to the Fat tire festival next weekend and see what it is all about.

Running:  I have always hated running.  I just don't get it.  You are outside, which is a requirement for me, but you can't see as much as cycling, plus it hurts more to run! And it is boring.  And I can't run for more than two minutes at a time.  And I "run" (more like walk) a 15 minute mile. So, what an opportunity for a goal!  Yeah, I love goals.  I have made it a small goal to be able to run 2 miles without stopping by January 1st.  This is not easy, mind you.  With all of the people out there doing marathons, I would have thought it was easy.  I can certainly ride my bike across America, but this running is hard and makes me breath hard and my hips hurt.  But, I need a goal and this is it for right now.

Swimming:  I don't know how to swim.  When I was 10 maybe a little younger, my brother and I flew out to see my grandparents in Oklahoma City.  That was not a good visit.  First I puked all over my brother and myself on the plane.  Puked chocolate chip ice cream within the first hour of being at my grandparents house after the plane trip (to this day I can't eat chocolate chip ice cream). And puked every morning of swim lessons after they tried to teach me how to dive.  Not gonna do it I tell, ya, not gonna do it.  So, at 44 years of age, I can probably keep myself alive if I am tossed from a boat, but that is the end of my swimming abilities.  So another goal, although I haven't set a firm goal is to learn to swim. 

Triathlons? HA, can't swim and can't run!  This may never materialize!  Let me learn to run 2 miles without stopping and swim some laps without drowning and I may look at a tri - doubt I will ever do one, but who knows, stranger things have happened.

Hiking and camping: I would love to start hiking and camping more.  I will need help with this whole endeavor.  David is too busy fencing right now really to hike or camp.  I don't mind sleeping in a sleeping bag in a tent.  Matter of fact the few times I have gone camping, I have really enjoyed it.  I think camping should be in coolish weather.  I love looking at the stars at night and walking in the woods during the day.  Fording rivers, searching for waterfalls, encountering wildlife are all so much fun.  I need to learn how to use a camp stove. 

Anyway, I am just looking to experience life.  I don't want to leave any stone unturned.  We have so much opportunity.  I just don't want to let any of it slip by...