NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

     OK, I'm calling this desire to ride more a New Year's Resolution but it actually it just happens to be how things fall into place.  We start with Senior Games Nationals in June.  I skipped the ones in 2015 and was 12th and 17th in 2013.  I'm hoping to do better this year.  In order to do better, I need to race more (reality check: no where close to top eight).  Therefore the early months have me doing more time trials.
     The first scheduled race is late February, but Dame Fortune has inspired the good folks at The Driveway to host a 24 hour race Feb 4th.  They also offer 12 hour solo and team and 6 hour solo and 2 person team.  I intended to do the six hour solo but my friend Jim asked me to partner with him.  Serendipity.  Now I can do six 30 minute time trials (which I haven't broached to Jim yet).  Today I got on my time trial bike for the first time since last June.  Legs were good, my neck is killing me.
     As things turned out, I have two races in February, one in March, then the Senior Games State Finals the second week of April, USAC State Finals the third week of May, and then Nationals the first week in June.  If that isn't enough, I can go down to Castroville once a month.
     My good friends at VeloView Bike Tours have a gravel grinder in Arkansas right after I get home from Nationals.  Regular readers know that Arkansas is on my to-do list for 2017 and I was the first person signed up for this.  Right after returning home from Arkansas we have our annual get-together in the North Georgia Mountains (and yes, I take my bike).
     There are other local bike rides happening, so the first half of the year is full.  Last year I skipped the USAC State Road Race Championships and Tour de Gruene in the Fall.  They are back on the agenda this year.
     Every year my goal is 8,000 miles.  Every year I fall short.  Doesn't keep me from setting it.  I know if I do 800 miles per month, my speed and stamina are where they should be (January and December are down times).