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Mileage To Go Before I Sleep
Dec. 1st, 2009 06:55 pmWell, it's December again. Like my friend DM said at the beginning of November: wait, wait, where did last month go? In some ways, December is a relief - I gave my students their final exam today, so all that remains is for me to grade it, then the requisite period in which they have license to whine, then I send them off into the aether until a new crop shows up in the spring. In other ways, it's time to go, "Now what was I doing when I wasn't so bogged down in day-to-day tasks? Oh yeah, writing a dissertation.)
I'm reminded of last December, because there are two things that happen in December. The first is the Holiday Challenge, wherein us crazy rower-types voluntarily torture ourselves on ergometers to the tune of 200,000 meters between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. The second is the rounding-out of my bicycling mileage on the Jolly Roger. Last year, I rode 5000 miles on the beast, and my goal for this year was to ride 6000 miles. Unless I can put in 67 miles a day for the next 9 days (severely unlikely), it looks like I will fall short of that goal. But that's okay, so long as I can convince myself to keep up with the erging and reach at least one distance goal. So far, I put in a 30k on Saturday, and a 10k (plus 2k cool-down) today.
I'm thinking about last December because I'm trying to work out my strategy for completing the 200,000m this year. I write down all of my erg pieces in a little notebook that says, "Chicks Rule!" on the cover, so I have ready access to last year's data. Last year, I would go over to the boatyard every three days or so, and would erg a half-marathon. I always envy my friends who have ergometers at home, which makes it much more feasible to just put in a little bit of mileage every day.
I had to turn in my boatyard key at the beginning of the fall, and it wasn't all that pleasant of an erging environment, so this year I'll spend the Tempe portion of the challenge erging at the ASU gym. That should be okay, I suppose. I'm looking forward to the portion that I'll complete in Seattle, because it's a good excuse to go and visit the old stomping grounds at the Pocock Center. There, I will have access to music, a good view, and a great rowing atmosphere, surrounded by all sorts of other rowers.
I'm reminded of last December, because there are two things that happen in December. The first is the Holiday Challenge, wherein us crazy rower-types voluntarily torture ourselves on ergometers to the tune of 200,000 meters between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. The second is the rounding-out of my bicycling mileage on the Jolly Roger. Last year, I rode 5000 miles on the beast, and my goal for this year was to ride 6000 miles. Unless I can put in 67 miles a day for the next 9 days (severely unlikely), it looks like I will fall short of that goal. But that's okay, so long as I can convince myself to keep up with the erging and reach at least one distance goal. So far, I put in a 30k on Saturday, and a 10k (plus 2k cool-down) today.
I'm thinking about last December because I'm trying to work out my strategy for completing the 200,000m this year. I write down all of my erg pieces in a little notebook that says, "Chicks Rule!" on the cover, so I have ready access to last year's data. Last year, I would go over to the boatyard every three days or so, and would erg a half-marathon. I always envy my friends who have ergometers at home, which makes it much more feasible to just put in a little bit of mileage every day.
I had to turn in my boatyard key at the beginning of the fall, and it wasn't all that pleasant of an erging environment, so this year I'll spend the Tempe portion of the challenge erging at the ASU gym. That should be okay, I suppose. I'm looking forward to the portion that I'll complete in Seattle, because it's a good excuse to go and visit the old stomping grounds at the Pocock Center. There, I will have access to music, a good view, and a great rowing atmosphere, surrounded by all sorts of other rowers.
