Another Year - Part 1

2004 is gone. 2005 is the here-and-now. Wow. When I was in high school I really didn't think - or couldn't imagine - living beyond my thirtieth year. I am now 32, with a wife and son. I also find myself using words like old, out of shape, fat, "slow down you youngsters" and "back in the day" more often with those I ride with. So, it is time to dust off the resolutions from a year ago (I tend to have the same resolutions every year) and see if I can make them stick this year. They say that you should write down your goals, so I will write them here for all to see.

First and foremost - and it is the same for most people, studies have shown - is to lose weight. I have been hovering in the 180-183 pound range for most of the last 3-4 years. I have been as high as 191 and as low as 170. Ideally I should be in the 160-165 range. How will I do this? After all, goals need to be attainable. I will simply watch what I eat. I will pay attention to my body's attempts at communication (email would be better than hunger panges) and eat when I need to, and only as much as I need. Easier said than done, really. I love food. Really. That's what got me to this point in the first place. I already exercise. I ride my bike more than 80 miles every week and at least 4 times a week just by riding to work and back. And that is in the winter, with little mountain biking. No, I need to reduce calorie intake. Eat healthy. Little to no fast food , minimal diet soda , no more candy, and eat light dinners. I will plot my daily miles ridden, and average speed, along with weight in a spreadsheet. That way I can plot my progress over time in a graphical format.

My next goal is a new one this year. It is to be out of debt. Last year we bought a house and had a child. Both incurred expenses that were not foreseen. The house because it is an older duplex and we had to do some repairs and advertising to get a renter in. The kid because there were some complications with his birth. How will we do this? Tax return should help a ton, and we are selling my car. My wife will still have the Rodeo as a family vehicle (yes, it does see off-road use and hopefully will see much more) and this will also help with goal #1 by making my commuting bike my primary transportation.

More goal setting and perhaps some pontificating in the next installment of "Another Year"