Women Who Cycle – Set your cycling 2017 New Year’s Resolution
I’ve recently discovered a couple of Facebook pages that have really great ‘sayings’ and while I skim past most of them, this one really resonated with me. So I’m adopting it as my 2017 New Year’s Resolution, and although I’m calling it a resolution it’s more like an ongoing guide for my life.
So to make it a bit more specific and manageable I’ve isolated a couple of sections that are more applicable to cycling than others. Here’s my take on them:
Don’t sit on the couch and wait for it. Go out.
This is a great one for riding and just about any physical activity. Sitting on the couch has its place but you certainly will benefit from getting off it on a regular basis, and riding your bike. The best place to do that is outside, rather than on an indoor trainer so set yourself an achievable goal like mine – “I’m going to ride my road bike at least three times per week”.
Make a change.
Make a change is a pretty broad goal or resolution but you can easily make it more specific by adding a goal to it. I really like SMART goals which I’ve written about before – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Read my previous post on the subject if you want to know more.
Do new things.
This one is easy to achieve with bike riding. You can find a new bunch of friends to ride with, go on new rides, try a new mode of cycling like mountain-biking if you’re a roadie and vice versa. Finding new ride buddies can be easier than you think. Try googling, asking at your local bike shop, or read my post I wrote previously.
Go to bed early. Wake up early.
Riding, and particularly road riding is best done in the early morning. It’s a great time of day to exercise and sets you up for the day, and there’s less traffic on the roads. I’ve read quite a few articles about sleep and they suggest that it’s much better to get in the habit of going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time every day. It gives you a better quality of sleep and gets you in a routine. I’m a little guilty of sleeping in on occasion. In fact I’m on holiday at the moment and got up at 9.30 am this morning, but there’s an exception to every rule!
Do things that challenge you. Be brave.
This a biggy and the one I struggle with the most. Challenging yourself helps you grow as a person and I’m a great fan of growth and life-long learning. Once again it’s better to add a specific goal or goals to go with this one. I’m committed to the concept but I haven’t found my own as yet.