Sometimes Goals Need to be Adjusted

I didn’t let the depth of what I planned to hit me fully until I was driving out from my house. Plan: bicycle 237 miles along the KATY trail in 5 days in mid-July. The longest ride during this trip: 70 miles. I can do this, right?

Be flexible. After 27 miles we knew that my friend who was doing this bike ride with me was suffering from heat exhaustion. We had to find a place for her to stop, cool off, and hydrate. This also meant we would not be completing the next 20 miles we had planned for that day. Initially this was a bit frustrating but then I reminded myself that the main reason we planned this trip was to spend time with a friend doing things we enjoy. No goal is worth dying for which could have happened if she continued to push herself. The trip was not only about biking the entire trail. Once a year we get together and find an activity to do together. We just had to postpone this bike ride until next year and changed our goals for this trip.

Be prepared. Before starting the trail we made lists and had everything we would need on the trail including equipment to fix our bicycles, a first aid kit, rain ponchos in case it rained, and of course cell phones in case of emergencies. We had food and water on the trail but did not expect the temperatures to be up to 110 that day. Sometimes even the best laid plan may fall apart but being as prepared as possible may keep that from happening.

Before the trip, I also watched YouTube videos on changing tires, adjusting breaks, adjusting my seat, and so many more. Having that information available made me more confident about what I could do in case we had a breakdown.

Be aware of the terrain. The KATY trail is an old railroad trail that has been converted to a biking/walking trail. It has a gravel top so it is not smooth. Also there is a slight hilliness and decline from the west to east direction. When planning this I did not look at the decline/incline and planned the trip from the other direction for convenience sake at the end of the trail. The decline really is not much in the long run and you really cannot coast at all on the trail but the idea of going uphill was not one I had expected. I do not think it made much of a difference for our issues that we had but we will take it in to consideration next time.

Also, I trained on the Legacy Trail in Lexington which is a very hilly and smooth trail. I was doing 10-11mph on the Legacy Trail easily before hitting the KATY trail. The gravel surface of the KATY trail adds a lot of resistance I did not think would be an issue. We met people who road bike 90-100 miles in a day and felt that 30-50 miles was more than plenty to ride in a day on the KATY trail. So knowing this has changed my expectations of what we will be able to do in the future.

Now, I know you are thinking that this does not relate to starting a workout plan or losing weight but it does. I could have worded this ‘be aware of your environment.’ If you have someone around that does not believe you can do what you set out to do or sabotages you, this is part of your terrain. If you want to start running but the roads near your home are not safe to run, then you have to make arrangements to find a safe trail.

Think critically. Try to think through the situation and fix it on your own if possible. About 7 miles in we hit sand and my friend’s pack strapped to the back of her bicycle shifted. After adjusting the bag a couple of times she strapped it on her back until we hit the 10 mile mark rest area. She was able to redistribute the weight in her bag and use an extra strap I had to secure her bag to her rack again. We were able to troubleshoot in the field.

Know when to ask for help. On the first day we called my friend’s husband to pick us up and drop us off at our vehicle. We knew we wouldn’t make it to our first stop that day by bicycle. So instead we adjusted the trip to an out-and-back bike riding trip but had to ask for help to make that change.

Then, on the second day we had a mechanical issue that we knew we could not fix. While on the trail we stopped at a restaurant/bike rental area. We asked if anyone there could help. They could not but gave us the number of a repair shop who talked my friend through the issue. She was able to do a temporary fix until we made it back to our vehicle. Then we were able to change out her bicycle with a different one so we could continue biking.

Learn from your experience. We learned a lot during the four days we spent out on the trail. We learned what items we needed to take with us and ones we could leave behind. We learned that next year we will start on the western side of the trail, we will plan 30-40 miles a day if possible instead of 70 miles in a day, and we will do the trail in the spring instead of the hottest days of the summer.

Know when to stop. No one wants to give up on a goal but accepting the situation as a learning experience instead of a failure helps. I am not saying to give up. This is a chance to stop, reevaluate the situation, and set new goals.

Do not give up. Next year we will be back out on the trail. This is definitely happening and I look forward to it.

So instead of 237 miles in 5 days, we biked 85 miles in 4 days. We would have done a good 100 miles but the bicycle my friend had to use the last few days was not set for her to use and caused its own issues. I was not about to leave her and go out on my own since we should always use the buddy system in situations like this. So this was definitely not a failure. We still stayed very active, were able to see more of the small towns than we expected, and had a great time. I look forward to giving an update on this in 2018.