5k - not this week, why I ride outdoors and hate to pay for races

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This week I'm not going to make it and that's ok.
It was my plan to achieve the goal of 5,000 miles in a year the week before Christmas.
I'm at 4,971 tonight and even though less than 30 miles from the goal, it is not probable this week.
As my previous post said, I need to balance my biking with all of my family committments and other priorities.
One of my priorities is to not be dead-dog tired at work. So tomorrow I am driving and just riding 1 mile across the Stone Arch bridge to work. I hate paying to park in downtown Mpls. so found some on street parking that is free. Still not super easy, takes a bit longer, have to dress accordingly. But tomorrow is Friday so it makes it easier. Truck bike commute it is.

This week was kind of cold. There were some flurries in the morning and that led to some slush. The shoulders still had plenty of salt residue to keep them clear but the bike paths were mostly packed with ice and a bit of snow. The studded tires I have work great but it's like pedaling through sand on a beach. It significantly slows my commute time but conversely increases my core temperature.
Here's a pic of the effects of trudging trough the slush.

You'll notice the front fender only covers the rear part of the tire so the brakes were pretty caked with snow and slush. The front derailleur also is a big collection point.

The nice stainless steel vacuum Thermos that fits easily into my bottle cage is usually full of coffee. On days like this the rear derailleur drinks some to function properly. It doesn't care what origin it is, as long as it's warm. Thankfully when I got inside, I was able to spray it off in the mop sink - a new perk at work this year. I plan to use it to stave off the salt damage to components. 

Most of the other bikes I have seen en route this week are Fat Bikes - not as many skinny tire/studded bikes. The locker room at work is also empty enough now I can play my own music. It's kind of fun to see the same hearty, dedicated riders out on the same route each day. There are a few that I see in the same sections of my route every day. Wish I knew who they were but just a quick wave and we pass each other leat we blind each other with out headlights. If there are any readers that take the E. River Road/Graco route let me know.

Back to the 5,000mi. quest. 

I mentioned that I am driving tomorrow and only getting the 2 bike miles in. 

Saturday we have 3 different family activities and one requires me to drive the kiddos hither and yon.

I could take the bike out but would rather consider it a recovery day and look forward to crossing the finish line next week. I also don't usually ride on Sunday since we have worahip at church, another priority, one that conflicts with a lot of fun rides, and football to watch, much lower priority, and a plethora of groceries to buy and sort through. Remember the 5 kids, they eat a ton of food. 

So next week, 5k it is.

One thing that makes this kind of a big deal to me is that all of my miles have been outdoors. I have been checking my other riding buddies profiles and some have long eclipsed the 5,000 mark for the year. They didn't make a big deal of it but most of them also ride indoors. This is not to diminish their achievement. I just don't like riding my bike indoors. I did it once or twice to see what it's like. It's fine. It's like the difference between running on a treadmill versus running outdoors. There are many pluses to it. The pros do it. People recovering from surgeries or injury do it. Power trainers do FTP & oxeygen tests and it works. They come out in the Spring just as fast if not faster than before.

However, I think of the adage about a tree growing in a windless environment and how the root structure doesn't grow. That makes me think riding outdoors has more advantages. But I am not a professional trainer, just a normal guy. Plus, it's cheaper.

This is not to say I would not ride indoors. If I had Zwift and the awesome Wahoo Kickr, I'd be riding indoors  (insert priorities for spending money on the kids and groceries and not on my biking toys). I like to think that by riding outdoors, even though slower, and more dangerous than the trainer, it builds my base strength and core and more importantly my bike handling. 

Some might say riding outside in the winter increases my level of fortitude or bad*ss-ness. I think it prepares me to not wimp out on any ride. It's tough. It's cold. It's slow sluggin' just like some of the gravel races I do in the spring. It builds my mental ability to deal with adversity in ways that spinning or pushing myself on the trainer cannot. You see I am in it for the challenge, not to see how flat out fast I can ride. The challenge of any adventure or ride is what keeps me motivated. Mostly people think I am just crazy though.

This brings me to another philosophy I have been contemplating, I hate paying for races. Not only do I have to feed the kids (top priority) I hate paying for things that should be free. 

I see this week is the final week to enter the Dirty Kanza registration lottery. I watched online last year as the registration debacle unfolded. It sold out in mere minutes and some peoples queue were clogged and didn't get in. I checked the site and it's $100 to register for just the 100 mile race. That's for an unsupported race. You get a hug and maybe a t-shirt for finishing. Plus the once in a lifetime accomplishment of finishing it - which is kind of priceless. That's why it's on my bucket list to finish the 200 miler at some point, but right now, I'm not paying to race it - at least not $100. I can go down there any other weekend and ride the same roads for free. Thanks .gpx files and Garmin. Who knows, I may even catch one of their free training rides. I understand these races cost money to host. I might make a donation to charity or a contribution to pay for a porta-potty at the start, some post-ride food, or a t-shirt. But paying for the privilege to ride on roads that are not closed off and no race support - no thanks.

Cycling is not cheap in itself and it also costs plenty to keep your bike in race shape and have the proper equipment and nutrition. That also doesn't factor in the cost of travel - gas, food, and lodging to get to the race. So, it better be worth it. The challenge, experience, the reward and cost. 

Just sayin'. I'm not sayin' it needs to be the way you do it - but for now my ethos is keep 'em free and you will get the right kind of riders. Notice the 2017 rides I am planning to do are all free. 

So, to close things out, what do you think I should do to celebrate the 5k milestone? 

Comment below or send me a message.