Here it is, resolution day again already. It seems like 2021 is barely begun; and it\’s 2022!

A common New Year\’s resolution is to lose weight. I don\’t need to lose more than a pound or two; but I do need to work harder to keep my diet on a more even keel. Even when I keep a day\’s carb allowance within bounds, I eat too much candy and other sweets!

I wonder whether I should rethink my on-bike food. For a long time, I\’ve been using FitCrunch and other commercially available bars; but can I do better? Day before yesterday I was browsing through Feed Zone Portables.

Feed Zone Portables

I\’ve tried some of the rice cake recipes in the past; but looking at them now, they might be too high in carbs for someone who\’s concerned about A1c levels. For example, there are Swiss Rice Cakes, on page 83. The recipe makes 15 cakes; each measuring 0.6 x 0.8 inches. One cake has 177 calories; and 28 grams of carbs.

How many of those rice cakes would I need over a 40-mile ride? Just two of those cakes is nearly the calorie equivalent of one FitCrunch bar; and with far more carbs. I also had problems getting those rice cakes the right consistency. They tended to fall apart when I picked them up; and I disliked the way they stuck all over my teeth. Maybe I\’d better stick with FitCrunch bars.

2022

As I said, I can\’t believe it\’s already 2022 already.

Is riding a century this year a good resolution? If I really am going to put in a 100-mile day, when will I do it? Maybe in April? By then our weather might be in a good temperature range. I don\’t want to do a major event when it\’s freezing; but not when it\’s broiling hot, either!

If there were an organized century right here, I might spring for that. If I had a definite event to aim for, I might do better at working to improve my pace. As it is, I keep falling short. Is my training off?

A resolution to do a big ride on a certain day can fall flat if the weather isn\’t cooperative when that day comes. I had been aiming to do a century this past October; but Ida put paid to that. I lost several weeks of real riding; and only now do I feel like I\’m back to my pre-Ida level.

How fast do I want to do that century? If I want to ride 100 miles in seven hours, I need to average over 14 mph; and that doesn\’t include rest breaks. I need to work at riding 15-16 mph; maybe even faster! For short periods — say up to five minutes — I can do 15 mph; that is, as long as I\’m not battling a stiff headwind.

And there\’s a big concern of mine for century day. Wind. How well I remember my first century, when I battled the wind all day long on an adult tricycle!

Oh, and another resolution: ride 5000 miles this year!