When I was a kid, I used to like to watch a TV show called, Get Smart. One Maxwell Smart was working against an entity called KAOS (which I thought was  \”chaos\”).

I remember one episode when the KAOS guys had tied up Maxwell Smart hand and foot, and stood him on his head in a corner. They had just exited out one door when Smart\’s working partner, Agent 99, came in through another door. He looked up at her and said, \”Hello, 66!\” She said, \”But, I\’m 99.\” Max says, \”I know, but you\’re upside down!\”

Why that has stuck in my mind is beyond me. Aren\’t memories weird?

Then there\’s SMART training for the cyclist or, I should suppose, any athlete. I\’m not so sure I\’ve been following it very well.

Specific? \”Get faster\” is, indeed, rather vague. For years my list of cycling goals has included \”increase cruising speed to 15 mph\”. That gives me a target to shoot for. Unfortunately I haven\’t been doing it quite right (see \”Attainable\”, below).

Measurable? Not as easy as it sounds. Checking for gains in my average speed over time might not mean much, when so many variables can affect average speed (terrain, wind, etc.)

Attainable? Increasing my cruising speed is a goal I believe I can reach. I\’m better at averaging 15 mph for as long as 10 miles; time was when it took great effort to touch 15 mph for a brief moment. But I still can\’t do it for hours on end.

Realistic? Working up to 15 mph, yes. I\’m not yet where I want to be with it, but I\’ve made some progress. How about 20 mph? Sometimes I can touch it and even hold it for a few seconds; does that indicate potential?

Time-specific? Here is where I fall short, I think. As a new year begins, it\’s so easy to think that there\’s no hurry about working towards your goals for the year. Then, before you know it, it\’s December!