First 1,000km done.

Yeah, it feels pretty good to smash through 1,000km for the year. It is probably more than I had imagined was going to happen within the first 20 days of the year.

I did not have a great commute home last night. Although it was a reasonably fast ride and the body was feeling as good as it has for a while, I had too much stuff in my head. Bad things from the past and worries about the future. Somewhere in there I forgot to enjoy just being out there on the bicycle. I don't usually make that mistake, even if it can sometimes be a process to reach that cycling serenity.

I know that I should be ecstatic, that is a great number and I am making proper progress and doing it in the right way and allow me to assure you, I usually really enjoy the commute and rarely if ever get down like I did on the ride or for the entire day really.

The way forward? For the rest of January I suspect that I am happy to keep things at the pace that I am right now and will reach about 1,500km for the month. I know that I am feeling good enough and have the wherewithal to really ramp it up and could easily ramp it up and probably crack 2,000km for the month but I am wary about such an increase from nothing and then sustaining things for four more months maybe difficult. I probably could physically but mentally it would be challenging and I do actually really enjoy spending time with Michelle and my mad mutt.

I will be keen to get out for my longer ride on 30 January with Audax unless the bushfires down here put a line through that. My plan at this stage is to make February big after the solid January. Really listen to the body and aim big and make sure it happens. There is a really fun Bronte Lagoon Ride in the middle of Feb that will give me 400km and a St Mary's Loop 600km ride in very early March. So a big Feb and the 600, I will then have a quieter week to recover and then solidly ride from there with possibly some revision in training and more specifically tailored to the race in June.

I am getting a bit apprehensive about the race itself as well. I just had an awesome time last time and enjoyed things beyond possible imagination. I know it will be a totally different experience and I will want to go much faster with the training and knowledge that I will have. They will be different people out there this time and it is all such a big investment in time effort and money. I know there is big risk involved in most things that provide big reward but need to find the right headspace.

One of the best things from last time was the not having to think and worry about the things that got me down last night on the ride. The whole elegance in the simplicity thing. You just can't force it I guess.