Monday, July 19, 2010

My Heroic* Weekend

Last August, I started keeping a log of all my running and cycling miles. After November, when some sort of obnoxious hip problem kept me from running for almost five months, I added in hours spent at my new gym.

There are of course few joys in life more pure than that of creating a spreadsheet. For one thing, they allow you to narcissistically geek out on your own data.


But also -- and especially when the data collection is pretty new -- a fitness spreadsheet lets you motivate yourself will all sorts of arbitrary record-setting challenges. This works especially well when you pay attention to a category, day of the month in my case, that allow multiple opportunities for success.

For instance, from this weekend I was able to eke out the following array of impressive achievements:
Friday:
Longest run on the 16th of a month, 2010.*

Saturday:
Longest bicycle ride of all time!**
July becomes month with most miles ridden in 2010.
Longest run of all time on the 17th of a month.***
July becomes month with most miles run in 2010.

Sunday:
Longest bicycle ride of all time!****
July becomes month with most miles ridden of all time!
Longest run on the 18th of a month, 2010.*****

This kind of motivation probably won't work with just any personality type -- it takes a certain penchant for self-deception, is probably the most important thing -- but it sure works with me. I highly recommend it.

*by running about 2 miles. I hadn't run on the 16th previously this year.

**
a little more than 20 miles. I haven't been riding my bike much lately.

***
about 3 1/2 miles. It was a really soft record.

****
33 miles. A decent ride, and never mind that I've ridden more than 80 miles in a day in the past. That was before the spreadsheet! It doesn't count!

*****
Again, about 2 miles on a day that I hadn't run on yet in 2010.


Saturday: Michael & Mrs.5000 on the then longest bicycle ride of all time.

8 comments:

Ben said...

Where did you go for these awesome, long bike rides?

MDIC said...

Wow - your spreadsheet allows for so many new records!

So, a coworker asked me today, "Who's this Michael5000? He made my day by complimenting a headline I wrote!" Which I thought was hilarious, but then I thought: "Wait -- Michael5000 reads and regularly comments on my work's blog but has not commented on MDIC in months?" And then I thought, "Harumph. I'll have to guilt him into leaving a comment on my blog."

So there. Do you feel guilty?

Michael5000 said...

Ben: Random geohash points!

MDIC: Thoroughly riven with guilt. Also, shame.

Jenners said...

This would so not work for me ... but I'm impressed with your record-setting bike ride!

MIC said...

You make a good point about the toaster setting. I am used to using a publicly shared toaster at the office, and I can never remember what the hell number makes the best toast, so I always have to be vigilant. In an ideal world, we'd all be able to establish the setting from the beginning and have no one touch it. But, sadly, it is not a perfect world.

MDIC said...

Meh. I'm not MIC I am MDIC.

Michael5000 said...

Update: Monday: longest run on a 20th, 2010!

Tuesday: all-time longest bike ride on a 21st!

gl. said...

i love arbitrary data like this. keep up the impressive records!