4,998 relatively easy ride miles
2,741 sport miles
386 mountain bike miles
1,990 trainer miles

Total: 10,115

In several respects I think 2018 was one of the best years of my life.

There’s no doubt recovery was spectacular, easily one of my most enjoyable ever.  After a thorough review of the year, I did it right.  I had a few problem areas, but on the whole, I’m happy with where I’m at.  I was able to, as we say, “let go and let God” through much of the problems, so things turned out better than had I messed with the mix and gummed it up.

For my marriage, again, it was a spectacular year.  My wife and I both had a great time of it.  I wish I had some time to go into detail here, but that’ll have to be for another post.

As a father, I had some struggles.  This is something I’m actively working on to have a better ’19.  Kids do present challenges, and I wasn’t prepared for a couple of them.

Work was a challenge, but in the end the year turned out better than I could have hoped.

…And that leaves cycling.  I spent a lot of time on my bikes and enjoyed every minute of it.  I went on a few trips, did a long-distance tour or two, and spent the entire summer fit as an ox.

My cycling fitness, starting the first day of the new year, was my top priority.  I started ramping up so I could ride into spring strong on New Year’s Day.  It began with time on the trainer pushing the hardest gears on the bike with the trainer set at its greatest resistance setting.  My plan worked perfectly.

Going into spring I was in great shape.  What is normally a struggle to find my cycling legs was an enjoyable ramping up to speed.  I was able to spend more than my fair share of time up front.

The summer months were spectacular and our Tuesday night B group went from a beginning of the year 21-1/2-mph average to 22+.  By August we were starting to push a 23-mph average for the 29 mile open-road course.

The longer rides were slower, but much more enjoyable last year.  We’d always pushed for a 20-mph average on anything greater than 100-km, but last year we didn’t worry about that as much.  We just had fun as a group and let the speed land where it did.  I had a lot more fun that way.

The final few months of the year were my best ever.  With one of the gang struggling with heart problems and restricted to slower rides, we tossed speed out the window and just enjoyed riding as a group.  They were some of the best, if coldest, miles of the year.

So the wrap-up is definitive; it was done right.  I know this year won’t be as easy to manage as far as miles go.  Work obligations have changed and there’s no way I’ll be able to keep up with last year’s pace.  I’ve accepted this and will make do with what I can get.

If I’m lucky enough to become an old man, I’ll look back on my 25th year sober as one of the best, most enjoyable of my life.  I feel blessed to have lived it.