Thinking about riding and the best way to do it (Honeymoon pics coming soon)

I'm sitting here at work thinking about riding.

Now that the wedding is over i feel re-energized and able to focuse a little more on my bicycle. Lately I find myself constantly creating lists / training plans of how much im going to ride. i'll create a list for this week, one for the rest of cross season, one for 2013. I like lists while im creating them but then, typically, as soon as im done i look at it an think 'sure a list is great but it all comes down to riding your bicycle', then i throw it away. Structured training is good but you dont get fast by making a list, you get fast by pedaling. Sure that's over simplifying it but riding a bicycle is not a complicated thing. Yes you need structure to reach a goal but im not trying to cure cancer here.

i'm constantly batteling between creating lists of ambitious training plans or just riding and doing what feels right during each ride. 9 times out of 10 i do the later but it dosent stop me from continuing to make lists.

Im sure i would do better with a structured training plan but i dont feel like paying for a coach and i dont do well with plans, at least when it comes to excution. So knowing that, i try to be easy on myself and just do what feels right. Since im my own coach i think what would work best for me is a weekly routine. Monday do this, Tuesday do that, and so on. I can wrap my head around that and i think it would make me fast. I havent been in a good routine for maybe 6 months. There seem to be so many big things going in on my life over the past few years and i'm not good at handling all that.

After all these big events that distract me or all these lists that excite me it always comes back to one thing. Get on your bicycle and pedal, and pedal hard when you can. It's as simple as that. Yes coaches are good and training plans are good, i get that, but im just not into it.

Maybe i should resolve to make no more lists. I'll keep track of the rides i do (something i've always done) but thats it.

Pedaling my bicycle is becoming a big part of who i am. It's a simple pleasure that i enjoy immensly and so i want to make it as easy as possible to get on my bike and ride. And i want to get faster.

i'm not sure where im going with this, i guess it's just a stream of consciousness post of the eternal battle of how to find time to ride, keep it fun, and get faster all at the same time.

Bicycles!