We did 10 Miles!!!!

As I’ve explained in previous posts, we’ve put together a team for the upcoming 50 mile segment of the Tour de Cure in May and have started our training rides. We have several new riders and last night we did 10 miles.

For many that ride regularly, stating that you rode 10 miles receives the same level of response as “the sun came up today” or “I went to work today”….and to be honest, I actually scheduled a night time mountain bike ride for later the same day just so I could get in enough miles to feel like I did something.

But, as I thought about this last night, it dawned on me just how big an accomplishment this really is for most people. If you really think about it, how many people do you know that do absolutely no exercise whatsoever? How many people do you know that have ridden a bicycle 10 miles in their adult life? How many people do you know that categorize walking through the mall as "exercise"?

According to a Gallup poll, the average American engages in “moderate” exercise 3 times per week…of course they list mowing the lawn as moderate exercise and we all know how people tend to over-exaggerate their exercise levels in a survey....afterall, none of us want to be thought of as lazy.

Here are some other statistics I found interesting:
- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese
- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but only because French fries and potato chips are included as vegetables. Potato products account for almost a third of our "produce" choices
- Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost nine million are overweight...triple the rate in 1980!

So, while it’s no big deal for someone who rides regularly go out and ride 10 miles, for the general majority of the population, and for some of our team, this is a big milestone and they are to be congratulated and encouraged.
As a matter of fact, a couple of the people are doing so well, that we’re probably going to have to split into 2 groups so that they can continue to progress and not be bored on our training rides.