There’s probably some irony in being so focused on logging my next million meters that I completely missed the fact that I’d already passed my first three million.
But that’s exactly what happened.
I logged into my Concept2 account this week while checking numbers for the Million Meter Mission on Main Street, and there it was:
3,011,389 lifetime meters.
Somehow, without fanfare, a finish line or even realizing I was approaching it, I’d crossed three million meters on a rowing machine.
For somebody whose website is called The Savvy Cyclist, that’s a fair amount of rowing. 😂
But it also says something about where both my fitness journey—and this website—have gone over the years.
The bikes certainly haven’t disappeared. There are still more of them around here than any rational human being needs. But somewhere along the way they were joined by rowing machines, kayaks, paddles, hiking shoes and a growing belief that staying active as we get older doesn’t have to mean doing the same thing every day.
Sometimes it’s a bike.
Sometimes it’s an erg.
Sometimes it’s a kayak.
And sometimes it’s simply finding something you love enough to keep moving.
THE NEXT MILLION
That brings me to what I’m doing now.
On August 15, I began the Million Meter Mission on Main Street—a commitment to personally log 1,000,000 meters by the end of October through rowing, cycling and paddling.
The physical challenge is real. But the million meters aren’t really the point.
The larger goal is to use something I already love doing to encourage other people, businesses and communities to create challenges of their own—and help Oars of Hope raise critical funding to support families affected by Alzheimer’s.
In other words:
Do what you love. Turn your passion into purpose.
And after Week 1, I’m happy to say we’re moving.
WEEK 1 — 128,225 METERS
🚣 Rowing: 30,000 meters
🛶 Paddling: 26,135 equivalent meters
🚴 Cycling: 72,090 equivalent meters
Total: 128,225 meters
Remaining: 871,775 meters
I’m ahead of schedule—which is exactly where I want to be.
There will inevitably be weather days, travel days, tired days and probably a few days when this 60+ body informs the considerably younger brain that it has grossly overestimated our abilities. 😂
For now, though, the strategy is remarkably sophisticated:
Keep moving.
Follow The Meters
For now, I’ll update the tracker here each week with the rowing, riding and paddling totals behind the mission.
Eventually, I’d like to make the tracker much more interactive—click a workout and you’ll be able to see the Garmin or Concept2 activity behind the number.
Because if I’m claiming a million meters…
there ought to be receipts. 😉
COACH’S CORNER
Coming soon.
I’m looking to bring coaches, trainers, therapists and other fitness professionals into this space to share practical advice about training, mobility, recovery and staying active as the birthdays continue to accumulate.
And given what I’m asking this body to do over the next couple of months, I may be Coach’s Corner’s first remedial student.
SAVVY GEAR
Let’s Talk About My Butt
There are sophisticated pieces of equipment involved in this challenge.
Carbon-fiber bicycles. GPS watches. Kayaks. Heart-rate monitors. Rowing machines.
And then there’s the humble piece of equipment that becomes increasingly important when you spend thousands upon thousands of meters sitting on a Concept2:
The butt cushion. 😂
We’ll talk equipment here too—not from a spec sheet, but from the perspective of stuff I’m actually using.
Some products will deserve full reviews. Others may simply deserve a quick mention because they’ve made a long workout a little more comfortable.
After three million rowing meters, I feel unusually qualified to render opinions about things that separate one’s posterior from a rowing-machine seat.
PASSION → PURPOSE
The Million Meter Mission is part fitness challenge, part experiment and part invitation.
You don’t have to row a million meters.
You don’t even have to row.
Ride. Paddle. Walk. Run. Hike. Dance.
Choose something you already enjoy doing. Set yourself a goal. Bring some friends along. And, if you’d like, use that challenge to help somebody else.
That’s the idea behind Oars of Hope and the philosophy behind Do What You Love.
I’ll be sharing the physical side of this journey here on The Savvy Cyclist.
The mission, fundraising and community side lives at Oars of Hope.
Two different roads.
Same destination: turn something you love into something that matters.
WHAT’S NEXT?
More meters.
More miles.
Hopefully a few interesting people joining the journey.
And next week, another update from somewhere farther down the road to 1,000,000.
871,775 to go.
Better get moving.
