As one of my goals highlights that I would like to take part in outdoor activities, I have decided that I should ride my bike outside a minimum of twice a week. I formed this goal as I found I was taking part in home workouts only because this is what I have grown custom to during the pandemic. However, I enjoy riding my bike around the city and learning more about it now that leaving home is permitted. Over the last few months, I have seen many new sites and bike paths in Milan. Allowing myself to explore the outdoors after being on and off in covid restrictions last year has helped to keep a stable routine, especially while attending online school in a different time zone.

I enjoy biking, especially with my dad, as this is an activity we mostly do together. We once managed to reach 80km in a day together. Additionally, I mountain bike with my family whenever we get the chance, and we keep up with cycling races as it is a popular sport in Belgium and my grandfather was a cyclist himself. Overall, I chose to focus on cycling as my activity due to the connections and love I have for the sport. Over the past few weeks, I have attempted to make it a habit to cycle around the city for some light cardio to get away from the desk and get moving. I used the app Strava to log some of my rides around the city.

Screenshot of Strava cycle log

Picture during my bike ride

I made it a goal to cycle twice per week which I was able to successfully do for the past three weeks. I roughly did 40 minutes of cycling per session as I found this timing fit best into my schedule, allowing me to distance myself from schoolwork and digital appliances for an appropriate amount of time. I hope to continue cycling weekly, making sure to get active outdoors and maintain fitness alongside running and weight training. To extend this outdoor activity goal, I would like to aim at continuing my weekly cycles but taking different routes that may be more physically demanding. Cycling in the city with an abundance of streetlights, slower-paced cyclists, and pedestrians prevent me from reaching a high heart rate. To combat this, I will attempt to find different cycling paths that are more rural in the outer regions of the city, such as large parks and along rivers. This will allow me to cycle at a more rapid pace without putting anyone at risk.

Learning Outcomes:

The learning outcomes of this experience to participate in more outdoor activities (cycling) have allowed me to connect to learning outcomes.  Firstly, I have identified my own strengths and developed areas of growth by realizing I needed to participate more in outdoor activities instead of focusing on building fitness through home workouts indoors. This allows me to grow by having a more mindful activity experience instead of getting a workout done for the sake of getting them finished. I have additionally demonstrated developing new skills as I am better able to navigate through busy cities on a bike, building my sense of direction and strengthening my memory. Lastly, I was able to show commitment and hope to continue doing so as I am consistent with my weekly bike rides, committing to the outdoor experience.