Some people wonder why I largely exercise alone. It’s not (just) because I’m antisocial; there are other reasons as well.

First off, getting someone to meet me at 5 am on a weekend morning at my house in a somewhat rural area of the island for a three to five hour bike ride tends not to be that inviting (that and the house really needs cleaning before someone comes over). On the other hand, I see some of the power of social pressure with swimming, where I typically meet up with a couple of my coworkers.

Secondly, I feel like it’s a greater challenge to ride and run by myself. The only one keeping myself accountable is me (well, and now, this blog). It forces me to figure out how I could accomplish these goals totally by myself with no help from anyone (well, in desperate times, I do have my phone).

Finally, when I’m out by myself, I feel like I have nothing to lose. If I would embarrass myself with a slow time on my ride or run, it’s not a public thing–the only person who knows is me, and I can use that data to figure out how to do better next time. No discouraging amount of time at the back of a pack, just me, myself, and I figuring out what my next move is.

While I see the advantages of exercising in a group, I love the challenges of doing so by myself–and besides, are there any volunteers to join me in Kane’ohe tomorrow morning at 5 am for a ride up to Makapu’u and back?