This year has been an eye opener for me, but luckily I read the book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. This book spoke to me both as an athlete and as an artist. The interaction between one's art and, at least for some of us, one's sport, is clear and evident.
When I started competitive road cycling again at 55, I did so knowing that I was a lifelong athlete who was always strong but a bit too heavy to really compete at a top level. However, as much as I get the jitters before a competition, once I am in the race, even if I am far in the back, I like the challenge.
Having won one race when I started up again and finishing up in the final sprint (never had one and seem still not to as well!) on several others, I found I was in fact very competitive within my age group.
But this is where it gets tricky. I now ride with a team that has many strong riders who are mostly in their 20's and 30's. Yes, there are a few in their late 40's and a few in their 50's and this group is much more enjoyable for me to do those hard rides with.
As foolish as it is ever to compare oneself with another, it is insane to try to compete with a well-tuned 30 year old when you are 58. I don't know the specific physiological differences, but I am sure that for most of us, they are many.
That said, I have been using a coach this year who monitors all of my workouts. We build on certain weeks and then have those weeks in which we recover (I am in one of those right now). We also use the power meter and monitor carefully how hard to push each workout. I even discovered that for my age, my Functional Threshold Training, FTP, is pretty good for my age (now over 285) though I am not sure it has translated well yet onto the road. However, you have to love those numbers, and I do, for in their isolation they quantify who you are at that present moment and clearly show you what you can hope and strive for.
I have also been seeing a nutritionist in order to better improve my overall health. It is essential to keep learning, especially in this world where so much of our food is slathered in sugar, and for those of us who truly are addicted to it, and I am, understanding your addiction and how to best deal with it will always be a lifetime challenge. So I keep reading. Currently I am reading Dr. David Perlmutter's book Grain Brain and to some extent it appeals to me, while in many ways it does not. As a vegetarian (well I do eat some fish and now and then some eggs) it is not my wish to start eating meat again. Also, I think we have to emphasize vegetables and sprouts more than he does. I have, however, learned to cut way back on fruit! Again, sugar junky that I am, it is nothing more than a substitute the way I had been eating it.
I am also reading Ben Greenfield's book Beyond Training. This too is a great book on fitness and how the wrong type of fitness is in effect bad for your heart. He believes in shorter training sessions, as do I, that are more intense in nature. I have been doing 1 to 1.5 hour training sessions on my in-door trainer that are filled with high quality intervals. I do only one true long ride a week now which seems to suit me better, but again, it's tough to stay-up with the more finely tuned riders who do more time on the bike.
So I end this with "who cares?" I suppose I do in some tangential way, and I would be lying if I said I did not, but when I finally step back and view the big picture which includes my family, work, and artistic pursuits (not to mention the long drive time each day back and forth to work), I see that I am doing something amazing. I can go to sleep on that. J
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