The posting has become somewhat erratic, as most things in my life right now, but I'm still here. It's hard to set this as a priority right now. A lot of stuff happens, not all of it appropriate for print, so I set this chore aside.
This blog is mostly about training and those I train with, and with that, there isn't a great deal to put down. It generally goes, "Blah blah hips blah blah blah sore blah blah blah too fat". That's not very interesting in the grand scheme of things.
Philosophically, I suppose I'm struggling with the rapid decline of my athleticism. I don't find myself thinking about racing anymore, I think about participating in events. I don't think about how well I can do, I think about who else will be there to do it with me.
There is nothing wrong with that mindset in most cases. It's hard to imagine how one could fully enjoy any of this without like-minded friends to share the experience. On a personal level, the danger is more insidious. With no clear athletic purpose (other than to finish), there is no reason to train hard. With no hard training, the athleticism declines even more rapidly. It's a downward spiral to pointlessness.
Can the carrot of health benefit be enough to carry the day? Yes and no for me. I will always train somewhat, but hard enough to be even a mere shadow of my once "less-than-magnificent" self? Probably not.
What I've typically done when in this bind before is find another way to approach the problem. When I couldn't run 5ks anymore, I focused on marathons. Then triathlons. Then the cycling portion specifically. The problem is the options are narrowing sharply. Eventually, there will be no carrot.
The bright spots currently are lifting and cycling. That lifting could even figure into the picture is a testament of my desperation. Still, if it somehow gives me a path to better athleticism, I'm going for it. As for cycling, I was never better than last year. I'm hoping to do as well next year, but being a year older and on the wrong side of the downslide will make that a tall order.
I suppose God provided an avenue to continue to enjoy endurance athletics, if only vicariously. I'm so glad to be coaching again!
This blog is mostly about training and those I train with, and with that, there isn't a great deal to put down. It generally goes, "Blah blah hips blah blah blah sore blah blah blah too fat". That's not very interesting in the grand scheme of things.
Philosophically, I suppose I'm struggling with the rapid decline of my athleticism. I don't find myself thinking about racing anymore, I think about participating in events. I don't think about how well I can do, I think about who else will be there to do it with me.
There is nothing wrong with that mindset in most cases. It's hard to imagine how one could fully enjoy any of this without like-minded friends to share the experience. On a personal level, the danger is more insidious. With no clear athletic purpose (other than to finish), there is no reason to train hard. With no hard training, the athleticism declines even more rapidly. It's a downward spiral to pointlessness.
Can the carrot of health benefit be enough to carry the day? Yes and no for me. I will always train somewhat, but hard enough to be even a mere shadow of my once "less-than-magnificent" self? Probably not.
What I've typically done when in this bind before is find another way to approach the problem. When I couldn't run 5ks anymore, I focused on marathons. Then triathlons. Then the cycling portion specifically. The problem is the options are narrowing sharply. Eventually, there will be no carrot.
The bright spots currently are lifting and cycling. That lifting could even figure into the picture is a testament of my desperation. Still, if it somehow gives me a path to better athleticism, I'm going for it. As for cycling, I was never better than last year. I'm hoping to do as well next year, but being a year older and on the wrong side of the downslide will make that a tall order.
I suppose God provided an avenue to continue to enjoy endurance athletics, if only vicariously. I'm so glad to be coaching again!
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