Where have I been?
Great question. Around. The events of the last two years (in relation to riding) have been a real game changer. I went from a gravity guy to chasing the saddles of some serious riders. It took a lot. I had to change everything I knew on the bike. My usual group riders were gone, suspension gone, riding buddies gone.
All new issues came about, soreness, agendas, training, diet, time conflicts etc....
The addition of things like Strava, racing and riding with others outside of my comfort zone really pushed me and became and obsession. And I liked it.
My goals began to get too lofty, going from 3k to 6k in miles this year was a big leap, as was trying to go toe to toe with seasoned guys like
@jimvreeland and
@liong71er in the base race, but I was determined.
Adding in the H2H series was another hurdle that began to add conflict.....hit 6k this year (mostly woods riding) or save legs during the week and dominate the fat class in H2H? Well I tried to do both while trying to ween my weight down and it all became too much.
After my MS charity ride in May I caved and began to ask myself what this was all for?
Rewind to my early days of riding (this is my 22nd year riding MTB) and I was 250lbs and the slowest of all my friends. I took a lot of heat and was usually the guy who stared at all the parts I had to have that would make me faster. As time went on I was convinced I would never be a fast guy and was okay just riding.
The more and more I tooled around on this site I became interested in changing that and proving myself wrong. With the help of many, especially
@jimvreeland @pearl @fidodie @Mitch and
@David Taylor i was able to push myself and complete some serious events as well as win an XC race, something I was convinced I would never do.
What now?
Honestly, I don't know. Back in June I was getting some serious chest pains that had been steady for a few months. After several trips to the doctor I was told everything was clear. I did have an enlarged Aorta from the training, but that was to be expected. With heart disease running in the family I decided to take it easy. Plus I was getting a bit strava/mileage obsessed.
I started taking the Mrs. Away on day trips, kayaking, building my jeep, spending time and spending time with family.
More importantly, staying away from others agendas and sticking to what felt right. Both socially and for training.
Getting in the car to ride DH became a chore. Frankly I just wanted to get up on the weekend, water my garden and drink a cup of coffee.
I put about 12lbs back on and got a bit slow, and it felt great.
Why am I telling you this?
It can be easy to have a great blog celebrating the success, but you don't always hear about the downfall.
I don't consider any of this to be a downfall, but rather a doldrum. In my opinion it is better to document the whole cycle of my training rather then just the spots that sound good.
Now what?
Now there is a new normal, and I like it. I strongly believe in the line from Janes Addiction's "Ocean Size" - "I want to be more like the ocean, no talks and all action"
Having worked on my fitness, I couldn't imagine letting it deteriorate further. Once you have the lungs and muscle, any bike is fun. All of the bike upgrade talk becomes irrelevant, as a solid engine with proper skill can power anything fast. Fast is fun, and I am determined to continue to build on this for my own enjoyment.
I encourage everyone else to do so.
Do I need a great venue or event to further this? Probably not. I would like to figure out how to make it fit in with the more relaxed home life I have enjoyed over the last two months. That is harder than the training itself, but can be done if priorities are in order and the bullshit put aside.
If it is not fun, your not doing it right.
Bikes:
Just the fatty right now. I told myself I would not entertain anymore purchases until the fall. A trail bike is at the top of my list, 5-6" of travel but I have not convinced myself I need one. My wrists argue at times, but they know better than to put a fork on a fatty, as the rigid is faster 98% of the time.
I Love the Evil line as well as the Rocky Mountain Instinct and Santa Cruz Tallboy.
I am very curious to see what I can do on a 29" racing hard tail.
Either way, my favorite riding season is coming, let's see what happens next.
Thanks for Tuning in.
