Fun & Fitness over 50

I've been thinking about this for awhile and it really disturbs me.

As I said in yesterday's post, yesterday's club ride was probably the hardest I have ridden in a long while, if ever, although not a particularly long ride (18 miles).

Yet, today, I'm not sore at all! Some of you, not knowing, might say, "Well, that's good, isn't it?"

No, not at all. If the goal of training is to tear muscle fibers, thereby making them sore, and then recovering until they are no longer sore, meaning that they've healed and gotten stronger, then, no that's not good. At least it's not good considering that I want to get better, fitter, stronger and faster!

Now, as I said, "I gave it all I had." Well, maybe I gave it all I was willing to give. From a pain perspective it was uncomfortable. Pain is a negative. You don't want it when it's occurring; you want it to stop.

You look at the people that compete in the "Tour de France". Sure, they are among the fittest men in the world. You might say "It's easy for them, being such superior athletes." But that's only part of the equation. Perhaps equally important is their ability and willingness to endure pain we can't imagine. In fact, that's how they got to their present level of fitness, genetics notwithstanding.

I guess what I'm saying is, maybe I'm NOT giving it all I've got. Maybe I have to ratchet it up a notch. It's hard. It's not pleasant. It's not "fun". But there is a reward! Can I do it? More to the point, WILL I do it?

I don't know

.....stay tuned