Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Lattes and Lactate Thresholds

Emilie, in an unusually exuberant manner, asked to go get a Pumpkin Latte last night. I was tired and not exactly in the latte mood but when your 11 year old daughter asks to spend any time with you, you grab that opportunity with both hands. I would suffer through a Carrie Underwood concert if she asked. I am optimistic that we will have lattes together every week for the rest of my life but, sometimes, I try to be realistic.

The Iceman is always the official end of my racing season. I just re-read my second blog entry from back in January:

Maybe my problem last season was just motivation. What if I am a little more careful this year to push myself when I need to and find clever new ways to fit cycling into my schedule? Is it possible to have your breakthrough season at 43?

I am so optimistic sometimes that I just crack myself up. I try to be optimistic even if it flies in the face of reality. Okay, this wasn’t my breakthrough season; however, I was faster than I was last season so I will count it as a win. I joined a fitness center by my house yesterday. I have really neglected core strength training these last couple years. And I chucked my way too complicated training schedule based on Joe Friel’s brilliant but too complicated book The Cyclist Training Bible. I have a solid plan now where I will dedicate specific time to active recovery, easy distance, endurance, intervals, and max sprinting efforts. I am going to make a real effort to separate bicycling from any other disappointments that I can’t seem to get over. I think 2010 will be my breakthrough season.

3 comments:

  1. Aww, I think it is realistic to believe you will have lattes together every week for the rest of your life!! That is awesome!! I hope that if I ever have kids, we will do something like that. Once she moves away to college or whatever, you could have latte time on the phone!

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  2. Chin up. Those wax wings failed only because he flew too close to the sun.

    Happy to have found you. I appreciate your honest voice - thank you.

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  3. Thanks, but the problem wasn't flying too close to the sun, it was unrealistic expectations.

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