Old, Fat & Slow
So this morning I got up at 4:15am, got dressed and went riding outside before work for the first time this season. I did get out and ride on both Saturday and Sunday in addition to my bonus early season ride, so I guess this is marks the start of another outdoor cycling season for me.I've been hoping that I might be able to log more miles this year than I have in the past few years now that my little ones are out of the fussy at night baby age. I even got started again after the holidays sooner that I ever have. But this morning proved what I already knew; I'm old, fat and slow. Actually there are four parts to the cause of this morning not going well.
1) The battery pack for my lighting system needs to be replaced again. I knew as soon as I unplugged it this morning that there was likely a problem as the batteries were not warm and the charger was fairly hot. This was the same symtoms of the batteries failing a couple 2-3 years back. And when I started using it, it just wasn't putting out a lot of light. That's a big problem when you are riding on bad roads in the dark. Later in the seasons it's less of a problem as you start to learn where the really bad potholes are, but right now that's somewhat of a mystery. This naturally slows you down because you can't see as well.
2) I also forgot my water bottle this morning! I really can't remember the last time I did that, but without water that also slows you down after a while.
3) I'm carrying too much dead weight as excess fat. I'm 4 pound heavier today than I was at this time last year. I always expect to be a bit heavy at that start of the season, but this year is worse than ever before. Hopefully with some discipline and hard work I will be able to shed it or convert it to muscle mass in a reasonably short period of time. Being at about 152 right now would be good, although my target weight is actually 148. This of course sends my wife into a tizzy as she thinks that's too thin. I'd be happier with more weight, but only if it is muscle mass. It's been several years since I was that light, but I also did some of my best riding then.
4) The other reality is I'm getting older. It's harder to get out of bed, I hurt more and it takes longer to recover. Getting back into shape and maintaining a fairly constant weight and working out year round would go a long way towards making all of this easier.
Must be disciplined and mentally strong!
March 31, 2005 @ 12:57 pm | Category: Cycling