A few of us rode the hilly circuit at Harriman State Park Friday. After the third lap, I managed to control my wheezing long enough to say "I'm getting old." While it's true that sooner or later we all slow down, I suspect that many of us use our age as an excuse to make up for other (more real) shortcomings. Last year I wrote about Ginette Bedard, the septuagenarian wonder who dominates her age group. This weekend's Father's Day 5-miler was won by Yumi Ogita. At age 48, Yumi averaged 6:18 per mile.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not pretending that youth does not have its advantages. I'll bet on the world class 30-year old over the 50-year old any time. I have been (and remain) highly skeptical of performance improvements by already world class endurance athletes when they reach their 40's. But in my case, maybe I suffered on the hills because I haven't trained as hard this season as in the past, rather than because of my lack of youth. And maybe since I was never exactly world class, perhaps I can still improve. Instead of relying on the convenient excuse for a sub-par ride, I'd be better served to cinch up my Depends brand cycling shorts and work a little harder next time.
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No Excuses For Old Men
A few of us rode the hilly circuit at Harriman State Park Friday. After the third lap, I managed to control my wheezing long enough to say "I'm getting old." While it's true that sooner or later we all slow down, I suspect that many of us use our age as an excuse to make up for other (more real) shortcomings. Last year I wrote about Ginette Bedard, the septuagenarian wonder who dominates her age group. This weekend's Father's Day 5-miler was won by Yumi Ogita. At age 48, Yumi averaged 6:18 per mile.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not pretending that youth does not have its advantages. I'll bet on the world class 30-year old over the 50-year old any time. I have been (and remain) highly skeptical of performance improvements by already world class endurance athletes when they reach their 40's. But in my case, maybe I suffered on the hills because I haven't trained as hard this season as in the past, rather than because of my lack of youth. And maybe since I was never exactly world class, perhaps I can still improve. Instead of relying on the convenient excuse for a sub-par ride, I'd be better served to cinch up my Depends brand cycling shorts and work a little harder next time.
No Excuses For Old Men
Don't get me wrong, I'm not pretending that youth does not have its advantages. I'll bet on the world class 30-year old over the 50-year old any time. I have been (and remain) highly skeptical of performance improvements by already world class endurance athletes when they reach their 40's. But in my case, maybe I suffered on the hills because I haven't trained as hard this season as in the past, rather than because of my lack of youth. And maybe since I was never exactly world class, perhaps I can still improve. Instead of relying on the convenient excuse for a sub-par ride, I'd be better served to cinch up my Depends brand cycling shorts and work a little harder next time.
Posted at 11:45 AM in Coach's Comments, No Whining | Permalink