The "Porpoise" is officially back in the race!
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| Familiar Places |
Too many things have happened in the past two-years to cover in this particular post - but I will do so as the season progresses. That said, there are still some things being "worked out". Setbacks - that's an understatement. A lot of uncertainty for sure - enough that up until only a couple weeks ago there was still not a solid plan to return for another season. I hadn't been tracking what was going on with Huntsman Heroes for the most part, until one evening I went out to the website and noticed there were only 10 participants registered this year. Holy Crap Batman! I remember when we had more than 100 participants. If I remember correctly, during Covid we had a meager 60-something and several of those had to drop out of the race due to travel restrictions in their local areas. Worse yet, the fundraising goal has continually dropped to roughly half of what was raised at the peak not even 10-years ago. Having seen this situation, I hopped right back into "the pool" - as it were. I may have had a few setbacks, but I can still pull this off.
A Personal Inventory
As time progresses (like it does), I take notice - an inventory of sorts, the friends, co-workers, neighbors and other associates that have been hammered by the "Big-C". Not to mention those that have been taken by other unfortunate circumstances. I certainly don't dwell on it - at least not for long, as it can really get me into a less than ideal "happy place" in my head. Still, when I consider the raw talent and ability so many of them have had, only to be cut short by unfortunate circumstances of what happens outside of our own control - it stops me cold in my tracks. There is no doubt I tend to waste more of my life than I make the best use of it. I can only imagine what most anyone of them would give to have one more day - another chance, to take one final swing at the ball. Unfortunately, we never truly appreciate what we have until we don't have it anymore. So, I guess taking inventory can be a positive thing, providing it drives us forward - some how.
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| A clear, warm and windy day at the point. |
Training & Progress
In the past eight or nine years, this blog has gone from being about weekly training and event progress, to more often melancholy stories of other people and things - maybe too philosophical at times. As time has gotten on, I've personally become tired of seeing a million (maybe a slight exaggeration) blogs and videos about individual's personal bike training and race experiences. From time to time I will check in on a couple of them, as I found their original story compelling - whereas others just drive me crazy. It's amazing how many different people think that making YouTube videos for a living makes them some sort of sports physiology expert. I'm sure there is something to be said about learning from other peoples experiences, but it is not to say any one person is the same as everyone else - not by a long shot. I've done this long enough to know what works and what doesn't necessarily work for me personally. Age and individual circumstances do matter. Lets face it, what we could get away with in our younger years, we can't even consider as our bodies get older. Speed, endurance and recovery all have to be specific in the schedule. Injury has to be avoided at all cost, while still pressing the outer limits of the pain threshold. As it stands right now I have my work cut-out for me - in a big way. I'm currently having trouble maintaining a solid Zone-3 effort and really need to be pushing more into Zone-4 periodically. The immediate goal will be to improve in Zone-3 & 4, but also to include some minor Zone-5 with speed training twice a week. As conditioning improves, it becomes harder to hit and stay in those zones for the required times - but that is what conditioning looks like.
Voices from the Past
I'm terrible at taking things and people in "the here and now" too often for granted. This is especially true of those that I looked up to in a way - kind of immortal in my own eyes. Separation has a tendency to allow our memories to be more malleable in how we choose to remember, versus the more harsh realities of life. A few years ago, I would regularly stop by an visit a friend that I've known since little league baseball. I hadn't seen him for the most part, since our college days. Always a physical specimen, he was also a gifted artist - which brought him considerable success professionally. Along the way he was diagnosed with a debilitating disease that literally mangled his body. The last several years of his life were fraught with daily physical challenges that were unimaginable. Nearly right up till the end he would try to ride his special three-wheel cycle wherever he could. He was always convinced he would someday beat his disease. A year ago, I made it a point to stop and see Reed while he was in the hospital trying to deal with his terminal condition. It's hard to see your friends - brothers, trapped in a hulk of a body that is nearly unrecognizable. Still, every once in a while, you'd see their true-selves come out - a reminder of what was always there. Not too long ago I was watching some videos (home movies) from a vacation we took with a couple of my cousins more than fifty-years ago. These cousins lived in Colorado and I always thought it great when we got to do anything with them. They were always "the cool cousins" as they truly were just that. As things happen, those visits ended only a few years after some of these movies were taken. There they were - as cool as ever. Full of life and somewhat immortal in my mind (as is most anyone that is older than you at 10-years old). Two of them have since passed on having both been in a fight with the "Big-C". I never saw them in that state and am glad for it, as I always want to remember them as the coolest people I would ever have known. One morning while driving out to a job site, I was listening to a SiriusXM program that brought up a Carol King song that instantly reminded me of these two cousins. Sometimes I'm glad to remember things a special way.....
Ride HARD!
