January 3: Training vs. Preparing
There's a difference between training and preparing. I would like to think my efforts on the bike these days are more an exercise in preparing myself to do other things. The word, "training," has a very race-centered connotation. While I've decided to enter in 1 of these races again in 2024, I do not plan to be racing it. Some could say the goal is to survive it, but that's not right either. I think the word would be enjoy. I would like to enjoy it. So, in an effort to enjoy this event, I shall do my best to prepare myself to enjoy it as much as possible. To some, this might appear to be training.
I admit, sometimes the preparing can be just as uncomfortable as the training. Take tonight for example, where I did the Ventoux climb in France. 5000 feet up over 13 miles. It's a slog, and it takes a lot of mental fortitude (translation: stupidity) to grind your way up this hill for almost 2 hours. My goal in these efforts is to get used to sustained efforts for long periods of time. Now granted, for the event I'm targeting, this is perhaps overkill. But it always pays to be over-prepared so you can have the most fun doing the thing.
This thing is the same thing I wanted to do last year, but never did. I registered again in the hopes that I will actually pull it off this year. I told D, put it on the calendar, and even convinced Kirt to ride it with me so we can just go enjoy it together (you'd think all this time at Cromwell would make us sick of each other, right?). So, there's a plan. I do not intend to be "preparing" every day for 4 months. But a few times a week I will focus on stuff like this, so I can try to enjoy the day as much as possible when it rolls around in April.
Unless it's 33 degrees and raining that day, in which case I will be preparing to sit inside and drink coffee all morning. That's something I am a real pro at.
There's a difference between training and preparing. I would like to think my efforts on the bike these days are more an exercise in preparing myself to do other things. The word, "training," has a very race-centered connotation. While I've decided to enter in 1 of these races again in 2024, I do not plan to be racing it. Some could say the goal is to survive it, but that's not right either. I think the word would be enjoy. I would like to enjoy it. So, in an effort to enjoy this event, I shall do my best to prepare myself to enjoy it as much as possible. To some, this might appear to be training.
I admit, sometimes the preparing can be just as uncomfortable as the training. Take tonight for example, where I did the Ventoux climb in France. 5000 feet up over 13 miles. It's a slog, and it takes a lot of mental fortitude (translation: stupidity) to grind your way up this hill for almost 2 hours. My goal in these efforts is to get used to sustained efforts for long periods of time. Now granted, for the event I'm targeting, this is perhaps overkill. But it always pays to be over-prepared so you can have the most fun doing the thing.
This thing is the same thing I wanted to do last year, but never did. I registered again in the hopes that I will actually pull it off this year. I told D, put it on the calendar, and even convinced Kirt to ride it with me so we can just go enjoy it together (you'd think all this time at Cromwell would make us sick of each other, right?). So, there's a plan. I do not intend to be "preparing" every day for 4 months. But a few times a week I will focus on stuff like this, so I can try to enjoy the day as much as possible when it rolls around in April.
Unless it's 33 degrees and raining that day, in which case I will be preparing to sit inside and drink coffee all morning. That's something I am a real pro at.
