For the last 3 or 4 years, I have been pretty busy making excuses for why my fitness level is less than it should be. It was probably 4 years ago (maybe it was 5…) that I had a kick-ass summer, and was in great shape. I felt like I kept up with all but the best on the climbs, and was rarely passed on the flats. I felt like a machine.
Then, in the fall, I ended up in the hospital with what the docs insisted was a heart attack. Long story short, after spending the night in Intensive Care, the docs did one of the catheder deals to watch the blood flow around my heart, and discovered arteries that were clear as mountain morning air. But, they also found that an enlarged heart was squeezing an artery that runs along the front of the heart, which is what created the psuedo heart-attack. Funny thing – the doc took my wife aside to ask about drug use – apparently some recreational drugs enlarge the heart. Nope, she was pretty sure that wasn’t the issue.
Turns out, prolonged intense exercise also enlarges the heart. Duh. Note to self: Maybe cut back on the intensity of the training…
So that became a great excuse for me, and while my mind still thought of my body as the fit machine that climbed those Italian Alps, my body was rapidly progressing toward a lesser and lesser state of fitness, and I constantly justified a lower workout regiment with the whole enlarged heart thing.
I flaked out on a couple of backcountry ski trips in the winter for various reasons, but the reality was that I was not really fit enough to keep up with the younger guys in the trip. I barely survived some long and grueling endurance rides – rides that I should have survived much more easily than I did and not slowed down my buddies.
Then, this fall, my job situation changed, and I had some time on my hands. I started to ride a bit more – trying to find 2 days a week when the weather would let me ride. I have managed to avoid the big “November Gain” that usually happens to my waistline. I am headed toward avoiding the even worse “December Gain” that usually happens. I have a backcountry trip scheduled for early January, and 6 weeks before the trip, I am actually feeling pretty good about being able to perform well.
So now, I find myself beginning to focus on next summer, and what level of fitness I might be able to achieve by May. I find myself looking at rides that I have avoided for the last several years, thinking, maybe…
So I’ll keep a log of how I am coming against these lofty sights. The snow is falling outside, and the temp is about 10 degrees. No riding for the next few days – it will be workouts in the gym for me for the next week I am afraid.
Yesterday, I was able to get out for a quick Canterbury spin before the weather turned bad. Only a 30 minute spin, with a bit of climbing. Tried wearing the warm kit, but it is still (and has always been) too small for me. I need to give that one away – I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought it…
