Getting older? At nearly 69 (July) I have recognised I need to accept how my has body changed and adapted to the challenges I try to set it. Aside from the physical aspect there is the mental one which is altogether different. Since October I have not been able to ride as much as I wished, a combination of holidays, weather, injury following a crash and Covid. None cycling related apart from the crash, just circumstance, but mean I've ridden 2096 miles in 2023 and usually would be 3000+ by now. My target for the year is 5000 so I'll up the rides over the next few months. The result is I'm not as strong as usual and while I still have the stamina for distance, speed and hard climbing (which I love) are more difficult.
My intention over the next few months is to slowly work back to the fitness levels I like to have. I want to regain my climbing ability, I can still do it but slower by comparison with where I used to be - The Fred for example might be out of reach at present. But at 70 next year? We will see. I'm pretty sure matching or close to matching friends 15-20 years younger - heading for their prime - will be out of reach.
Adapting and the mental challenge? Until this year I have always targeted one or two events to train for, sportives in which I wanted to achieve something personal. For example 2021 it was to ride The Fred, 2022 a sub 5 hour Ride London and so on. This year I simply could not be arsed. I asked myself which do I want to ride? Seriously considered The Fred again because it's a great ride but questioned my commitment to training. I've realised in terms of hard challenges I no longer want to do this, mainly because I don't want my riding pre the event being all about getting fit and strong enough to ride a good time.
Overall I'm finding more and more of my rides are around 80% in Z1/Z2, good steady endurance with very little difference in overall time and averages, perhaps 15 these days when 12 months ago it would have been 16/16.5. It's noticeable on longer rides, 80+ miles, towards the end I'm stronger than the younger folk who set the pace. There is a target for next year - something major in France to celebrate my 70th birthday. I love to tour, I would like a swan song and hope Channel to the Med will be it - working on a couple of buddies to join me. My wife won't allow a solo tour following my brain haemorrhage in 2019. I may look again at The Fred simply because it is one of the finest cycle rides/routes in the UK.
These are things I've accepted over the last 9 months, it was difficult initially but today I feel very comfortable. I like knowing I have past achievements, at my level, and look forward to pushing mile after mile in Z1/Z2 for many years to come...........in about 15 years I may well be that old timer people ride by and wish well as I amble up Waddy Fell.
