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I gave up


Square Wheels

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I was excited about doing the Mt Washington century this year.  I had no plans to do it fast, I failed at that last year with a 6.5 hour time.  I was just going to ride it.

Then life got in the way, along with several colds and the flu.  I never get this sick.  Then the past couple of weeks have been rough.

Such is life, so I decided on the 44 mile route.  My wife and I did this once before when we didn't have time to train.  It's still a beautiful ride.

I just went out on a 20 mile ride this morning.  Less than a mile in I was exhausted.  Heart rate went way up, power was way down.  I bailed out and turned it into a 10 mile ride.  Even that pooped me out.

At this point, I am thinking of not even doing the 44.

This makes me sad.

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One of the hardest things to do is to accept the new reality, that you are no longer the person you used to be.

After my cancer, I wound up in PT several times. I kept injuring myself. I actually don't know how many times, but I do remember it happened again and again and again.

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This is a minor setback.  I am not sure yet why I am so exhausted.  I just climbed the stair to swap the laundry, that wiped me out.  Maybe I still have a virus?  This just isn't my year.  The run up was my slowest time yet, mostly from not raining.  I won't do the century, I may not ride at all.  I need to get back in shape.

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Sometimes you gotta just say WTF and go with the flow!!  I have done 2 rides this year..some is due to the shoulder thing..so is due to the lack of motivation..and the fear of making the shoulder worse.  Rest and recover...one bad year does not make a lifestyle change...you will get better and ride 44 miles..just not the 44 you had planned on doing.

Hang in there and work on recovery....says the woman who was using 20 & 25 pound weights and is now using a 1 pounder!!

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9 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

This is a minor setback.  I am not sure yet why I am so exhausted.  I just climbed the stair to swap the laundry, that wiped me out.  Maybe I still have a virus?  This just isn't my year.  The run up was my slowest time yet, mostly from not raining.  I won't do the century, I may not ride at all.  I need to get back in shape.

Definitely not the end of the world and definitely not permanent. Cut yourself some slack.

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Echo on all the good stuff.  I remember when I could do a 40 mile ride as the first ride of the season.  I would be slow and sore after, but I’d bounce quickly. 

Now I am like you in that I have a hard time getting up one flight of stairs, even though I climb stairs as a matter of course.  I am so unfit, and I do worry that something is drastically wrong with me. 

Take it slow, push on the pedals and you’ll do it.  If you don’t want to, don’t be hard on yourself.  Summer sucks as a time of the year to jumpstart fitness, ease back and you’ll get there. 

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8 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

Echo on all the good stuff.  I remember when I could do a 40 mile ride as the first ride of the season.  I would be slow and sore after, but I’d bounce quickly. 

Now I am like you in that I have a hard time getting up one flight of stairs, even though I climb stairs as a matter of course.  I am so unfit, and I do worry that something is drastically wrong with me. 

Take it slow, push on the pedals and you’ll do it.  If you don’t want to, don’t be hard on yourself.  Summer sucks as a time of the year to jumpstart fitness, ease back and you’ll get there. 

 

When N.Y.C.Is Your Gym: Meet the Athletes Redefining Fitness in the City’s Parks

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7 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

See, I looked like that just a month ago  What happened?

...one of the mysterious things about fitness is how quickly it disappears.  Especially given how long and hard you worked to achieve it in the first place.  It's a lot like money in that regard. :) 

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1 minute ago, Page Turner said:

...one of the mysterious things about fitness is how quickly it disappears.  Especially given how long and hard you worked to achieve it in the first place.  It's a lot like money in that regard. :) 

That is very -:;)$& profound! :D

Not to mention pithy. ;)

 

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1 hour ago, Square Wheels said:

This is a minor setback.  I am not sure yet why I am so exhausted.  I just climbed the stair to swap the laundry, that wiped me out.  Maybe I still have a virus?  This just isn't my year.  The run up was my slowest time yet, mostly from not raining.  I won't do the century, I may not ride at all.  I need to get back in shape.

...this is yet another teaching moment for the well researched connection between chronic stress and physical exhaustion.

 

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Don’t know what you’ve been through this year, @Square Wheels, but as mentioned cut yourself some slack.  And instead of saying “I gave up”, maybe say, “I’ve readjusted...”

Life happens to all of us.  Take the punches when you have to, lick your wounds as necessary and get back up.  Nothing in our ‘plans’ is written in stone.

Quite a few years back you and I had discussed meeting at Mt W for the hill climb. I backed out that year due to the issues I was having with my shoulder (and some others). I’ve finally ‘fixed’ the shoulder, so who knows, maybe after the recovery period and some serious training, we could still make that happen in the future.  I’ve still wanted to make that climb again. 

Peace

?

 

 

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This is a HUGE bummer if you have trained and sacrificed for it.  It's a "Meh" if you haven't.  I have skipped a couple events I signed up for, and while I regret losing the entry fee or associated costs, I think I generally weighed the pros and cons accurately and realized it was best to skip the event. I also once cut an organized century short at the 90 mile mark (wife picked me up).  I didn't want to, but I was beat down, and would have just suffered for no reason the final 15 miles. C'est la vie.

The real issue is that you are beating yourself up. You don't deserve it, and it definitely won't help you to tackle the hard stuff you really are facing.

From a Square Wheels Cycling Forum perspective, feel absolutely free to bitch, moan, feel sorry for yourself, brag, talk smack, whatever, but try hard to leave the negative stuff HERE and not in you actual real life and in your head.  Vent as much as you need here or other places where it doesn't impact your chances of getting better and riding the century NEXT year.

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19 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

This is a minor setback.  I am not sure yet why I am so exhausted.  I just climbed the stair to swap the laundry, that wiped me out.  Maybe I still have a virus?  This just isn't my year.  The run up was my slowest time yet, mostly from not raining.  I won't do the century, I may not ride at all.  I need to get back in shape.

You can do this, I’m sure Dottie will loan you his bike.  I get my stamina and fitness back fairly quick after a medical setback (surgery or illness) I think it’s harder for the folks that let themselves put on 50 lbs or so while laid up.

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15 hours ago, Further said:

To give up is to quit trying, you ain't even close to giving up   ;)

This.  Just taper your expectations and do what you can.  This riding thing should be your stress release, not a cause of it.  Just tell yourself it is not in the cards for this year and set a realistic goal for next and if you can only ride 10 miles you can only ride tem miles.  Get out and enjoy that 10 miles.

My wife just got cleared to get back on her bike and did her first ride of the year last week.  While she used to do up to sixty miles, she is now doing 9 or 10 and is done.  She, like you, is feeling a little defeated.  

Focus on what you can do, not what you can't.  

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27 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

I probably can do the 44, but I don't think I'd be happy.  I went for a 1.7 mile "run" this morning, that too was very hard.

My wife and I will talk, but it's feeling like I won't be riding it at all this year.

Why?  Make it work.  Sign up, ride what you can, call the wife and have her come and pick you up when ever and where ever you feel like you have had enough.  

Small steps.   Or set a goal.  10 miles, 20 miles, whatever.  Leave a car there with your rack on it, or have the wife meet you there and celebrate with an adult beverage someplace.

You can do this, just do it on your terms, not theirs.

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You are smart to listen to your body and not create any unnecessary stress by trying to make some artificial deadline.  This is  a temporary setback, but you need to take the time necessary to recover.

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22 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

I was excited about doing the Mt Washington century this year.  I had no plans to do it fast, I failed at that last year with a 6.5 hour time.  I was just going to ride it.

Then life got in the way, along with several colds and the flu.  I never get this sick.  Then the past couple of weeks have been rough.

Such is life, so I decided on the 44 mile route.  My wife and I did this once before when we didn't have time to train.  It's still a beautiful ride.

I just went out on a 20 mile ride this morning.  Less than a mile in I was exhausted.  Heart rate went way up, power was way down.  I bailed out and turned it into a 10 mile ride.  Even that pooped me out.

At this point, I am thinking of not even doing the 44.

This makes me sad.

At least you can do 10 while recovering and you have the ability to build on that!

I, who would sometimes go for a 13 mile run in the '80's, ran with my teenage cross country team in the 90's and '00's, have to find ways to motivate myself when I get tired early in a walk or ride.  So set three possible goals: the max. I think I can achieve, the probable I think I can achieve, and the least I'll settle for achieving.

That way, I don't get discouraged if one of the higher goals isn't reached and stay motivated.

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