Originally Posted by
Bah Humbug
That's testimony to mental and physical toughness.
It was indeed. Addiction is the thread below; there's a whole long story behind the name but it's turned into a long-running banter thread of a few of us keeping in touch over the years. They saw me go through a ton of dating trouble and two cities and getting married, going through stages of riding or not, and so on. It features kids, pets, woodworking, cars, coffee, kitchen gear, football, and even the occasional bike.
Addiction 2022.3
I was in the Marine Corps. They pretty much beat all the quit out of me. I'll check out that thread. Sounds like an OT kind of thing.
Originally Posted by
seypat
As with any athletic endeavor, the most important factor is if you chose your parents/grandparents/ancestors correctly. Hard work will only get you so far. Same for equipment upgrades. Sprints and distance are 2 different animals anyway. Just be the best you can be, but don't beat yourself up. Enjoy yourself and the process/activity. Otherwise, you might be a one and doner that becomes a spectator. Last place in the activity is still better than watching from the sidelines.
Man, you ain't kidding! I chose poorly.
The only other "athlete" in my family is my brother rode in local competitive races when he was younger, but that was also 25 years ago. The thing about coming from low means often is putting food on the table and keeping the lights on demands more time than athletic endeavors. My generation (me, my brother and cousins in the same age bracket) are really the first generation in my family to have discretionary income.
Originally Posted by
NitroExpress
Maybe, but here is your original post: "Did a sprint triathlon in Long Beach this morning. 12.28 mile course in 40:45 = 18mph pace. My goal has been to break 20mph on a timed circuit. I was saving a little bit for the run, but not that much. If I had just gone balls out, maybe 18.5mph but I'm still a long way from 20mph sustained pace. But that's still pretty good, right?"
What info have you given?
How old are you?
What kind of shape are you in?
How much do you ride?
Sounds like your looking for Kudos!
18 mph would be great for me!
My son would do this on a bad day, with a hangover!
What is the point of your post?
OK, since you seem to be walking back your jerk post, I'll give you some current stats.
52 years old
Overweight, but physically good shape. I'm always bordering on "Athena" qualifications. I work more for endurance than maximum speed.
I ride 50-75 miles a week. It's one of several activities in my training regimen.
Point of my post? Sometimes you just want to open a conversation.
Obviously, there are some here that have been competitive athletes most of their lives. That's not me. When I was in the military, I was in pretty good shape. I got out and didn't maintain it. Cancer 12 years ago kind of opened my eyes to taking better care of myself. Chemo and radiation later, I try to do more to stay in shape. Physically, I have a pretty solid routine. Admittedly, my downfall is my diet. I know that. I own it. I'm working on it.
Originally Posted by
tempocyclist
If it's got a decent set of deep section wheels AND you can get yourself into a more aerodynamic position compared to your current road bike with clip-ons, then yes it will help to an extent. Is it the difference between 18mph and 20mph? Possibly, depending on how "un-aero" you are now. You still have to pedal hard though.
Don't get too caught up in the 20mph number. Small incremental improvements on the bike and the run will net big time gains!
Can confirm... 😔
I'm not hung up on the 20mph number. I mean, I would like to get there, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I think I'm more realistic about what is possible now than I was when I set that target. I may set up my phone to take a pic of me on my bike (if I can figure out how by myself) just so you can see what I'm working with. If I eventually do get a tri bike, the goal isn't going to be so much to get to that magic, and completely arbitrary, number. It will just be to see some improvement.
Originally Posted by
Bah Humbug
To be clear, in case it wasn't (to you or
VegasJen or anyone else) the rude reply was to dipstick, not the OP. Yes exactly, and while I was reasonably successful at short-course tri I spent some time in high school earning my share of DFLs but zero DNFs, so I know how hard it is. Only respect.
I completely get where you're coming from. I'm a middle-of-the-pack "athlete"
in spite of my physicality.