dcrowell

I decided back in December to train for a triathlon that's coming up in August. It seemed a good way to boost my self-esteem and get off the weight plateau I've been on.

I ran a 4k, a 5k, and 8 miles on Saturday. My swimming is horrible. I don't have time for training. I hate running, it hurts me. I'm done. I quit.

I've decided that any type of racing is not for me. I want to ride a lot of miles. I'll continue to do some weight training. I'm done running.

I had a hare-brained idea to race the Tour Divide in 2015, but that's out now too. No racing.

Could I do these things? Yes, I believe I could, with enough training, but I hate the training. I'd rather just ride my bike.

Jtgyk

Life's too short to do things you hate. Go out and ride, tour, randonnee, ride around the neighborhood....whatever. Do what you enjoy.

nymtber

I must agree. Just ride, and enjoy it, because cycling is supposed to be enjoyable I wish I could ride right now, but the amount of salt used around here to melt snow is NOT something that I am going to expose even a walmart bike to. Not to mention clothing that would be destroyed by the salt. No thanks, I wait till spring

Running sucks. If its part of another sport (tennis, ultimate frisbee, whatever) its fine, but alone? BORING! Walking however I can do

CraigB

Don't be too hard on yourself. I decided 25 years ago that I didn't have a taste for the training needed to perform well in competition. IMO, very few of us do.

Once in a while I enjoy participating in competition, but that's not anything close to the reason I love to ride. And my nascent running is being done only to prove to myself that I can do it (if I actually get that far).

robtown

Quitting would be sitting on your sofa and eating cheese puffs. You've just refined your goals.

I've had a fantasy about entering a triathlon since I have a good tri capable bike. The problem is the swimming (I founder and sink), and running. The last couple of 1 mile runs (actually jogs) made my lower back burn with pain for days afterward.

I signed up for a charity ride that will kick my butt (it has once already) 184 miles of canal path in two days. It is a ride, not a race and I'll use my cyclocross bike. I believe my craving for acquiring the cross bike was due to using a MTB on that first ride. The ride will be as difficult as a tri but I will enjoy it.

dcrowell

That's a great way to think about. Thanks!

(I don't even like cheese puffs)

Mr Sinister

You leave my cheese puffs out of this...

I do agree he didn't quit, he just refined his goals. I myself am also thinking of doing a triathlon this summer/fall. But I am also thinking of why do I really want to do it... I mean do I really want to do it, or is it just some sort of dumb ass goal I am setting for myself. So long as I get my weight down, and enjoy what I am doing to get there, then I haven't quit anything. This is what you're doing, so you are not a quitter.

iforgotmename

My motivation for this summer is to do the Pan Ohio Hope Ride. 328 miles in 4 days, benefits the American Cancer Society and has sag. You could actually do it as they give you and your bike a lift to Cleveland from Cincinatti. It's a great cause and looks like a great time, the other benefit would be to give you a goal. They also have a free training program that was created by a tri coach...just a thought.

CliftonGK1

Watch the Tour Divide DVD. That along with Bicycle Dreams is enough to keep me from ever wanting to do a race of that magnitude.
Last season I rode until I put myself in the hospital. I too have refined my goals. This year I'm concentrating on recovery, 100k rides with the randonneurs, and CX racing (because it's ridiculous fun with a bunch of my crazy friends and only lasts 30 minutes.)

jethro56 

I find myself proposing "Fitness Goals" such as these to myself.Well not anywhere near as intense. But they're near the maximum of what I consider attainable for myself. After the coolness factor wears off and I come up with a plan to achieve this goal, I ask myself whether this will be challenging or drudgery. I like a good challenge not so much for drudgery.

One thing I struggle with is question of fitness and how to measure it. When it comes to weightloss it's a straightfoward task to tell when you're overweight. Fitness? Not so much so. It'll be great when I define what level I need to be and plan for it. Until then, I'll just keep coming up with proposals to evaluate and a moderate level of exercise to stay active.

dcrowell

I got the idea of doing the Tour Divide after reading Kent Peterson's writings about his attempt last year. I watched "Ride the Divide" a few weeks ago. It didn't deter me.

What is making it a no-go is training. I'm not even all that good at off-road riding. That's okay, I can be happy with touring instead.

I read about your saddle issues. Strangely, I've never had a saddle issue once I got a few months into cycling and have the bike dialed in. Maybe my butt is different. Then again, I've never attempted a 1200k.

BigUgly

I'm with ya. I have had the desire to do a triathlon the past 3 or 4 years. Between sinking in the pool and work and family schedules I can never seem to pull it off. I know I can compete in the cycling part, and maybe the running part(go my 5K to a time of 34:30 but not after swimming). Just can't seem to get time to go to the pool and train for an open lake swim. Like others have said, if its not fun then why do it? I beginning to think my lower back pain is from all the running I have been doing. It's a necessary evil for me to lose wait and keep it a little better shape then I have been. Going to try trail running when the MTB trails around here dry out. If you only want to ride then just ride.

robtown

Here are three - where you can look for numbers trending lower. Blood pressure, resting heart rate, and body fat percentage.

Harder to check - from the doctor's office - cholesterol (esp HDL), blood sugar, and triglycerides

jethro56 

BP 102/62, RHR 47,BF% ~15, HDL 40, A1c 4.8, TRI 138

Doc says Very Healthy. But I know I can be stronger,faster... whatever. I just want it to be fun while challenging myself.

freighttraininguphill

+1 on what everyone else said. Do what makes you happy. You're still exercising and improving yourself by riding recreationally instead of training to race. I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to do that stuff anymore. I tried it during the first half of 1993 for mountain bike racing. It was mostly fun at first and I did pretty well, but when it came time to upgrade from the Beginner class the fun was over. It became the kind of sufferfest I DON'T like, and not worth it to me. I'd rather suffer on my own terms

CliftonGK1

The thing to realize is that Kent is a mutant. I mean that in the nicest way possible; I've ridden with him and he's a really nice guy, great advocate for cycling, etc. But he's in a class above most when it comes to riding.
He's one of those guys that can survive on little to no sleep. He can fuel himself on garbage. No, really... we're talking about a guy whose personal slogan is "Not A Nutritional Role Model". He's done a 1200k fueled on little more than Payday bars and Starbucks. He can ride for hundreds of miles on trail mix and peanut M&M's. He won the Raid Californie-Oregon (1200k from SF to PDX, fixies only) then rode the additional 200 miles back to Seattle so he could go to work. By his own admission, he doesn't beleive in "training" either. When you ride 12,000/year you really don't need to do anything additional as training.
Most of us, with the right training, could finish a race like the Tour Divide or a 1200k brevet. Some people, like Kent, Vinnie M (over 40,000k RUSA distance last year), and Mark T (4x 1200k events last year) just have a different natural ability for the sport, and structured training doesn't play much into their routines.

I'm of the attitude that if it's not fun anymore, then why do it? I sort of wore the fun out of ultradistance last season, so I'm just not doing any this year. For some people, the fun is in pushing themselves past the limit. Different tastes for everyone, I suppose.
Good luck and good times in whatever you choose to do for your cycling.

robtown

I'd say so! Please tell me you're only 30 years old and save this 50+ old's self image. I cannot quote my stats - my physical is in 3 weeks - but they aren't that good.

CraigB

Mine aren't quite that good, but OK for a 56 year old: BP 115/65, RHR 50-55, HDL and LDL both about 60, total cholesterol 124. I wish I could take all the credit for those numbers, but there's medication involved, too. I will say to my credit that a year ago, at 270 pounds, all of those were higher (except HDL which was lower). They were all in the "acceptable" range, barely.

We won't go into BF% - even at 200 pounds, my scale says it's about 22%

jethro56 

I bet you could easily smoke this 54 yo's butt on a bike. I would take you on scooping corn in a grain bin though.

Mr. Beanz

Doesn't sound like quitting to me. More like lack of interest. I enjoy training for a timed event every now and then but like you, I dont care to race.

Neil_B

You aren't quitting. This is a game with movable goalposts.

RunningPirate

I'm going to +1 everything that's already been said up here: You didn't quit. You're one of the individuals that can assess the situation and realize that it doesn't fit with what you want or need and as such, is not worth your talent or effort. Ever see a bartender with a law degree? That's a person that was afraid of being called a quitter...and now he has wasted irretrievable years of life pursing something he didn't want.

This thing we do isn't supposed to be work. It's supposed to be transportation, recreation and exercise - no need to complicate it much more than that.

Now - there are some roads with your name on them...go ride!

cyclokitty 

This isn't quitting. Quitting occurs when you can't be bothered to try and you won't try.

Rather, you tried running and don't like it and it interferes with cycling, an activity you do enjoy. That is much more than most people ever do. Now you have more time to ride your bike (and not be sidelined by any potential running injuries).

Neil_B

I'm not riding cross country in 2011. Am I a quitter, dcrowell?

dcrowell

You've accomplished enough that nobody should call you a quitter.