For The Love Of It

A few training log books from my competitive lifting days.
I have these dating from 1981 to 2006
I still train with weights 5 days a week, but no longer keep a training log

I started training with a power meter in 2008 and now track cycling training digitally.
My blog is a training log of sorts as well. Though humble as the data proves.

How can one describe dedication to training?

I started formal training way back in 1981 when I was invited to go lift at the student gym at Western Kentucky University. At that time I weighed 115 pounds at 65 inches tall. My knee joints appeared bigger than my upper thighs. To be honest I cannot think of a single time in the past 32 years that I wanted to stop training once I started. That first year of lifting I gained 40 pounds of bulk from an untrained state and that was while being on a broke student budget with limited nutrition and really no knowledge of proper nutrition.

Although I competed and did well winning a number of competitions even to the point of my peak in 1993 when I qualified to go the NPC National level in bodybuilding. Though I was considerably strong for my stature I was never really focused on competition. Over the span of those years competition was never more to me than to see what I could achieve in training. It was and has always been about the training. I've never really been concerned what others thought about my achievements either as if I live within this bubble that only concerns me. (selfish I know) But because of this focus and perspective it gives to me something that I have seen missing in a lot of other athletes and that is the drive to be at the gym and on the bike daily. If my body could take it and I could make a living from it I would have no trouble training all day everyday. I am confident in this statement because at 51 years old now I have not really skipped a beat in motivation and willingness to train.

On the flip side of this I have seen some really genetically gifted people in strength and endurance sport that do not have the drive. They are primarily successful based on their better than genetic ability, but can never really get to that next level because they just do not have a love for training. I have met some that are purely motivated by competition and they train because they love to win. But  when I talk to them they dread going to the gym or running or cycling or whatever it is that they need to do. They do it, but they seem to hate doing it. I have coached these types as well and you just about have to drag them to the gym and speak motivational hymns to them constantly as they drudgingly go through the motions. It is something that is so hard for me to comprehend because I love training so much. I think about it just about all day every day. Sometimes I wish my brain would just shut up for a moment as I think about various training principles and sciences. It just never seems to stop.

It seems like my genetics favored the squat rack much more than it does endurance training. I've progressed very little in cycling and never really expected to progress that much, but I love it. Hence the title of this blog as I post what would seem uninteresting low level training data on a constant basis. When my friend, Edgar introduced me to cycling in 2004 he let me borrow a fairly rusted old mountain bike that he had and join him on a ten mile ride. At this point I was retired from competition and from sports specific training. That first ride was terrible on one side where I struggled on that flat rails to trails path and on a mild three percent incline for a few hundred feet I vividly remember being doubled over gasping for air. On one side it was a frustrating experience, but on the other side I was instantly addicted. Since that day I have been training in two extremely different aspects (lifting and cycling) and never once has anyone had to drag me to either. I do have days where I struggle with recovery and fatigue, but very rarely from lack of motivation. Even if I never improve my endurance performance, Functional Threshold or watts/kg by another small fraction I believe I will still be eager to train.

I know there are many like me and I see them and read their stories and it motivates and excites me just a bit more. On a frigid winter morning to see some of the cycling friends that love cycling so much they are willing to be out on that bike regardless of shivering in the cold. And some of these friends are in their 60's to boot. Amazing! They love it. I love it!

Even when no one is out there on the road with me for hours of riding alone or being down in my basement spinning at a higher intensity after a hard day of work and stress. No one has to drag me to the gym or to the bike. If anything you just about have to drag me away from them.

I am addicted to cycling regardless of what I will achieve. Are you?