[Closed] How much of an athlete...

Lived like a monk (of the non beer drinking variety) for years when I was a bit competitive. Then spent a decade getting into bad habits. I realised I had forgotten it was ok to be hungry from time to time and also I felt 'entitled' to eat whatever was in front of me. Now I'm a couple of months into a pretty radical lifestyle overhaul and feel amazing. My attitude to food is transformed and I have discovered a sense of personal responsibility. Yes, still have massive cravings but I've learnt that overcoming them is possible and it ok to not get what you want all the time.

Not at all. Life is too short to waste it with all that shit.

There's no point doing all that unless you're in with a chance of actually winning something.

I have regular Cherry Bakewell interval sessions, though.

I'm trying to improve my fitness and lose weight am 100kgs and want to get down into the 80's, but just love eating!!

The other problem as I pick up the exercise I want eat more. My fitness has improved loads but I'm really struggling to lose weight.

There’s no point doing all that unless you’re in with a chance of actually winning something.

And you are only going to win against folk who are doing much the same as you before you have to move up a category and then you have to put in even more effort to compete. Seems like a pointless ongoing escalation.

I'm reasonably disciplined.

I exercise 6 days per week, 30 ish miles run, often more and maybe 60 or 70 on the bike including commuting. I've kept this up all year, my lowest mileage weeks have been in the taper for a big event or the week after. There is some degree of paranoia in this, I used to be fat and hate not exercising as I fear I'm 1 missed day away from this again.

Eating, I could be better. The week is generally food, breakfast is fine, evening meals are usually fine but lunch is almost always crap and involving chocolate.

But, I do misbehave on the weekends, beer and pizza are involved but it could be a lot worse.

Not at all. Life is too short to waste it with all that shit.

Unless your'e actually an athlete.
Colin, I reckon your'e more of an athlete than me but I agree, life is too short for all that shit.

I try to be realistic. For me the most important things are diet and sleep. I also try to do at least 4 decent workouts a week of at least 20 mins duration. HITT training seems to work well for me (on cross-trainer and bike machine) and takes up a minimum amount of time. I like kettle bells too for strength training.

When I was in my 20s and 30s and to some extent my 40s I always thought I could eat whatever I felt like and exercise it off. But now in my early 50s I've come to realise that you need to be careful what you eat. With a decent diet (still not perfect, but cut out loads of sugar) I'm now as fit as I was back in my early 30s. I don't compete, I just ride for fun.

Not at all. Life is too short to waste it with all that shit.

This. I 'train' maybe 4 mornings a week before work, mostly because I love food, and beer & it gives more of a budget to fill.

I race, funnily not much this year, but of the 6 races I've done, I've podiumed 3 & I still get to race the odd world series level event. If i lived a boring life, and was strict about what i ate, who knows, i might even win a couple, but who cares in reality? I'd still go to an EWS and get absolutely smoked by 50% of the field at least.

And I'd be a miserable, boring tw*t. Probably would fit right in with the XC & CX crowd. 😆

Not at all. Life is too short to waste it with all that shit.

Unless you enjoy it, which I do.
I really enjoy the structured training and the discipline is gives, it kind of helps my mind as much as my legs.
The food is no real chore, it's as easy to make healthy stuff as it is unhealthy.

Life is too short to waste it with all that shit.

Born agains are the worst I appreciate but (within reason) being a bit bothered makes everything (climbing the stairs, riding the bike, sex) sooooo much better. Hell, even food tastes better when you eat with a bit more moderation.

The short answer: Not much!

The long answer...
I drink far too much caffeine, but rarely after ~1700
I rarely drink alcohol, been like that way before my fitness quest started, I can get a hangover from a single glass of wine if I drink it quickly on an empty stomach
I was snack-eating restrained from June 2016 to August 2017, dropping from ~95Kg to ~73Kg
Then restraint went out of the window, quickly back up to ~78Kg by Xmas 2017 and been fluctuating around ~81Kg since
Generally, things started going wrong when I started doing 2+ hour rides, not eating enough during rides, coming home and then emptying the cupboards and fridge

One of my goals is to manage 4W/Kg for 20mins, I got reasonably close (~3.9) back in March even with the extra "spare tyre," but then I lost all my winter fitness gains and then some through illness and then injury. But things have turned around and by chance while doing a shockingly bad Zwift race from a tactical pointy of view, I managed ~3.57 the other night towards the race end.

My cycling would be much easier if I had more restraint around hot cross buns; peanut butter; peanuts; chocolate and the latest addiction... Chocolate raisins!

Managed 6 months of discipline when training for my first Haute Route. Once I realised I was capable of making the cut-offs I wasn't quite as monk-like for the second one.

Since then I'm maybe a 8/10 if I've got a big event to target and a structured plan. 6/10 if not.

My favourite part is writing the plan. A bit like doing a revision timetable when at school, I was far better at the timetable than actually doing the revision (insert Arnold Rimmer reference...)

I eat sports biscuits.

I really enjoy the structured training and the discipline is gives, it kind of helps my mind as much as my legs.

This is me also.

One of my goals is to manage 4W/Kg for 20mins,

I'm aiming for that next year.  Yet I've my last race next weekend, have been I'll haven't trained much and have put on 1kg - natural winter fat harvesting has arrived.

I'm using MfP but I"m a grazer so like the flexibility, and being not flexible annoys me.  Anyway, I'm off for a 6pm 30 min workout with SIS REGO chaser...

Not enough. But I see the people who are serious and they're putting in both crazy amounts of training, but structured too along with eating like saints.
I'm all for a bit of exercise, but you've got to live too.

Anyone on here managed to stay super disciplined? Or its a only a task for pro’s with a £m incentive…?

Thing is you don't need to be 'super disciplined' to be decently fit. If you're prepared to train smart you can get away with relatively low volume and still be pretty quick. Likewise you don't have to forsake slightly unhealthy food and drink, just consume it in moderation.

I know things tend get nailed into binary choices in here - live like an Olympic athlete OR carry on like Mr Creosote - but really it's a continuum.

If you want to be really competitive, sure, you'll probably need to be a shedload more committed, but equally a lot of people enjoy that focus. It just depends how you're wired.

Hello.

On (a few carefully selected pieces of) paper I'm an elite athlete, sports scholar, all that jazz. At this time of year though I'm knee deep in my off season, so lots of crisps, nights out, social riding only. I'm about to go on holiday and don't plan on touching a bike for the whole 2 weeks.

Obviously I'm a bit more disciplined the rest of the year, but for any kind of sustainability you can't be too militant with the restrictions. Back in the junior days I'd send myself spiralling into self-doubt and anxiety if I ate one unhealthy thing or missed one session, which almost always had a detrimental effect on the rest of the weeks training. These days I'm much more relaxed with diet and scheduling and going much quicker for (or in spite of) it.

“athlete or middle aged STWer” paradox.

The latter definitely. Middle age you have way passed your physical peak.

In our local club there are a few GB age ‘athletes’

Are they good because they were always exceptional or just in middle age they have the time to train when others don’t?

There will also always someone who will always be quicker and can drink / eat / do everything

Ive found a happy place where I eat well most of the time, ride my bikes quite a lot but don't train and mix in a fair bit of gym work and pilates too so that my body works as well as possible for my age.
I'm not as fast as I was when I trained obsessively but I feel so much more balanced.
I like to live a reasonably structured life, so like to plan rides in patterns throughout my weeks and I like to feel well which is heavily influenced by what I eat.
I'm looking forward to getting back into racing again soon but want to do it for the love of speed rather than chasing that elusive improvement in status (which is an illusion anyway).
P.S. Hob Nob. The xc/cx crowd are some of the most wonderful, fun loving people you're ever likely to meet. I miss them way more than I miss the racing.

I find the idea that you have to be a super-disciplined athlete OR a beer guzzling pizza chomper a bit odd.

One can follow a training plan (and actually enjoy doing so) AND have the odd beer & pizza sessions and still be fast on a bike.

I'm with @rollingdoughnut on this. The 'more points will make me happy' thing seems like a fairly hollow motivation. Wanting to ride your bike fast because it's pointless, silly fun is really rewarding and has the side benefit of encouraging you to be healthy and fit.

Its very true, I'm much more relaxed after I gave up a 12hr top 10 on the basis I wanted a beer with mates and some time in the sun with my son at the camp site.

It was the thought of that Scottish marathon runner interviewed in Doha yesterday that has me posting this thread.  He said he spend his training in a heated shed with kettles of boiling water to simulate the conditions and to make him more effective.   I appreciate he's world class and notwithanding the electricity bill but that feels like madness.

“He said he spend his training in a heated shed with kettles of boiling water to simulate the conditions and to make him more effective. I appreciate he’s world class and notwithanding the electricity bill but that feels like madness.”

I’d rather do that than fly to the Middle East for one of the most important races of my life and then go through two hours of hell and perform really poorly!

Anyone on here managed to stay super disciplined?  Or its a only a task for pro’s with a £m incentive…?

If you want to live your life around training regime’s then why not. A mate of mine does long distance trails runs (across the Sahara etc.) and he’s a great laugh and drinks beer. He’s Uber fit mind, runs into town for his job (Beaconsfield to West London) has no kids though, and his wife is like his personal support crew 24/7.

Me? I chased all that crap once... and realised that I like sausages and a pint.

All the best on your endeavours 🤪

I'm not an athlete, but I'm not unfit.

Respect to those who dedicate themselves to training, as long as they're enjoying it obvs.

I'm just don't care about racing and only want to stay fit so I can do big rides and enjoy riding my bike fast.

I keep my body like I keep my office or my bedroom: immaculate, until something comes along to throw everything into chaos, and then I have to start again.

I go through long phases of high discipline. I don't drink much, or eat a lot of shit anyway, but I do love quantity, so really struggle with weight. My most appropriate weight level is about 78 kgs, but I have been as high as 94. I am now 89 as a result of being 11 months off the bike.

I have to say, though, that the pay-off for eating less and riding more is much higher than the shit feelings I go through when I am stuffing my face and sitting around.

Even if I am not "training" for competition, I find I am healthiest and happiest when I am competitive with myself.

National level long distance TTer. Regional chipper at circuit races. Off the back of the pack in road races. Can be seen mincing around the occasional muddy field or walking the technical parts. Never willingly/knowingly ridden Black!

I so wanted to be good at road racing. Training wise, a season to forget as I was I’ll all winter. Just the one 12hr TT this year, but managed to knock out 231 miles on three wheels with nowhere near enough training.

I’m less disciplined than I have been, but for my discipline, you don’t really lose the fitness very fast.

Hat is off to anyone who can do hard, structured training on top of everything else in their life. Sounds appealing on paper but the fatigue you build up must be brutal, like it must be great to be that fit, but I bet it doesn't feel like you're fit a lot of the time.

I have a good balance I reckon - race at the weekends, try and keep the turbo going, but nothing too serious. I actually like a good hard interval sesh because I'm never carrying that much fatigue into them - climbing on after work when you're tired, knee deep in TSS, is a different game.

Thinking of trying a serious block next year for time trialling, as I've probably got as fast as I can just showing up and doing them. Interested to see if I'm capable of stepping it up, and also if it will make as much difference as I think. Apparently some people don't respond very well to training load - like some folk can ride the turbo from the couch to cat 1, but others just aren't trainable in the same way.

Being fit to race bikes at any decent level seems to leave you open to catching every cold and other virus that's flying around . Also a lot of people I know have got into cycling and found that they like it so they naturally become fitter so they race then they train to be better at racing . Neither training nor racing is great fun unless you are dishing out the pain to other riders so they stop training as much , get worse results , get disillusioned and discover that golf and a relatively normal life is more fun .

Being fit to race bikes at any decent level seems to leave you open to catching every cold and other virus that’s flying around

I can verify that riding a decent amount, having school age kids, eating too much and enjoying beer also leaves you open to this.

Supermegaprolevel crisp eater. Was properly fit when doing sprint triathlon. Not any more though! Keep meaning to dust the turbo off but just can't quite be arsed.

Was the swimming that killed it for me, too time consuming and tedious.

Another missive from me...

My Niece (31, 2 kids) was a top level swimmer, just missed out on GB selection due to a bad case of “**** you lot” and then went travelling around the world, met some one in NZ, had two kids (now 4&2) divorced and came back to the UK (yeah, go figure) I bringing up those kids and still training for her open swimming stuff..

She came 2nd in the UK Open swimming champs this year, came second in the Beach triathlon in the open swimming and running (but hated the TT) so ended up top ten.

So.. what I’m really saying is... she’s single, has 2 kids, a job.... yet still trains like a looney in the pool..

Who says it can’t be done?

In a former life .

These days just for fun and the races that I really want to do. Done 2mtb races and a time trial this year.

Mostly I've been applying my knowledge and aptitude to other sports.

Always been shit at running but made great inroads into it this year finishing my first marathon.....over the Cairngorms. Took 15minutss off my pb for the 10k and took 3 minutes off my 5k.

Next year I'm working on getting an hour off that marathon and another 2 minutes off my 5k.

Mostly I got fed up of driving around the country every weekend to compete. Still love racing. Hate the time wasted driving .so just do what's local

I've never been an athlete of any sort, I was at my fittest over 30 years ago when a keen (though mediocre) rock climber. "Training" consisted of climbing walls, weight training and beer, though I did become quite well muscled. Since then not so much, a bit of bike riding here and there and I kept up the fell walking (sort of).

Now 65 I retired earlier this year and decided one thing I would do is spend more time on the bike. I already had a Polar computer for GPS mapping use and with the addition of HR and cadence monitors I started to look more seriously at my progress. I have no desire to compete, I just want to become more comfortable riding more quickly for longer. So looking for ways to improve I picked up a couple of British Cycling training plans and a free version of Trainingpeaks. I'm now deeply embedded in measuring my performance, plotting my fitness, fatigue and form. The latest is Heart Rate Variabilty and how that changes with respect to fatigue, sleep and red wine. It's interesting stuff and I think helps keep me motivated. I've even cut down on booze and snacks and lost a few pounds (although I wasn't exactly portly to begin with). What's helping is that Mrs. SOM is onboard and getting quite racy. She fancies a go at CX for God's sake!

Not an athlete so that's why I like 24 hour races.

I can go at knackered pace all day and all night.

I can still ride the Bealach na Bah on a single speed with a few stops [s]for oxygen[/s] to take pics.

But not an athlete, I just like riding my bike.

Hey, and isn't training a form of cheating? Not the sort of thing a gentleman would do... 🙂

Was a decent athlete once. Very healthy diet (probably excessively so), extremely limited alcohol intake. Training was very structured. Life involved travelling a fair amount to play sport, didn’t see a great deal of my kids for the first two years of their life.
Got injured for the second time. Had the potential of under going treatment to allow me to prolong playing, but wife deemed the risk was too high....
To keep active, I’d always mountain biked, so after stopping playing rugby and no longer being able to do my powerlifting I bought a new hard tail and a road bike, initially just to occupy my mind and keep me fit. Got hooked with road riding, lost just over 4 stone very quickly. I raced for a fair few years, crits and road. Did OK, but one of my last crits I really noticed I was about 20 years older than the rest of the field. Decided getting mullered for all the hard work wasn’t that much fun. I struggled with recovering from all of the short sharp sprints out of every pesky corner, think it’s an age think as FTP and power to weight is decent. Enjoyed the road races more as more structure to the race, but also not that many local and didn’t want to travel too far away from family.
Weight wise, it was always a struggle, I was 67kgs and 7.5% body fat, going up to about 10% during the off season. But with family life, social life and work, it was really difficult and even unfair of me to want to maintain that lifestyle.
I still ride with the fast guys a few times a week, still also mountain bike with friends for fun. But also enjoy my social life, eat and drink too much crap. But I realised how much I enjoy beer and crisps.
Bought a watt bike recently and much to my wife’s annoyance I’ve decided to race again next year.....LVRC and the odd Cat 2/3 local road races. I’m 47 years old, 72kgs, 13% body fat and after a recent test my FTP has dropped to 264, so a fair amount of work to do over the winter. I won’t obsess over it though and hope to find a balance.

So.. what I’m really saying is… she’s single, has 2 kids, a job…. yet still trains like a looney in the pool..

Who says it can’t be done?

It can, but it depends on your relationship with your family. I could **** off riding for 8 hours each weekend, but it would upset the rest of my family quite a bit because we are all a bit co-dependent.

As for racing - there's another option besides wanting to gain points. For me, I just like speed. I like the idea of being fast, I like being fast, and I like riding fast. It's not the only thing I like - I also like riding very long. But it's easier to train for the former 🙂

I'm fitter than the average bloke i reckon, but far from being an athlete

Couple of months ago i remember finishing a 10 mile tt with a time of 23.30 and was pretty chuffed with myself. Asked the next guy to finish how he'd done. 19.40.....

Put my efforts well into perspective..

By what standards? By the standard of the average 58 yr old I am super fit. By the standard of a club racer a porky lardarse. By the standard of a pro athlete?

I can however cycle or walk 8 - 10 hrs a day day after day after day so long as there is plenty of food and a beer at the end

One of the advantages of not pushing your training to the max all the time is that you don't tend to suffer as many injuries or develop chronic pains. So many elite athletes end up knackered before they even hit 40. That's my excuse for being lazy anyway! But seriously I think there is something to be said for pacing yourself, resting and not thrashing yourself into the ground every day. Especially as you get older. Probably why I've gravitated toward shorter rides and more variety of exercise in recent years. It feels like a better balance that way and I feel stronger too.

Not even a little bit. I did put a lot of focus into getting stronger and faster the first time I did an EWS round, and I enjoyed that as it gave my riding a focus, but even then I never once thought "I'll do a training ride instead of just going for a bike ride" or whatever.

Very similar to TiRed on the previous page. As in the occasional crit racer but mainly concentrate on TT’s especially the longer distances. I’ve done ok this season, won a open event, finished on the podium several times and came inside the top ten in all but one of my TT events this year. Done this on between 8-12hrs a week of riding/training. Off the bike I know I could do better. Sleep and alcohol intake being the two main problems. At 45yrs old and a shift worker my lack of sleep really takes its toll (when I’m on nights I’ve done well if I can get 5hrs kip when I hit the sack) The amount of times I’ve finished a 12hr day shift, got on the bike to do a workout and gotten off within 10mins because I’m barely able to turn the peddles I’m that knackard. As for the alcohol it’s a habit I need to get out of. I’m not an everyday type of drinker but when I do (once or twice a week) but when I do it’s to excess. Next year the national TT 12hr Championship is being held on the course I’ve done a couple of times so want to enter and pit myself against the best in the country. I want to do well in it so I know I’ll need to sort out the drinking and try and get more sleep (although the latter might be a problem) I want to finish that race in August safe in the knowledge that I did everything I could to get me in the best shape in readiness for it.

What a lot of us posting in this thread have in common is that we have in the past tried to live like an athlete and experienced the journey to see how fast we could get.
From my first race I wondered how fast I could get. Maybe I was an undiscovered talent?
Did a couple of years of book led training followed by three years of coach led.
The reality that I was just ‘quite good’ probably hit around year two of coach led. Year three I went all in to see if I could turn quite good into national top ten but I’d reached my limit and finally I broke mentally and physically.
Ditched it all this year and have enjoyed coming out of the madness.
Training is like a drug. It’s pretty fun for a while but eventually it takes over your life.

But do I regret that period of singleminded focus on training and competing? No.
I’ve got race numbers pinned to my wall with mud spattered on them like memories. I managed top twenties in National cx and xc and I kept up with Nick Craig and Paul Oldham for 60km once!
Priceless memories.

I was never an athlete, had an unhealthy relationship with food all my life, and was 105kgs once upon a time.

My dad has type 2 diabetes, his dad probably did too, so I decided it was time to change, or face lifelong medication. Focused on eating first, portion sizes and realizing how much you actually need to eat in a day. Then started riding a bike, enjoyed it. Then started doing events and training more seriously. Now I'm at 70kg (1.8m), and enjoy riding my bike. I am still no athlete, I'm no where near the power of a club rider, but I enjoy heading out to different places in Europe and making up the numbers doing interesting events.
My choice is try to push back the diabetes as long as possible.

What a lot of us posting in this thread have in common is that we have in the past tried to live like an athlete and experienced the journey to see how fast we could get.
From my first race I wondered how fast I could get. Maybe I was an undiscovered talent?
Did a couple of years of book led training followed by three years of coach led.
The reality that I was just ‘quite good’ probably hit around year two of coach led. Year three I went all in to see if I could turn quite good into national top ten but I’d reached my limit and finally I broke mentally and physically.
Ditched it all this year and have enjoyed coming out of the madness.
Training is like a drug.

What a great post.  Not at your level but as you know I’m right at this point in general.

It’s pretty fun for a while but eventually it takes over your life.

I had this out with my coach a while ago after getting to -84 TSB after 4 weeks, in tears and not being able to turn even recovery watts.  It’s mentally draining to feel like that when your at best top 20 in certain events.  Things have now changed very much for the better and I’m looking forward to my final year being a positive reason to train yet not weekends and evenings spent in despair.  Pizza and beer are on the menu occasionally  😀

Proper athletes really are special people.

50:50

Train around 15 hours a week: drink around 30 units a week.
Mostly eat well but also eat junk.
One of the fastest TTers in the country, competitive at Cat 2 road racing and was a decent triathlete when I gave it a go.

In truth I'm naturally blessed with a high VO2 max, low body fat and a pretty muscular build. So naturally quite a lot of an athlete.

So.. what I’m really saying is… she’s single, has 2 kids, a job…. yet still trains like a looney in the pool..

Who says it can’t be done?

It can, but it depends on your relationship with your family. I could **** off riding for 8 hours each weekend, but it would upset the rest of my family quite a bit because we are all a bit co-dependent.

Absolutely, I omitted the fact that her mother is pretty much a Nanny in the truest sense.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with challenging yourself, if you want to compete or just become faster and willing to train for it then why not. The discipline will do you good but be prepared for family (if you have one) to suffer if they’re not as committed as you are.

But... you do see folks out every weekend either taking part in some sport or training for their sport... which is great.

Training is like a drug. It’s pretty fun for a while but eventually it takes over your life

Without a doubt.

It was ok when all I had was about 8hrs of uni a week and 18hrs of work in anti social hours ....would work till 3am then go for a ride because let's face it sleep wasn't happening

Although I enjoy training I'm training for arbitrary goals that I set rather than chasing position . While I could be committed and get back there I've just had a little one and don't want to go down that rabbit hole. Got that tee shirt. -kind of follows on from my unwillingness to drive across the country every weekend. It's not fair on the little one or the wife.

Unless you enjoy it, which I do.
I really enjoy the structured training and the discipline is gives, it kind of helps my mind as much as my legs.
The food is no real chore, it’s as easy to make healthy stuff as it is unhealthy.

+1.

What a lot of us posting in this thread have in common is that we have in the past tried to live like an athlete and experienced the journey to see how fast we could get.
From my first race I wondered how fast I could get. Maybe I was an undiscovered talent?
Did a couple of years of book led training followed by three years of coach led.
The reality that I was just ‘quite good’ probably hit around year two of coach led. Year three I went all in to see if I could turn quite good into national top ten but I’d reached my limit and finally I broke mentally and physically.
Ditched it all this year and have enjoyed coming out of the madness.
Training is like a drug. It’s pretty fun for a while but eventually it takes over your life.

Sounds familiar..

I started competitive cycling once my children had grown up. While they were growing, I used to take them for nice rides in the countryside on the kiddyback tandem and rode the occasional sportive. I also long-distance commuted a bit too (bike-bus-bike to london and about 30 miles riding a day). First competitive race was at 44, and I have improved year on year since then...

"I could have been a contender"...Except I've never been able to sprint. And long distance endurance racing is an old man's game anyway! I did get my second Cat license the hard way though, and retained it. But not this season.

About 12 hours a week will get you nationally competitive. That is very hard with a young family and a profession life.

Nah, not at all really. I have some times of the year when I can ride a few times a week and the fitness comes. Definitely not structured training. Races- well I enter a few and enjoy them, but we're talking mid-pack mediocrity. Often I have large chunks of the year when I seem to go from illness to illness or have injuries. Diet - not great, but not bad. A bit of booze at the weekend too. But all this is as much as I can do. I couldn't sustain structured training without falling apart, so it's all just for fun, including any races.

Think I read or heard somewhere that about 85% of your calorie intake should be from healthy food - whether that's each day or saving the 15% for a blow out at the weekend. I have pizza or dinner out when my partner suggests it, but the rest of the time I'm fairly sensible aside from too much of a sweet tooth. I wouldn't go so far as Pro tour riders do. I keep it varied and in moderation - good quality main meals, not going to stress too much about the odd pizza, burger, fish and chips, glass of wine.

And when I say "healthy" I still mean stuff like real butter on bread, sugar in an espresso etc. No joy in living like a monk when you're not paid for it is there!? 😀

sugar in an espresso

Even as a non-athlete thats just very wrong.  And double detention for posting it on a cycling related forum!

Another consideration here is genetics...some people are pre exposed to it.. another is some people bodies need near constant food(including mine..meds cause that..)I can still hold my own and dont gain much weight ..am I an athlete..no ..am I fat and lazy ..no ..so where does that put me?..a bit above average.. not a bad place to be considering the effects of a very structured diet leads to lots of time being I'll and throwing up(it gets that bad..)when I need food...I NEED food..but work my body almost all day to keep my weight down..

Something to think about there..were not all cut out to be athletes but we can be better then average with enough work...
.

were not all cut out to be athletes but we can be better then average with enough work

In terms of genetics this was always me.  Playing Kent league  Rugby I had to train twice a week and be in the gym 3 times to keep up with those who'd roll off a building site Saturday mornings with a box of Sandwiches, smash a game then neck a few pints after full time.

Such is life.

Shred

Member
I was never an athlete, had an unhealthy relationship with food all my life, and was 105kgs once upon a time.
My dad has type 2 diabetes, his dad probably did too, so I decided it was time to change, or face lifelong medication. Focused on eating first, portion sizes and realizing how much you actually need to eat in a day. Then started riding a bike, enjoyed it. Then started doing events and training more seriously. Now I’m at 70kg (1.8m), and enjoy riding my bike. I am still no athlete, I’m no where near the power of a club rider, but I enjoy heading out to different places in Europe and making up the numbers doing interesting events.
My choice is try to push back the diabetes as long as possible.

This is inspiring. Thanks for posting.

Would I consider myself an athlete... No.

But I love competing, whether that is with myself, with others, for the win (very rarely) or just trying to beat the guy in front and stopping the guy behind beating me.. I enjoy the thrill of it and always have done from when I played schoolboy football, rugby, golf, motocross etc I enjoy competition.

I have followed a plan this year and it has lead to some good results for me, but I haven’t done it religiously as real life (self employment, 3 kids, house improvements etc) gets in the way, and you have to let it otherwise you’ll destroy yourself mentally and physically. My best result this year was a 4th place 12hr solo at the 24/12, which was the best I was ever going to do considering who was in front of me. I would consider them to be athletes, in their early 20’s (I’m 39) and train/ride all the time at very high level. I was buzzing just being up there and their pit crews keeping an eye on me!!! You have to be realistic in what you are willing to give and what you expect to achieve.

At the level most of us race the margins are large between winning and midfield mediocrity so if we have a pizza or a beer or 2 it’s more than likely not going to affect your result, so crack on and enjoy life. We’re not talking split seconds where everything makes a difference,  if you eat pizza all day and drink beer all night then you won’t be much kop, but don’t deprive yourself the joys of life, whether that’s food, drink, time with your kids etc to try and gain a couple of watts or FTP or something else.

Enjoy it all, you can’t buy time so don’t waste it fretting over something that in the scheme of things won’t make a blind bit of difference.

I've been mulling this thread over. Once again Kryton has tapped into something with his open and honest approach to life.

I'm asking myself; what do I want?

I stopped racing because I was tired of the:
Suffering,
nervous exhaustion,
guilt from missing training,
travel,
constant analysis.

I miss (in this order) the:
Camaraderie, the hugs and the sheer joy shared between the guys,
the feeling of being on the very edge of control on the bike,
the sight of my legs still pumping up and down despite complete exhaustion,
The pride at getting a good call up,
The knowledge that I'm a cool, hard, killing machine out on the bike.

I don't really know where this leaves me to be honest. I've been away from the scene for 9 months now and still enjoying the release, yet I'm excited about racing again.
I'm at the point where I'm trying to find a path where I can maintain peace and happiness, yet also find that drive to go out on those tough training rides that are somewhat a necessity in such an endurance based sport.

See Kryton, I think you *are* an athlete. You obsess about training, you focus on different disciplines year on year and aim to improve. From your posts on here, you don't seem happy "just" riding your bike. But don't beat yourself up when you're not following a strictly calorie controlled diet of steamed fish, brown rice and vegetables....

There's a difference between being a professional, paid athlete and being an amateur athlete. Its all on a spectrum.

You have to enjoy what you do, whether that's train and eat properly, just train or just ride or somewhere amongst it all.

Couple of months ago i remember finishing a 10 mile tt with a time of 23.30 and was pretty chuffed with myself. Asked the next guy to finish how he’d done. 19.40…..

There are people doing 18mins at sub 280 Watts with the right aero kit. I used to a 10m TT at 330W and never got below 25 mins mainly as I was on a normal road bike and not that bothered about the time.

I've been gradually getting into the mindset of training and racing, and feel I would like to go further, but I just seem pre-disposed to injuries!

Whenever I feel like I'm getting somewhere, maybe actually improving on PBs or setting respectable times on big climbs, something hits the big reset switch and I have to spend weeks ir months off the bike getting depressed and slow again.

I'd just give up riding altogether but think I'm just too far gone, can't imagine what else I'd do! Feels like maybe I'm not cut out for proper dedicated training and just need to be satisfied with plodding around at a nice easy pace everywhere ☹

There are people doing 18mins at sub 280 Watts with the right aero kit. I used to a 10m TT at 330W and never got below 25 mins mainly as I was on a normal road bike and not that bothered about the time.

You should probably let Alex dowsett know. Took him AVE 426 to go 19 and change.

Unless the right aero kit is a prone /low rider recumbent.

From your posts on here, you don’t seem happy “just” riding your bike. But don’t beat yourself up when you’re not following a strictly calorie controlled diet of steamed fish, brown rice and vegetables….

There’s a difference between being a professional, paid athlete and being an amateur athlete. Its all on a spectrum.

indeed.  This post wasn’t a moan, just in interested question.   Personally I’m in a lot happier place now, having had a Demi rant at my coach and a bit of self belief was injected by placing in the top 10 at 24/12 when I went “just to ride my bike”.

Training will contain a bit of fun stuff and the objectivity I needed to see, my weight’s coming down to where <i>I</i> feel comfortable, and finally I’m at a place with work where I’m less mentally trapped in a corporate cycle.  In the main Ive stopped thinking about where I finish and have redirected that to how I perform.   As long as I’ve rocked up and made the most of things nothing else really matters.  This last bit was inspired by the non winning athletes in Doha who seem very comfortable that where they were in there performance cycle is part of a process and PB is as good as a gold medal.

Being fit is part of my DNA, I can’t be unfit and lazy but am appreciating that it’s a hobby not a job, and had some great MTB rides locally in the last of the summer sun to remind me of that.

I made a conscious choice in 2018 to do whatever it took to finish my PhD. As I was still working almost 50 hours per week and have kids (7and 2) This meant working until very late in the evening and required regular infusions of crisps and wine. I put about 8-10kgs over this period.

Come January 2019, I started riding to work every day (38mile round trip) come March, I was running 3-4 times per week doing initially 5ks then 10ks, now half marathons every month.

My weight has dropped to 70kg (6’) and I’ve my power is up to about 4.5w/kg, my half marathon times (not in any races) are about 1:45 and my 10k at 45m.

I haven’t dieted at all, just worked a little harder, trying to do all my exercise either commuting or with the kids. My 10k is usually pushing the Chariot whilst my son rides alongside.

Now am I fit? Maybe a little more than average? On strava, across regular segments I’m often in the top 20-30.

Am I an athlete? Hell no! I’ve tried to attack some of those segments and follow some people who’re properly fit and do massive amounts of training. I’ll never be that quick, but then, I don’t really aspire to be either.

80:20 rule. For everything.

Its funny.  Ive just dropped my 10yo off to the local grammer school where he's been invited for a Sport Scholarship try-out for next years entry.

The last thing i said to him before I left was "just enjoy yourself and do your best, no one can ask more that that from you"

How very hypocritical... 😀

I'm Jackie Moon I am 🤣🤣

You should probably let Alex dowsett know. Took him AVE 426 to go 19 and change.

But that's actual real WTP ratified data

The only time I've had a 6 pack was between 1989 and 1992, but that was down to spending my weekends at the Hacienda.

That's about as close as i got to being an athlete

There are people doing 18mins at sub 280 Watts with the right aero kit. I used to a 10m TT at 330W and never got below 25 mins mainly as I was on a normal road bike and not that bothered about the time.

That dude put out 380 watts and is top 20 under 23 level. The course isnt stupidly fast though, so my time was still a decent effort imo. He won by about 2 min over rest of field.

Point being, the difference between proper athletes and mere mortals is huge.

The Definition of Athlete
Merriam-Webster defines it as “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina.” ... In other words, an athlete can be a top competitor — or an average finisher.

Completely agree with mtbtomo adding the reminder, athlete doesn't just mean pro or elite level athlete.
Listening to Bradley Wiggins at his "An evening with" the other week, he nonchalantly says how he could hold 400 watts for an hour. Ridonculous! My wife asked me how long can I hold 400 watts - she was surprised when I said 2 minutes at the very most and even then I'd be absolutely cream crackered.

The older I get, the better I was...

But, I pretty much live with all things in moderation. Except class A's I guess.
I pretty much do everything to about 80% effort, cycling, work, whatever. I was a semi-pro level footballer 20 years ago, but was never interested in putting in the effort to get fit enough to do really well.
There's always something else that interests me that stops me from getting completely absorbed. I'll ride three or four times a week, like to improve but won't commit to make massive gains. I only drink Friday to Sunday (and once a month i host beer tastings), quit eating refined sugar but still maintain the same ~95kg i weighed 25 years ago at uni... even if it my centre of gravity is lowering.