Such A Thing As Old School Athlete

Growing older, while not for the faint-of-heart, does bring about an interesting lifestyle choice that I like to think of as being an old school athlete.

Still practicing whatever event we used to compete in during our younger years, we bring a different sensibility to an industry that has evolved and benefited (mostly) from the introduction of technology. 

Still, there is benefit to be gleaned from the wisdom of the days before computers.

I Bought A New Bike

Every so often, I venture into the n+1 world of bicycles. The frugal tradition I grew up with, mostly because we had little for luxuries (like extra bikes when you have a perfectly serviceable one in the garage), makes for rather long stretches of time between purchases. Unless prompted by a crash (I have killed a few bikes over the years), buying new wheels is a carefully considered purchase.

Given the lingering effects of the COVID vaccine on my body, my racing aspirations have been revised in recent years. Lo and behold, there is now a new style of bicycle that softens some of the harder edges of racing machines. It allows for a bit more comfort over pedaling long distances. 

Coincidence of marketing, I am sure.

Anyway, bicycles have always been an intimate decision, so test driving prospective purchases is de rigueur. I started with a listing of machines that met my technical and budgetary criteria. I was off to ride as many different ones as I could.

Typically, bikes that looked good on paper, and had loads of marketing hyperbole, rode adequately. Other machines that I had not considered technically, rode like a dream. Go figure.

The ultimate decision came down again to a seat-of-the-pants evaluation. Not the fanciest machine but the one that according to the classic tale, was just right for me.

Science Tech Everywhere

So all of the data I could reasonably crunch in my search for a new bicycle was ultimately outvoted by a subjective ride comparison. Bike shops sure know the true nature of their customers.

Which brings me back to data generated by the computer technology we carry on our bodies and machines as we workout. Some of the data is useful but for us average and/or older athletes, do we really need all of that? 

Body awareness is something many of us old school athletes have honed over decades of experience. Not always quantifiable, we learned when our bodies were banging empty, we could pull out just one more strong effort.

Not a technical reserve but a spiritual reserve from which we were able to will the body to perform when it indicated that it could not. Sports medicine records such events but does not always have results that hold up to reproduction.

My message to so much of the technology associated with amateur athletic performance is “trust me, I know what I am doing”. I appreciate the heart rate information being generated. The hysterical warnings that my current rate could adversely affect my recovery rate is unnecessary. I get that warnings are important in a youthful world that relies on messages to guide behavior, I do, however, already have this covered. Really.

An Old School Athlete in the Wild

I do like technology and I really enjoy using it under performance conditions. I sometimes wish, however, that the tech companies would trust me a little more than they do. Yes, I will review your specs and data. I will even listen to you gush with enthusiasm over the latest innovation that, I am sorry, does not always translate into miraculous athletic performances. Just the nature of the amateur athletic world, I guess.

Trust me to use your data but not always take it so very seriously. I live my athletic life according to what I have experienced and catalogued over the years. Your data does not always give the full picture. Sometimes I just have to verify by taking it out for a test ride to see if it works for me.

“What did I discover during my solo—besides learning to unwrap my energy bar ahead of time? That you ask yourself a lot of questions when you’re alone on a bike for that long. One question more than others: Why the heck am I doing this? When I was done, I think I had found the answer: For the satisfaction that comes with pushing your body to the breaking point and conquering the unknown.”
― Matt Long