In my earlier post about "I JUST DON'T LIKE IT" I complained about my preference for beating my head against a brick wall despite the fact that I know that the brick wall will win. This doesn't have a thing to do with old age. It's just been an old unsuccessful and overrated way of doing things that I've developed over a lifetime into an `art form.'
As Forrestt Gump would say: stupid is as stupid does! Meaning what I do may be stupid but I, the person, am not be stupid.
So why have I used my head as a battering ram against bricks?
--- Basic lack of confidendence in myself.
--- Fear of failing.
--- `Manly' drama about being `hard headed' and stubborn.
[O.k., here's a little psychology:
If I physically exhaust and injure myself (just ride thousands of junk miles for hundreds of hours - the UMCA Indoor Challenge!) and (predictably) fail at an event there will be droves of nice people who will soothe me by saying I gave it a `good try.'
BUT if I risk doing a smart thing (periodization training) and still fail to win at an event people will judge me as being `smart' but `just not good enough.'
The `big dumb brute' method at least gets me patts on the back for halfway killing myself as an unguided missile: "Ready! Fire! Aim! :) Lot's of sympathy and drama.]
Sandy Earl (http://community.bikefriday.com/staff/sandyearl) is a 40-something woman (http://triathletediva.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html) who rides the recumbent (http://www.2010raamblog.com/) and has registered to ride the recumbent in the Solo category for RAAM 2010.
She and Larry Graham, Paul Carpenter, John Schlitter and several (several, several, several) other's I've been fortunate enough to meet in person or online are generous to a fault in sharing their `brains over brawn' way of training to win.
I'd first like to thank them here. And, second, I'd strongly urge others of us reading this to follow the links to them to learn how to win, not just place.
- Dan