Why do you do this?

Another better than average spring week with temps into the high 60s and low 70s - absolutely perfect for cycling. Would that we could keep this through July and August.

I did about 55 miles on Wednesday and another 33 yesterday. I'm trying to use the new bike computer as a kind of training tool and so am watching cadence and heart rate a little more closely and I'm starting to see the effect. I've got my average heart rate down with the spikes now no more than 168-170 (I hit 195 the first day I had the heart monitor on).

I was on my way out on Wednesday and Susan asked me what I was training for? in the sense of 'are you planning an event similar to last year's cross country?' The simple answer, of course, is no, I don't think I will be doing a cross country this year. But the question did get me thinking while I was wandering around the countryside. I do track my performance every day. I record mileage, time, and average speed. And now with the new bike computer I also record climbing distance, heart rate data, cadence and keep all that on the computer. There must be some point to keeping all that data and so what am I training for?

I do love cycling - there is something truly exhilarating about getting into a rhythm on a clear road, about doing a steady climb up a hill, and, even more, hitting a smooth downhill where you can move into the drops and just fly. And finishing a good ride - the legs are tired but it feels so good to simply relax and recover...and beer can taste so good too.

But the real answer is simply that this is training for life. I've reached the point in life where some of the parts don't always work as well as they did forty or fifty years ago and the only solution I know for age is to simply keep going. And the harder you go the harder you can go. I like the idea that steps don't bother me, that my heart seems to be serving me well, and that I can still swing my leg over the crossbar on the bike without putting my life in mortal danger. It is indeed a wonderful life and well worth making the most of it....

The photos are from yesterday's ride. The farm is called the Old Stone House Farm and I caught a view of the wisteria climbing up the stone center of this wonderful old barn. I wish it was a little sharper but it's enough to carry a small camera on the bike - no room for a tripod.