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They say.....

Whenever anyone prefaces a statement with those two words, I always wonder about the validity of what is to follow.

But today as I was watching Le Tour de France,  a statement made during a Take Back the Tour commercial really struck home.
... the mind is stronger than the body, and that's a danger, because sometimes you can push your body too far.

I had never really thought along those terms before, but as I think about the past week, and the last 6 years, 3 months and 28 days, there's no doubt in my mind, there is a lot of truth to that statement.

When I was first diagnosed, I set a goal to ride more miles, and at a higher intensity than I had ever done before. I was going to push my body to the extreme, with the ultimate goal being to exercise my MCL into remission.

While I obviously haven't achieved my ultimate goal, I believe the increased training has helped to keep my MCL from progressing at a faster pace, and it has enabled me to reach a level of fitness I had not achieved prior to my diagnosis. And there in lies the problem.

I don't think of myself as a 60 year old man. In my mind, I'm 30 years old, and there's no reason I shouldn't be able to compete with other 30 year olds.  I know what I am capable of [or at least what I was capable of], and when I can't keep up, my mind just tells my body to push harder.

I know I did that last Friday on Glendora Mountain road, and I paid for it the next day, because sometimes no matter what the mind says to do, the body just won't, or can't comply.

I'm just hoping the last three days, off the bike, has provided enough of a recovery for my body to start listening to my mind again.

Tomorrow will be the moment of truth!
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Comments

Claude (France) said…
Hi Marc from France,
I think your method is the good one, because even it doesn't work, you have had good time with your bike for 6 years.
I have had problems with my knees, but i'll try to ride a few but not like you with hard and long difficulties. In 1983 i rode "La marmotte" it is from "Bourg'Oisans" to "L'Alpe d'Huez" with These passes : "Glandon" "La Croix de Fer" "Le télégraphe" and 'Le Galibier" and the last "L'Alpe d'Huez".

I didn't climb L'Alpe d'Huez, but with only 250 miles of training (ridiculous) i found the mental to close the round, all my friends couln't climb the last pass too, and some gave up after the "Croix de Fer". (and without Doping products !)
It was very hard for me, but is was really a pleasure too !
Keep riding Marc !
3:39 PM
Marc said…
Even without L'Alpe d'Huez, what you did was impressive!

Knowing how long and high all of those passes are, I doubt I could do all of them, even in as good a shape as I think I'm in.

Thanks Claude
10:55 PM
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