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I know as well as anyone that most MaxHR calculators are guides, and that the only true way to determine your max is to have a VO₂Max test done … but the calculators should be relatively decent estimates for everyone but elite athletes.

According to the most common forumula (220 - age), my MaxHR should be 178 bpm. In practice, I know that my MaxHR can reach about 183 bpm, but definitely not comfortably.

Today was not a good day, and I knew it wouldn’t be when I started off at 123 bpm before even turning a pedal.

Typically, anaerobic threshold is considered to be about 90% of max, so using the two numbers above, my AT level should be 160-164 bpm. I spent nearly half of today’s ride above 160 bpm, and averaged 155 bpm (87%) for the entire ride; even on the slight downhill sections on my way back home through Millcreek into Holladay.

So much for today’s “yeah-right” goal of doing twice as many miles as last weekend. I didn’t think that was likely, but was hoping for at least as many miles; but I don’t even think I managed quite half, and I am spent. This didn’t feel like the usual lack-of-fitness struggle, but rather that it was going to be a rough day no matter what.

But I still got out there, and that’s what’s most important.

You know you’ve got issues when even your therapist is bugging you about starting to date again …

But it’s like this; I’m scared. I’m scared to death of repeating the same mistakes that I made when I was married. I’m afraid that I will still not be able to open up and share who I am with the person I love. So right now, it’s easier to just avoid the situation.

And then there’s this … my competitive days are long behind me. I’m not intimidated by women who are better at something than I am; in fact quite the opposite, I find it extremely attractive. I prefer active, fit women, but my corresponding fitness is not there, and it will take time to retrieve.

I’m not looking for a training partner; if you’re racing, I’ll be the guy on the sidelines who makes sure you’re being taken care of during the race. Need food/water/clothing hand-ups? I’m your man. I prefer to be behind-the-scenes making an event a success for others, rather than killing myself to finish mid-pack or worse. I want to be with someone who wants support from her partner, not competition.

But it seems that most of the women I am meeting not only have this huge competitive streak in them, but are looking for the same in their partner; which just doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t see how two people can have a healthy relationship when they’re always competing with each other, and yet it seems like when athletes get together, much of the competition is within the relationship as well.

And to me, that’s just wrong.

I ride my bike to ride my bike … and the main reason why I seldom ride with more than one or two other people (when I’m not riding alone) is because most group rides turn into some sort of big swinging (virtual or actual) dick contest. That’s not what I’m about. If I’m not paying money and pinning a number on, then I’m not racing … and it’s really easy for me to just say “see ya!” when the people I ride with start acting as though every ride is a race.

The downside of this is that I spend a lot of time alone … which when you are dysthymic is not really healthy either. I reach out to my friends, but unless we have made specific plans, I tend not to follow-through and nothing happens. And thus I get lonelier and feel like my friends don’t want to hang out with me; when in reality, they could very much feel like I don’t want to hang out with them either, because I don’t follow-through or flake. I know that friendship is a two-way street, but I find it very difficult to offer much of myself, even when I think that the people I’m with are some of the nicest, kindest, and coolest people I’ve ever met.

I’ve been this way nearly all my life … and I know that much of it is a protective measure from how much I used to move around when I was a kid; a different school every year or two doesn’t lend itself to long-lasting relationships … and when I do start building a relationship that means something, inevitably I feel like I’m going to sabotage it somehow.

And so I keep working on myself; keep seeing the crazy doctor, keep taking the happy pills, keep reaching out … and keep trying to follow-through.