BicyclingGetting olderDid you ever give up on a dream, just because you think you’re too old?

You know, that old negative voice whispering in your ear —

“You’ll never be a dancer, athlete, writer, musician [fill in the blank] at your age! You blew your chance for that a long time ago.”

Well, I’m here to tell you it isn’t so.

I’ve been reading a lot of cycling news this year, because I decided that I want to finish a 60-mile charity ride for my 60th birthday.

Yesterday, I ran across a story about Henrik Olsen, a 45-year-old engineer who decided at age 40 to become a competitive distance bike racer.

Now, Olsen had not ever raced, or even done any serious bicycling.

But, five years later, he has become one of the most competitive long distance bike racers on the East Coast … shattering several records on the way.  For example, in 2007, he and a partner won a 400 mile race around New York’s Finger Lakes, smashing the 2007 record by a full hour.  In another 24 hour race, he covered 408 miles, setting a new age group  record, blowing away the existing record of 358 miles.

How did Olsen go from couch potato to champion?

It wasn’t easy. A professional engineer and father of two, he had to fit his training in late at night and on week-ends. He set up a gym in his basement, including a bike trainer and a treadmill so his training would not be interrupted by weather.

Olsen suffered many setbacks, including times when he couldn’t finish a race due to poor nutrition and hydration. Now he has become a nutrition expert and sticks to a rigorous training regimen.

As we so often hear, what made Olsen a champion was not simply youth or strength or talent.  It was passion combined with dogged determination.

Olsen’s 400 mile, 24 hour rides make my goal look like a piece of cake.  All I have to do is get from 15 miles to 60 miles without bonking.

Bonking is a strange term used by cyclists to describe the dizziness, stomach pains and all-over terrible feeling that overcomes athletes who are not properly hydrated.

The last time I trained for a distance ride, I would hit that wall every time at about 30 miles. So that is the obstacle I have to overcome in the next 3 months.

But this time I know a lot more about proper nutrition and hydration.  I have been following a low-glycemic eating plan that keeps my metabolism on an even keel, and I have excellent nutritional products to keep me fueled during the ride.

I have a great training regimen that combines cycling with other physical activity that I love…dancing, yoga, and power walking. I am going to get my old hula hoop and jump rope out of the garage, and go back to the days when I could play outside all day long without ever getting bored or tired.

Wednesday is my first spinning class of the season at Capitol Hill Bikes.

If you’ve ever tried it, you know spinning is hard work. It is sweaty, it is exhausting, and sometimes it can be frustrating.

But nothing can get you in shape faster, so here we go. I’ll keep you posted on the bonking.

Please leave me a comment and let me know about your lifelong dreams, and what you plan to do right now to bring them to life!