It’s Not All About The Bike
On a website called Tour de Bike, it might seem strange to say it’s not all about the bike. But the truth is, it isn’t.
I’ve said before that this journey is really about longevity and healthspan. Not only do I want to live as long as possible, but I want to stay healthy, active, and independent for as long as possible. Modern medicine can keep us alive for a very long time. The bigger question is: How do we want to live those extra years?
So yes, I want to become a better cyclist. And yes, I’d like to get faster on the bike. But those goals are really a means to a larger end: maintaining my health and independence well into my final decade, whenever that decade arrives.
Back in April, I wrote about my Centenarian Decathlon. I wanted to revisit that idea and show what training for my own Decathlon looks like today.
If you missed that post, the Centenarian Decathlon is a concept popularized by Peter Attia. The idea is simple: identify the things you want to be able to do in your 80s, 90s, or beyond, and then train for them now.
My personal Centenarian Decathlon looks like this:
Be an active cyclist and ride a 100K at a strong pace.
Easily lift a carry-on bag into an overhead compartment.
Lift a 30-pound bag of dog food off the ground.
Jog a 5K.
Open a stubborn jar.
Climb four flights of stairs without stopping.
Walk my dog at least a mile.
Balance on one leg for 30 seconds.
Stand up from the floor unassisted.
Lift a cast-iron skillet with one hand.
These may seem like simple things, but they’re all connected to activities I enjoy—traveling, cycling, cooking, walking my dogs, and simply taking care of myself. To me, they all add up to independence and self-reliance.
So how am I training for my Decathlon?
The most obvious piece is cycling.
If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know that cycling is my preferred form of exercise. More specifically, I enjoy endurance riding. There’s something deeply satisfying about riding 50, 60, or even 100 miles. But the biggest benefit has been what it has done for my cardiovascular health.
On a recent trip, I was walking through the San Diego Airport and suddenly remembered a trip years ago through the much smaller San Jose Airport. Back then, I had to stop multiple times just to catch my breath. Today, I walk through airports without even thinking about it.
I no longer show signs of congestive heart failure. My blood pressure is normal. That’s a remarkable change, and one that has very little to do with average speed or FTP numbers.
Jogging a 5K is probably the biggest stretch goal on my list.
Three weeks ago, I started adding some jogging to my routine. Using my Peloton treadmill, I completed their Walk-to-Run program. It’s a series of nine classes that gradually progresses from walking with short jogging intervals to a 45-minute workout that includes 20 total minutes of jogging broken into manageable segments.
Back in 2019, that would have been impossible for me.
Strength training is another important piece of the puzzle. I originally added strength training to improve my cycling. Working with my coach, most of my exercises focus on the things cyclists need: stronger legs, a stronger core, better stability, and improved mobility.
But we also include exercises that support my Centenarian Decathlon goals. Deadlifts help me lift things off the ground. Wood choppers build rotational strength. Balance exercises help reduce the risk of falls as I get older.
In other words, the gym isn’t just helping me become a better cyclist. It’s helping me hold on the the kind of independence most of us take for granted until it’s gone.
The next challenge is nutrition.
To be honest, this has always been my biggest challenge. I’ve struggled with my weight for most of my life. In fact, these days I’d be thrilled to be as “heavy” as I was in high school or college.
I’ve lost a significant amount of weight since my highest weight in 2019, but lately I’ve been sitting on a plateau.
One of the major lessons from the Blue Zones research (which I mentioned in a previous post) is that how centenarians eat matters. My typical 21st-century, processed-food diet is far from ideal. And I’ve developed a bad habit of eating out far too often. I’ve come to realize that while reducing calories has been important, the quality of those calories I take in matters too.
That’s the next phase of this longevity journey that I’m beginning to explore. Stay tuned. I’ll be sharing more about that process in the months ahead.
In the end, it was never just about the bike. It’s about building the strength, fitness, and habits that will allow me to keep enjoying life for as long as possible.
For now,
Enjoy the ride.
