Is this a mid-life crisis?

Leaving my family for a week to ride a mountain bike – is this a mid-life crisis?

I was talking with a co-worker about new things on my calendar and the Desert Rats MTB tour came up. It probably came up because it is hugely on my mind these days, but that is to be expected. I have only been in this job for about 9 months, so my colleague has no real idea of my athletic past. These days I am lucky to get in a couple of workouts per week and then usually only in the gym. Not that I am some former world-class athlete, but knocking off a century just for the heck of it was a pretty common occurrence.

When my buddy asked me, “Is this mountain bike tour your version of a mid-life crisis” it took me a second to respond. Obviously my initial response was “what the hell are you talking about? I’m not middle-aged!” Then I thought better of it. I guess that 41 does count for middle age. Well, let’s hope that 50 is middle age, but 41 more years left wouldn’t be bad. Then I thought about the concept of mid-life and what it means. I’m sorry to bore anyone, but I have absolutely no desire to run out and buy a convertible and trade my wife in for a 25 year old who would probably leave me in a month or two. I quite like my car, and I really like my wife. That eliminates the usual forms of acting out in search of youth, so is trying to get back into ultra-shape my quest to return to youth?

Yes, in some ways, it probably is. The best memories that I have of my younger days were of spur-of-the-moment workouts. Midnight swims on moonlit nights around the Ventura pier. 20 mile cross-country runs that were conceived of during early morning phone calls. And massive breakfasts, always massive breakfasts after whatever crazy, stupid ride, run or swim we accomplished. Even if we pulled up short of our intended goal we always had time for a massive breakfast.
So ladies and gentlemen, it is quite clear to me. Desert rats is a mid-life crisis of sorts. It is my quest to justify eating big breakfasts again. Pass the pancakes.

- Ron