Restless- Confessions of an Adrenaline Junkie

I think that the term “Adrenaline Junkie” is something that’s pretty cliched, but now that I’ve got excess time to sit around and think, it makes more sense.Â

With the exception of the torn adductor, I’m ready to get out and bend some cranks. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this motivated to train. I want to shake things up on the MTB next year, and I’m ready to get started NOW. Something about the anti-inflammatory med the doc has me on (Voltaren) seems to make me feel a little crazy on top of being restless.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s the whole weekend experience that’s making me crazy. Here’s a quote from someone RBR about people that do ultra-endurance sports: “People do this stuff for the same reason heroin addicts OD…. they keep chasing the high and it takes more and more to get that high.” This is how I feel right now. If I can’t get out and ride my bike, I want to get in my car and do 100mph on the interstate or something.

After thinking that you’re going to die for even a fraction of a second, ordinary life suddenly becomes the most painfully boring thing you’ve ever experienced.

At least for me, it’s like that. Other people would probably just be happy that they’re alive (of course, other people wouldn’t have been going fast enough to wreck and think that they’re going to die during mid-flight). I guess that’s the “adrenaline junkie” personality type. I keep sitting here while my hip mends wishing that someone would bust through my front door and try to rob me just to add some excitement to the mundane. Maybe it’s a psychological side-effect of attention deficit disorder… certainly sounds less goofy than “adrenaline junkie”!

It’s why I’ve decided to go ahead and race the Oak ridge Omnium this weekend. I want to take my frustrations out on the race. It’s gonna hurt, but I can’t wait. Really- if I have to wait any longer, I’m gonna go nuts!!! So, it’s time to defend the TN State Champion Road Race title. I’m very much looking forward to it :)

7 thoughts on “Restless- Confessions of an Adrenaline Junkie

  1. Girl, be careful!!! Just don’t turn that injury into something that is 6weeks long! Good luck!! And by the way, I’m with you on the “junkie” part:) What a feeling huh?! Makes you know you are alive and well!!

  2. Relax, let your body recover, and have a beer. The trails will be there in the morning.

  3. I’ve got to side with the doc and the above posts, take it easy. Defending the TN State Road Race title sounds like the wrong thing to try and do with a torn hip abductor. Give your body a chance to heal.

    But I actually wanted to chime in on another post of yours:

    “So I’m writing this to encourage everyone who reads it to open their minds a bit and stop thinking in terms of what is within your perception of “normal” physiological limitations and start exploring just how hard you can push yourself.”

    So… yesterday I figured I would try and do two very hard rides in one day. The first is a noon ride called the “layer ride”, it’s basically 2 hill intervals with a bunch of cat 2 and 3 hardmen tearing each others guts out for an hour. The second is a 30 mile local evening ride with a good climb and 3 sprints, also pretty fast. I’m just a pack fill master cat 5 and either one of these rides usually kills me but I figure what the hell.

    I did pretty good on the layer ride, hung on the first climb and did pretty good on the second. I also did pretty good on the evening ride, got second and third in the last two sprints, which surprised the hell out of me. I mean I was tired but not as tired as I thought I would be. Go figure…

    So just wanted to say thanks for the pep talk :)

    …and take it easy on the hip abductor. I ride with a lot of folks in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and they always talk about the “injury” that they should have treated more aggressively, but of course didn’t, and now it’s a chronic condition.

  4. I know it sucks to have to stay home when you want to be racing, but I wish you would stay home and get well. Don’t be hard headed.

    Mama Betsy :)
    (by redneck standards I am old enough to be your mother)

  5. Burk- Glad I could inspire someone! Keep up the hard work- it will always pay off.

    …and thanks, Mama Betsy :) It’s nice to have so many people looking out for me!

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