This is a Test

One of exercise physiology’s main observations is that training is testing as testing is training. To train with purpose must include some testing. Likewise any testing presages the pending training to follow. They are indeed joined at the hip, one heads the other tails, the young yin and experienced and wise yang.

If you have been following along with us for any time longer than the opening paragraph, you will by now have noted that I trend in one of a very few directions. First and supposedly foremost is the exercise thing, specifically indoor cycling. Next is its magical connection to music, and lastly comes the fascinating hodgepodge of love, literature, leisure. And how I love the paradox of Zen and politics.

Last week I was complaining (a borderline whine) about my lust for high intensity intervals and the resulting atrial fibrillation that has followed regular as night following day. A = B. If one is done the other will follow. Basic cause and effect. So what do I do?

Test.

Theorem: Can I, at this stage of my waning career, still execute an HIT session without the resulting and potentially disastrous, onset of A-Fib?

Study: All the history and data combined offers more questions, leaving the only true measurement of the theorems validity, an actual test. Try and see, go and do.

Protocol: Same as Saturday, when afterwords I rode the struggle bus the remainder of the weekend, lightheaded and weak. Basically 15 second sprints, some standing immediately afterwords, a couple of minutes in the groove zone and repeated for an hour. Not a killer but most definitely some bodily assault and battery.

Result: Made it! YES! Hooray for me. We live to spin another day.

So as Michael Corleone said to his estranged wife Kate, speaking of their son and daughter's confusion and willingness to make filial amends: We can build on that.

Three other topics also popped up this morning, one before class, one during and one after, that will act as an index, a brief menu of coming attractions for the week.

I: Augustine and his “Become what you love” idiom.
II: The possible correlation between tight hip flexors and gastric distress.
III: The pending impeachment and imprisonment of the treasonous fraud in chief.

This is a test.