Bad Attitude

Last night as I was doing my typical 3 hour Thursday night ride in the park, I chatted with a local aspiring triathlete and had the opportunity to give her some advice, which I'll share with you now.

This girl, we'll call her Missy, had to leave the park at 8 to have dinner. I tried to convince her to keep riding until sunset, since the more hours you can get on the bike the better, and Missy certainly needs it! (Normally I would be too fast for Missy, but I was on a recovery lap between intervals and she was going hard, so our paces matched). But Missy "had" to leave, because her significant other was expecting to go out to dinner at 8:30. It's our "date-iversary," Missy explained - they'd been seeing each other for 8 months.

Look, it's that kind of attitude that separates the E.V.O.O. from the vinegar. I'm like freshly pressed bright green olive oil - fragrant, high quality, and expensive - because I don't let my romantic life interfere with my training. But Missy, with the mindset of "make time for my relationship" is like old stinky wine. I have found a companion who exists to support ME. Missy will always be an age-grouper if she continues with the talk of "leave the park for dinner because my S.O. is waiting for me."

You gotta live for yourself. Your S.O. certainly isn't going to do it for you!