Depends on the food. Desserts usually fall into the category of something that I can enjoy every bite. The stuff I eat while on long bike rides is fuel. I get pretty tired of the sports drinks, blocks, chews, even my almond butter sandwiches after a 12 hour day on the bike. I'm not a fast enough rider to have the luxury of stopping for a "real" meal. Probably the closest I've gotten to real food is a Culver's burger on a GF bun as Culver's was a control on two of our recent 200K rides. But most of our controls are gas stations in rural towns. The food options are very limited, especially since dairy and gluten give me GI issues.

I did enjoy finally getting home Tuesday night (I'd left the house at 3:30am to pre-ride a course) and having my normal breakfast omelete for dinner.

I'm certainly not the foodie that many of my friends are. I usually roll my eyes at the pictures of the meals that they post on FB or Instagram.

It’s both or either. All depends.

Fortunately I got past the place where everything had to special all the time. Some things I eat as fuel, something’s for enjoyment. But what I’m always looking for is satisfaction.

So sometimes when thinking deep thoughts I look up individual words to see if their origin reveals anything. Origin of satisfaction goes back to Latin for enough. Doesn’t seem to add anything.

Is food merely fuel? Is food something in which you can luxuriate, enjoying every bite - the taste, the texture, the bite? Is there a happy medium that allows you to do both? What is the value of food to you?

Well, that's interesting. On one hand, I used to put my value of food above a lot of other things (including my own health). If allowed, I could easily build my day around stuffing my face, morning, noon and night. I thought at the time I gave it very high priority. In hindsight though, I now realize I showed little discretion. I mean sure, I enjoyed good food but it really didn't have to be good for me to stuff it in my face. Good, not-so-good, etc., I ate it if it was in front of me.

So--back to the question, I've changed. I think I've re-prioritized food. I think it actually means more to me now that I'm choosier about what I eat. I don't chase it constantly like I used to but because I eat less of it (and more mindfully), I actually prioritize it higher than I did back in the day. Food for me now is a combination of fuel mixed with "worthiness". Not necessarily each and every bite, but on average, I prefer healthier food most of the time, with a little decadence thrown in once in a while. Most of the time, I want food to nourish without bulking me up.

Life's better in a smaller body--even on my worst day.