Palate's Back: What's up with it going away during periods of intense training?
This morning, I openly wept over breakfast. I can taste mango again. The pretty twin pine notes in the midde. The way different bits of the mango dissolve on the tongue, depending on ripeness. The brief point of absolute nothing, where greek yogurt and mango meet, cancel each other and then return to buttermilk and sweet.
I've had this breakfast many times this summer, and the summer before, but there is always the point where I lose the "middle notes" and the ability to detect texture as well. I can still taste, but I always know there is a part I'm missing. And it makes me sad. I can't cook nearly as well and most of the pretty things about good bottles of wine are lost on me.
Why does this happen?
I remember an article on Allen Lim in Bicycling a few months ago mentioning the chefs for cycling teams have to season food differently for pro tour cyclists because their palates are off.
Comments
Lastly, all those sugary, artificially flavored, totally processed substances we eat during training have got to just desensitize our taste buds to anything that is delicious and holy.
However, I will report that Joe consistently notes his taste buds are off and food never tastes as good as it should after he has been surfing. We speculate all the salt water in his sinuses mess with his ability to taste subtle flavors.
V
I keep thinking it would be fun to do Vineman as an A race some year, but that might not work! So much good food and wine and not able to appreciate it!. =-(