Happy living in our stressful lives is all about organization. For instance, I like to sort the tasks first by priority and then group tasks of equal priority into buckets of minor priorities. Software developers creatively call this approach to organization a “bucket sort”. This helps break down what appears to be an insurmountable mess of work and separate it into consumable, understandable units.
Being the optimist that I am, after prioritizing, I start by sorting my activities into those which I would rather consume a cyanide tablet than tackle, and set a goal to work through those first. Once I’ve completed those, I feel a sense of accomplishment that helps build the morale needed to tackle the remaining items. Having completed the “cyanide” bucket, I feel better about tackling the “wrist-slitting” bucket and working my way gradually towards “beating myself to death with a rusty hammer“, which represents the least appealing of the tasks.
It’s all about using the momentum gained from the last activity to drive the next, which is also how I approach my training. It can be hard to find the motivation to remain disciplined in your training when the days are dark and wet; when your goals are many months away it is far too easy to find other priorities when there is nothing immediate towards which to drive. The training becomes erratic, and our progress is stunted. Without a clear plan, we react to our schedules and external demands rather than working around them; goals force us to prioritize our lives in a way that leads us towards success and the secret to Training Properly is to cascade your goals in a way that allows for steady progress that builds toward the greater objective.
However much we love Cycling, getting better at it requires routine hard work and suffering, an endeavor whose most reliable variation is marked by an unplanned visit from the Man with the Hammer and very few glimpses of his lovely wife, La Volupte. We need small successes to fuel our desire to climb back on the bike to continue The Work despite the cold rain lashing down. For the last year, my training has been focussed on the Heck of the North, which I will sadly be missing due to unforeseeable circumstances at work. Missing out on the opportunity to compete in Northern Minnesota finds me deflated and reluctant to get on the bike and suffer despite the excellent form I’m enjoying at the moment. But as one goal is passed by, another settles into focus, and my sights are already shifting around the bend towards the 2015 Keepers Tour, which will be returning to Belgium during the Cobbled Classics.
The days are shortening and the sun hangs low in the sky when it isn’t blocked out by a thick blanket of clouds. The morning mist keeps the roads damp and drives a chill into my bones. A few weeks ago, I was dreading the change. Today, I welcome it. The wet is coming, and I have my goal set. I look forward to tapping out my rhythm to the metronome of raindrops dripping from the brim of my cap.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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@unversio
Here in the hinterlands of central Indiana, the lowest temperature I've begun a ride at was 7 F. Last winter gave us plenty of opportunity for Rule V & 9 rides.
How can we not have good ol' Uncle Paul's photo here.
http://www.velominati.com/anatomy-of-a-photo/anatomy-of-a-photo-agony/
And LeMan as well
With no goals I become a fat slob. Gained 4 kilos over the last 2 years. I have found that I HAVE to have short term and long term, concrete goals or I become amazingly non-motivated. It never was a problem earlier in my life as I was always chasing some dream but the last few years I have become, alas, pretty content and contentment, while nice for a few weeks, breeds complacency. Looking forward to a few great events next year and started training IN EARNEST a few weeks ago on the bike. Feels good to be hurting in an old familiar way again!
@unversio
single digits are rough, but its that damn wind-chill that will kill you...generally if I don't see any birds then I know its too F'N cold....
@Haldy
If I still have it, abso-fuckin-lootely.
That route kicks my ass every time.
I really hope we get to ride on wet cobbles next Spring...
@unversio
Air temp of 25 for me in Wisconsin. I figure I generate some wind chill that takes it a bit further down.
@Buck Rogers
That picture of LeMan says it all as to why he's a champion. Face covered in shite and still looks happy.
PS If LeMond had been riding this year's Tour would he have moaned about stage 5? Would he fuck.
What I find interesting, as someone who has come to cycling late and almost without noticing it was happening, is that the goals don't need to be big or momentous. Getting more miles in this month than last, shaving a few seconds off the commute to work, pushing the weekend ride just a little bit further, or taking on a hill that last time past I turned away from in fear or (worse) had to stop half way up for a breather. It's hardly the stuff of legends. But it's enough. It takes me on. My Cycling Sensei, ten years my junior, and a decent club rider, takes to Strava after each ride to see if he's collected KOM trophies. I do the same, despite being ranked in the hundreds on most local segments, to see if I've beaten my previous PR.
Seeing my own development makes a massive difference, and testing myself against challenges that I'm not sure I can complete is the greatest feeling. It has led me into taking on the Eddy Merckx challenge on Strava this month, and that in turn led me to putting in my longest ride to date today in order to try to keep up with the schedule to complete the challenge. And it will be that which impels me (compels me?) to ride this weekend even though the weather in the UK is now predicted to take a turn for the Flemish on Saturday morning. But I've still got another 260km to ride before next Thursday, and there's only so far you can extend a commute.
Who cares whether I complete the challenge or not? Who will even notice? Probable no-one but me, and perhaps my Sensei, but that isn't the point. I have no-one to compete against but myself, and there's no way I'm going to lose to that bastard.
@ChrissyOne
I'll be busy looking for answers in the bottom of bottles.