The proclamation is heard in the office, on social media, at the bar with friends; “It’s leg day.” When someone utters “it’s leg day” the accompanying tone of resentment and even dread is usually followed by an audible “ugh”. This exasperation belies one fact, the person making the utterance is not a cyclist. It’s likely they are a part of the Crossfit cult or on a fitness regimen to tone up and look good in a swimsuit. My immediate thought is, no shit it’s leg day, isn’t every day leg day?
As Cyclists, we cultivate our legs ritualistically. They provide the power that propels us deep into the pain cave, to freedom and to exaltation. Sure, we can talk about building the engine that is our heart and lungs. We do intervals, hill repeats, and sprints to increase aerobic capacity but the act of pushing on our pedals is what makes us move. It is our guns and our guns only that provide the visual evidence of our deposits into the V-Bank. The following is a simple list of acts the Velominati partake in that demonstrate that Every Day is Leg Day:
The Pros go to great lengths in not using their legs to power anything but their bicycles. Coppi used to have his soigneur carry him up flights of stairs to the hotel room. Hincapie would make sure his phone, remote, and other personal needs were at arms’ length on Recovery Days so he wouldn’t have to get off the couch. I wonder if he looked for apartments in Gerona with the toilet in the living room.
Of course most of us are endomorphs who look to be prepubescent boys with bald legs, baby smooth faces, and farmer’s tans. But our legs, our legs are bronzed and chiseled works of effort that would inspire Michelangelo and be worthy of any swimsuit edition (as long as it focuses on the waist down). So regardless of our buggy-whip arms and pencil-necks, let’s celebrate. The next time you hear someone bemoan their own personal leg day hell, remember that for you as well it is leg day. Take pride in the fact that you are a Velominatus and that for you, Every Day is Leg Day. Because on that day, regardless of the day of the week or where on your training calendar it lands, you have done something to honor your pins.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@RedRanger
Is that so?
Haha, thanks guys. I knew there would be some know-how on here! I don't think I can go the whole way to the eyebrows scaler911, I would have to take a bath in Veet and I've seen the review for when you get that on tender areas on Amazon!
It's a subject I can never find much info on to be fair but I know a pair of shaved guns is de rigueur for a Velominatus. I now need to work on the tan lines, unfortunately living in England has meant Flandrian best is the only clothing that I've been able to wear for many months and my legs have not seen that big yellow thing in the sky they call "the sun" in other countries. I may be from Essex but I'm not from TOWIE, no way I'm going on a sunbed!
@Paul 8v
I hear that. This weekend just passed was the first of the season without knee warmers and just about everybody with a bike was out on the roads. Anyone already sporting a solid tan better have just come back from training camp on Mallorca. And ride like it.
@andrew I would love to go on one of those Mallorca camps, one of the guys from my local club went and he loved it. He's now racing in the tour of Algeria, lucky so and so!
@Paul 8v Oh believe me, my bitterness is more than a little tinged with jealousy! I know a guy who went a few weeks ago and kept running into pro teams on the climbs.
@andrew It's pretty much a second home for the Sky boys, I know which I would choose if I had the choice between that and Manchester!
ZOMG, I can't believe how much this post helps! Though, it would be helpful if you could go into a bit more detail. Is there a site I can get good information? Thank you for posting and please continue to share your wonderful insight with everybody.
A meme I spotted today. See what I'm talking about?
@Marko
And posted by Fyxo today:
Anna Meares on Leg Day: