No words survive here, only echoes. Echoes of our hopes, of our plans, of our failures. What we thought we might do when we came here is little more than a shadow; it flickers on the walls for a moment and when we turn to look, it is gone. Doubts swell up and bounce off the walls until they become so loud they can no longer be heard.
Once we’ve entered, we can not return the way we came; the only way out is to descend into the darkness and through to the other side. When we emerge, we will breathe a new life, one where we are able to push a bit harder, and suffer a bit more. It is a better world, one with opportunity. One where we can make things happen because we have discovered a new limit of our will.
Pushing deeper into The Cave is learned over time. When we first enter, we will find ourselves in a small cavern with no apparent exit. As we train and explore its darkest corners, we discover a passage. We gather our courage and slip into a larger, darker cavern to explore. Beyond that, there lies another. Each holds its own unique strain of suffering, but with it comes also a degree of control; the choice to enter is ours and ours alone.
When I’m strong, my mind yearns for the cleansing qualities of The Cave. I feel almost the master of my pain, that I command its ebbs and flows. Even on days that don’t require it, I will hurt myself just to prove I can. When I’m chasing my fitness, however, I approach it with the same reluctance I had as a child when made to eat my vegetables. The suffering flows over me in waves and I am at the mercy of its current.
My training this summer has been erratic and unstructured. I’ve had some great periods, and just as I’ve neared a goal, either illness or travel unexpectedly reared up before me and interrupted my progress. A week away from the bike means another two weeks before I find myself back to where I was. Two weeks of drifting like a leaf in the current. Two weeks of knowing what lies beyond, unable to reach it.
Then the breakthrough, and into the next cavern. It is only through contemplating the darkest corners of The Cave that we discover its deepest passages and it is within the deepest passages that we may discover our purest selves.
Have courage and follow the path into The Cave. Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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@frank
Nice one Nate and fine distinction Frank! My favorite video is of a long forgotten day in the tour of Kelly's off the front cresting of some col in the rain and descending (on gravel), leaving the moto's behind on every curve at heart stopping speed...
I would pay if any of you vid/web heads can find that one!
Excellent analogy "The Cave".
Got to love the cave as a way of finding out "who's who in the zoo!"
With my ongoing herniated disk issue, I often dabble in the cave diving for want of a better term. Been doing long rides and short rides to try and mix up the pain threshhold. Recently two friends, both stronger riders, arranged for a 80km ride on my birthday, first dozen kms were obviously at frenetic pace as one wants to do to impress fellow riders. The three of us began to climb our local "hill" of some 4kms @around 11% and the shit hit the fan. Torch went on, clutch went in and I tried desperately to hang with the other two. THey realised this and just help pace to the top which subconsciously helped me through the cave.
The next 60kms was a breeze.
Motto : Sometimes you also need friends to guide you through that cave as well.
Words from Leman;
"One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you can achieve something without a struggle, it's not going to be satisfying."
I has to go and enter my cave! It's been a while since I've been in there.
@Cyclops
I'm sitting here putting off my core work, so boring.
@Ron
The band grippers are fine, maybe a little hard to adjust to length, and tend to squeeze my legs more.
@DerHoggz
I'm actually working on my core.
It's 3:30AM tuesday morning here and I'm awake, preparing to enter the darkness. There is a local group ride starting at 5:30 to blast up some of the "hills"in the area- 25 miles, 1500+ up. For a flatlander like myself that is something. Tonight a club 6.7 mile time trial. I visit the cave every tuesday just to see whats new. I've found many new corners and crevices of my cave this year, sometimes leaving my lunch/breakfast behind.
In my cave, I find out who I truly am
I remember seeing Millar winning a stage of the Kellogg/Milk Tour of Britain in the Manchester sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. It was my first live pro road race event. I couldn't believe the speed at which he completed the circuit of the city after a day climbing in the Yorkshire Dales. I didn't think that people could go that fast on a bike, and he was supposed to be a climber! He was deep within the cave. Love the man.
@DerHoggz
Makes sense to me. Never seen a junk yard dog do a plank...
JYD? Man, I miss WWF from the mid80s.
Anyone know what is going on with the dude who as going to ride the routes of all three GTs this year? Think he was a British gent & saw a short report on him during the TdF.