Rober Millar goes deep into the Pain Cave.

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.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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  • Next year, the winner of Milan - san Remo is going to have to go deep in there, with this addition, Kelly would love it -

    Pompeiana: Technical Details 
    3.5km after the descent of the Cipressa, the riders leave the Aurelia road and begin the start of the climb of the Pompeiana.

    The climb, which is 5km long with an average gradient of 5% and a maximum of 14% at its steepest point, begins steadily at 6-7% before narrowing slightly, flattens and kicks with a very hard 500m section consisting of a pair left/right bends with a gradient between 10-14%.

    A gradual slop follows on with a narrow track up to top of the climb, 20.7km from the finish, and then up to Castellaro. Here the twisty technical descent begins that takes the riders down to Arma di Taggia where the route re-joins the Aurelia and the historical race route. From here, there is just 4.4km of racing to be done before the start of the crucial Poggio climb.

  • Best plan for race day: Lead the bunch to the back of the pain cave then run off with the only flashlight.

  • @frank

    @Chris

    Ian coached me for the best part of 18 months. I had to give it up because I couldn't quit smoking cigarettes

    Fixed your post.

    Still the cigarettes and only really taking cycling seriously for the last couple of years are a decent excuse for being slow. Yours?

  • @unversio

    @frank

    @Harminator

    @VeloSix

    @il ciclista medio

    Gotta chime in on these guys' perspectives. If you're keen for the cave, racing is where its at.

    Sure you can push it hard by yourself and a club/group ride can make you push your limits but the true depths of the cave are best accessed in racing. (Applying Rule #70).

    The difference is determined by the amount pressure on the pedals in a given circumstance. What affects the level of motivation to maintain (increase?) the pressure and what are the reasons to abate

    I've always thought that solo efforts are characterized by interruptions by The Man with the Hammer. You can push hard, for a long periods of time but in the end, you're the captain of your own destiny. You can raise the white flag any time. Group rides take away your control of the pace. Sometimes this means you ride within your limits, sometimes you can control the pace and sometimes you're at the mercy of stronger riders. Sit in, take your turn, drive, draft - whatever. If you're the box there's not always a great incentive to maintain the effort. Its up to you. Its really only a training ride, right?

    Race day is different. When the pace hots up there's not a lot that stands up in the court of Rule #5. You came to win the race, right? You have to be with the bunch at the line or you have to keep driving the break. Its what you came for. Changing up or breaking stroke is for misdirected also-rans.

    And so...there is...the cave.

    This. Nothing against not racing and be hard as fucking nails and pushing yourself over the cliff, but there is nothing like Race Day.

    The deepest reaches of The Cave are thus explored.

    Race day a cave attempt is carefully mapped and then followed with reckless abandon. The survey discovers a whole new lower level.

    As I have such limited experience to draw from.... one race..... I can agree with this.....

    As is indicated by my ride data (yes, I break rule #74).  I pushed myself harder than I ever have on my machine.  And what about this refusal of my stomach to make room for a post race meal.  Anybody else get that when they've pressed their limits?

  • This is your ticket into the cave that came with my 30yo steely I bought last year (Yes a 45/54) Haven't been game to put it on yet.  Anyone got a set of 42/52 SR rings for sale?

  • @Fausto

    Best plan for race day: Lead the bunch to the back of the pain cave then run off with the only flashlight.

    That would be a great move, I would have to hope my battery gets me back out...

  • @il ciclista medio

    @scaler911

    I think Cipo is pretty deep in it here, with a shovel digging deeper:

    but he still looks fabulously smooth as always. The man is, was and always will be an Adonis on the bike.

    Yeah, I was going to say the same thing about him looking fabulous and that if he's in the cave, he certainly isn't showing it.

  • I miss the cave. Been off the bike fo a few weeks working on my house in a frantic effort to get it on the market. Then back to the bike to different roads in a different locale to find new entrances to the cave!

  • @Teocalli

    @Harminator

    Its definitely here in the preview screen - chopped and embedded...

    Ha Ha - That's exactly what happened to me so maybe we have a bug somewhere on the site? I gave up after about 6 attempts.......

    Just because you think you should be able to do something that I've told you on many occasions you can not does not mean there is a bug.

  • @Chris

    @frank

    @Chris

    Ian coached me for the best part of 18 months. I had to give it up because I couldn't quit smoking cigarettes

    Fixed your post.

    Still the cigarettes and only really taking cycling seriously for the last couple of years are a decent excuse for being slow. Yours?

    I don't remember seeing you off the front in the Velodrome.

    At least you're in good company.

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