La Vie Velominatus: Optimism
If I were a pessimist, or a realist for that matter, I wonder if I might have started any of the various activities which have brought me the most pleasure and satisfaction. Though I have Cycling in my mind when I make that statement, this principle expands beyond the vast and il-defined borders of La Vie Velominatus: everything worth doing takes time, work, and commitment in equal measure, and that fact can be daunting and intimidating.
Invariably, it is my poor estimation of effort combined with my vague memory of pain and discomfort which affords me the greatest character trait I possess: optimism. In the face of all reasonable likelihood of failure, in spite of the hopeless amount of work something might prove to be, I invariably believe that success is not only possible, but inevitable. (This trait might also be classified as arrogance or stupidity, but I don’t like the sounds of those as much because they would require more introspection, and that sounds like work.)
It is with this frame of mind that I cheerfully tackle most any activity, in my life and on the bicycle. While I haven’t conducted a poll of any kind, I have informally received sufficient unsolicited and often shouted feedback to allow me to surmise that this approach is not always as liberating for those participating in the activity as it is for me. Be that as it may, and as has oft been observed in these archives, our chosen sport is one rife with suffering afforded by long days in the saddle which allow us to suffer more intensely and for longer days in the saddle in the future. Every element of this sport revolves about axes of sacrifice, dedication, and patience. Training, certainly. Diet and weight loss as well. Even learning the subtleties of maintaining our equipment properly takes years in the tutelage of a Cycling Sensei. These are long journeys that build on small gains over time; there is no magic potion that one can imbibe to be transformed from portly oaf into elite cyclist – much less so a Velominatus.
If, on a winter morning, I had the slightest appreciation of the intensity of the cold I would feel eight or ten hours into the ride, I might never set out on it; it is my optimism that I will enjoy the ride that allows me to experience the insular nothingness of The Tunnel.
If, as I point my bicycle towards the hills instead of the plains, I had a clear memory of the suffering it caused me previously, I might never become a better climber; it is my optimism that I can overcome my size and weight to master the terrain I love the most and am comprehensively il-suited to travel.
If, at eight years old, I’d had the slightest idea that I would be almost 30 years into my journey and only just beginning to develop some of the most rudimentary elements of experience, strength, knowledge and passion that Cycling delivers to us, I would perhaps never had started. Yet it was my optimism that these things would come that has allowed me to experience this wonderful journey.
Optimism is what allows the mortal to start down the path laid by the immortal. Vive la Vie Velominatus.
@LA Dave Haha!
@ralph If he ate a body builder there shouldn’t be too much to worry about. He’ll do a Bertie, test positive and go down citing contaminated meat.
@ralph Wouldn’t worry too much about the rule violations of the Cycling Shit Sandwiches (@frank that one deserves a Lexicon entry) given that it has inadvertently shown the way to true enlightenment.
Competing against yourself is a good way to go about your cycling. As much as I like the idea of becoming faster and stronger than everybody else, I have know idea who the person I pass (or who passes me) on a ride is. They may only get to ride once a week or be finishing of a 160km epic. If I can say that I’ve enjoyed my ride and I’ve improved on the something from the last time I rode that route then I win.
@frank
funny – i have a similar recollection…
though, to be fair, we had just wrapped up 7 days of racing sailboats, so your guns had *better* be smoother…!
@ralph I’d wager there’s more than a few more of us out there who are also guilty of the Cycling Shit Sandwich. Hell, certain of my Strava “run” entries come suspiciously too close to my “ride” entries (and that’s as close as I’ll come to admitting it!)
Chapeau to you for being man enough to admit it outright.
And I concur with @Chris–“Cycling Shit Sandwich” must be added to the Lexicon, post-haste.
@ralph
next time someone asks you to go cycling, and bring your speedos too, decline – you should never have to cycle to get to your bike, nor run home afterward, that would be as stupid as having a moat around your garage
Cycling Shit Sandwich +1
Running is bad for you – medical fact – all you are doing is pressing the FFWD button on your skeleton – swimming is excusable, as it is pleasant
@Dr C
this, yes.
this, no.
@Dr C Actually, medically speaking, that’s not true. Impact sports (running) do indeed change bone structure – but for the good. Remember “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”? Well, it’s true – as long as you don’t break them, the repeated impact pounds your bones into a stronger structure. In fact, running is considered a recommended sport for those suffering from Osteoporosis. Swimming is terrible for those suffering from it, even though is generally a very safe and healthy activity (though pretty terrible if you’re looking to lose weight!).
Your skeleton easily holds up to the natural stresses of running. It’s the joints (from wrong technique and heel-strike) and the ligaments (over-training) that are the weaker links in the chain – and even they are healthier once strenghened properly and trained.
@frank
?? That was me you drunk bastard. @snowgeek was hairier than @gaswepass. But as Rule #33 state, @snowgeek was able to bring the pain, so he gets a pass (I do keep digging at @gas tho).
–George Eliot
I don’t know why I’m trying to drag the discussion away from drunken men stroking each others’ legs and back on topic, but I forgot about this article’s implicit lesson. Back from three weeks off the bike, I went out yesterday for a three-hour ride. The mercury was north of 40 with the humidex. This was a brutally stupid idea. I died a thousand deaths yesterday, ostensibly to try to recover the fitness I’d lost while away. Following the lessons above, greater patience was called for, rather than the arrogant effort to become strong quickly (thereby probably slowing the process).
I am optimistic that I will pay off the credit card within two years (or at any stage at all) after an extravagant bike purchase
I am optimistic that one day I will be worthy of said extravagant bike purchase
I am optimistic that beer will be scientifically proven as THE recovery drink for cyclists
@frank
You are very much correct in your analysis of philosophy or religion, but it’s all good. It’s just about cycling and walking the path of harmlessness.
BTW I have a gift for everybody. Next time on the climb and everything hurts try this. Breathe. Yes I know you do that already, but concentrate on your breathing, long in long out, count them, focus on them. Go on try it, what can you lose?
@ralph
You have my sympathy! I did a CSS (also +1!) many years ago when I knew no better. The only redeeming features were a top 5 against people who called themselves Triathletes and my mate loaning me his Campag Record equipped Lemond Ti for the road part. Other than that it was bollocks.
It’s the improvement against others that drives me – whether it’s the fact that I’m leaner, faster and happier than I was 6 months ago or that I can race up hills, not just ride up them or that I’m keeping up with younger, fitter, lighter guys just through sheer bloody-mindedness. Fortunately my VMH is very understanding and puts up with me being competitive for no good reason! I always knew this would be a year to develop and I keep going knowing with a bit more Gun Farming I can get past the young ‘ins and show them a clean pair of heels.
@scaler911
Well, I guess you’re snowgeek’s VMH now. Can’t say that Velominati isn’t a progressive place…
@tessar
actually, you are right, and I guess my comment related to the bits that hold the bones together and the poor hyaline cartilage that keeps the ends of the bones apart, which, bless it, gets pounded to smithereens by runners
The bone bit is indeed helped by movement, but that is of little consolation when your knees and ankles are shot to hell
@Dr C
Yeah, that guy is probably clean. Never taken steroids, probably.
Reminds me of the All Drug Olympics.
@ralph
Your demerits for the triathlons are neutralized by how awesome that statement is. Faster than the guy in the mirror – classic!
@LA Dave
Gold!
What’s even better, is his victory speech could easily have been translated into Beeker as well:
@Chris
@Chris
+1 on both counts!
@Dr C
This is all just solid fucking gold.
One should only ever run when being chased (and then only fast enough not to get caught), and swim only to prevent drowning or to look at cool shit underwater. Or swim back to your surf/windsurf board.
Speaking of which, last summer I spent 4 hours testing what it feels like to drown by trying to re-teach myself how to waterstart on Maui under the tutelage of David Ezzy. You can drink quite a lot of seawater and still survive.
After I had measurably lowered the water level in the bay while drifting down its length, David jumped on the wind surfer, did some jacked half-moon monkey-maneuver and sailed it back up into the wind to where I’d started. Impressive.
@Chris
That kayaker looks comprehensively fucked.
@scaler911
I was actually talking about last weekend, when @snowgeek and @snowgeekgirl swung by after a rigatta on Whidbey Island (I’m guessing that’s another violation, but we’ll let it fly because they brought their bikes) and if that was you who’s legs I was rubbing…well…I have to say, the cross-dressing is working.
@Steampunk
Fantastic quote. And yes, patience, Pedalwan. When I’ve been off the bike for a bit, I like to point the bike towards the rollers for several days as I get back into it – and I wait for the natural inclination of my legs to start pushing it on the hills before getting back into any kind of focussed training.
@Ali McKee
Yes.
@meursault
Its funny how true that is. And you can’t start halfway up: start at the base or else you’ll be in debt from the start of the climb. Long, deep breaths in rhythm with your pedal revs (every other or every third, etc, whatever works for you) and don’t let up on it. Don’t go shallow like you want to, just keep going long, slow, and deep.
I will leave it to @Minion to come up with some sort of analogy to sex for this.
@Dr C
I’m no doc, but just by making observations, you see a lot more older people on bikes than older people out running. Seems the only people who keep running into their aging years are the super whispy ones, which with cycling and swimming (non-impact sports) they manage to keep it up well into their 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s.
Maybe it comes down to being waify and using good technique to limit damage on the bones. Either way, I fucking hate running.
@frank
@Dr C
@tessar
I’ve heard that unless you do some sort of other exercise, cycling does fuck-all for bone density and can cause problems down the line if “all” you do is cycle, since you lose bone density as you age. Weight lifting or other cross training is supposed to help keep bone density stable.
wow, great thoughts everyone.
I probably would find myself subscribing to the Oli school of thought on this one, but Frank, you have struck a cord on something here.
In psychology, there are some concepts that consider this difference in personality, the optimist/pessimist. It seems it goes to what you said in terms of optimism, but in a grander scale if i might add there is also the aspect that one who is ‘optimistic’ also has a limitless perspective on life too. They don’t tend to see restrictions, limitations, and thus there are some legal application to this concept as well. Where this begins is up for arguement, but the converse is true as well, the ‘pessimist/realist’ tends to be one who see’s limitations, are more bound by these restrictions and find safety in not exceeding them…now, where those limits are applied is up for arguement as well, but the distinctions are made.
For example, my most reverenced Gino Bartali, was constantly arguing, gripping, and stating ‘thats it, we will have to start all over’. It seemed to be his favorite thing to say, as was my grandfathers, but Gino the pious was also a man of recognizing limits, restrictions and he followed them to the letter, to the point when Nazi facists invaded Italy he totally disregarded their influence and did what was right in a very humane way, and offered protection to countless many.
optimist/pessimist, there are places for all, and I would like to think it all centered upon our like passions of the bike
An anonymous rider on a ride said it best, if it were not for our suffering, we would never enjoy the good days
@mcsqueak
Thank you for not bringing up what you and your VMH walked in on at our back patio BBQ Saturday night. I probably couldn’t stand the shit I’d get here………….
@frank
That kayaker is probably a proper cyclist who is trying to beat some sense into all those confused swimmers with his paddle.
@mcsqueak
he’s popping moles
@Chris ‘Competing’ with others who just happen to be out riding certainly reveals nothing about one’s own fitness, for the reasons you give. After my recent exploits at the Cougar Mountain Time Trial my thoughts have turned to how I might improve on my 6th place in next year’s event. It occurred to me that my Campa Scirrocco wheels weigh at least 500 grams more than the hoops many other riders seemed to be running, and that this was actually quite a disadvantage to me. If I maintained the same level of fitness next year, the competition stayed roughly the same, and I shelled out $1-2k on the lightest possible wheels, could I stand a chance of winning the event? Who knows, because I don’t have that sort of money lying around, and if I did, I’d probably buy a cross bike instead. The point I realized, and perhaps it’s the same for others, is that as much as I love equipment (I have a Look 595 with Campa Chorus 11 speed, after all) the fun of competing in an event like a time trial year after year is to see how much you can improve, through hard work, frozen hands on longer winter rides and searing quads after grueling hill repeats. If I could skip all that and get the same time next year simply by purchasing new wheels, where would the fun be in that?
While, despite my near-admission in my last post, I’m still trying to puzzle out exactly what is “fun” about swimming, riding and running during the same event (from recent firsthand experience, it seems an activity designed in the seventh circle of hell), I’ll admit that I enjoy running quite a bit as a standalone activity. I ran CC in high school, and do enjoy getting after it. I’m sure one day I’ll switch solely to riding to ease the aching joints, but I’ve been luck enough to avoid any such problems, even after 25 years of running.
Swimming, on the other hand, I can do without. God gave us legs to run with and turn the cranks on a machine born of sheer human intellect. God did not give us fins or gills.
@frank
I used to dabble at standing up sailing but things weren’t much different back then and I was either too talent-less or too fat to waterstart. A slight overestimation of my skills in general when I purchased my board meant that when the wind was up or there was any sort of waves about my just floaty board became a marginal sinker rapidly and I spent more time than I liked swimming around worrying about jelly fish and big nibbly fish.
Being at boarding school in Scotland meant that there was only about six to eight weeks in the year that I could hone those skills and once I moved to university, lack of transport to the coast killed the whole thing off pretty quickly.
without optimism, I would have been dead a long time ago. The art of turning the negative into a positive is a secret to success. Call it stupidity, arrogance what have you, I call it survival and growth and conditioning for life.
Suffering on the bike as well as other athletic endeavors has given me both the physical and metal fortitude to know I can and will withstand any and all of life’s cruelties that are thrown my way.
If I count the times I have ridden/trained and even raced in bad conditions I would be considered stupid by the average non athletic human being. Little do they know how powerful that suffering becomes when you need to dig deep and deal with emotional pain.
Ride on…..
@frank
Thanks for this tip, a few weeks too late unfortunately – recent group ride – all was good and speedy, as we hit the bottom of the hurt locker climb of the day (all things are relative) – struggling with the knowledge of how less fat those were who shot off up the hill ahead of me, I involuntarily decided to start flailing around, puffing shallow breathes like a man with a collapsed lung
A very nice retired policeman in our paceline, some 10 years older than me, pulled along side and says “would you for fuck’s sake breathe properly!!”
I pondered for a moment, and changed to the slow steady breaths he proposed, and lo, I realised I was neither out of breath, nor going very quickly – what a tit!
Newly revitalised, I promptly dropped him, confirming what a complete tit I can be at times
Somedays, one is cool – others, one is a tit – it seems this is not always in one’s control ….
People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. But they’re wrong. You feel your strength in the experience of pain.
-Jim Morrison
I don’t know why I have had such a hard time joining into discussions on this site. Most other forums I have joined I have been trash talking in no time. The problem I have with remaining optimistic is that I have so many injuries and get damn tired of starting from scratch. Lost most of last summer to knee and foot injuries. Just lost over a month to sciatica. It takes a few rides to get back to the point where I don’t dread the loss of fitness that I’ll be experiencing. But after that I don’t want to get off again and I look forward to the suffering. It helps if I have a target to work towards. A century ride or some other such goal, then I know what I have to do and keep my momentum.
@mcsqueak
Indeed. In fact, in every endurance sport, if all you do is endurance, at some point the gains vs leanness will cancel each other out – strength training helps, massively, and by strength training I don’t mean climbing in the big ring. If you do more than 50 reps, it’s no longer weight training.
The issue with old-aged runners is that at some point, these joints start hurting from the load they have to bear, regardless of fitness. Folks in their 70s and 80s often have troubles just walking down a flight of stairs. Running, by it’s nature, requires more strength to keep moving than cycling does, and at some point the muscles are too weak to cope (plus, when you’re runner slower than the chick in flip-flops walking by, that’s kinda off-putting). Young runners with muscles that can’t cope injure themselves, too (overtraining), but unlike them, the old folks don’t actually build up more muscle-mass over time – rather the opposite. A runner with good form places almost all of the stress on his muscles, and when the muscles can’t do their job, then the joints suffer. Most running injuries, in the end, are overuse injuries – ITBS, Achilles, hip tendon and the like.
@tessar Weight bearing activity is integral for keeping bone mass and you are correct, cycling does not offer that. I am a strength and conditioning specialist with 23 years under my belt. I am an adovcate of (off season) periodized strength training including specific exercises for cycling. I am a storng advocate of keeping some sort of core training all year long. Too many cyclists have weak backs/tight IT bands and even under developed glutes.
Muscle mass can increase with correct overload at ANY age if done correctly and coupled with good nutrition. I have worked with geriatric folks and have witnessed increases in strength, flexibility and most important balance..
@frank
You know that saying about being chased by a bear – you don’t need to outrun the bear – just the guy next to you? You better only go camping with fat fuckers because people who hate running are invariably shitrunners.
And I thought XC skiing was for people who want to run but live in shit places. Is that correct?
@scaler911
That would be poking the badger. Or is that what he caught you doing?
@frank
Didn’t have to say a word. I hope my name doesn’t pop into your head every time you think about sex.
Another tip is a forceful exhalation, or emphasizing the exhalation, then letting your body draw in the breath it needs. I try and empty the lower parts of my lungs, may not be scientifically accurate but that is how I think about it. Try t for 20 breaths, relax, try it again a couple of minutes later.
No true cyclist ever entered a race at 100%. Bruises, cut’s, callouses and sore muscles are a mark of a good training regimen. A cyclist’s lifestyle is not an easy one, it is full of constant pain, suffering and training, to think otherwise is a mistake and a sign of a weak cyclist wannabe.
(adapted from a quote of a friend of mine about Warriors)
@farzani
I feel the same way and now feel unqualified to speak on the subject based on this.
@seemunkee
I know what you mean; those first few rides. Depending on the length of the break – for whatever reason – I like to just wait for that natural pushing of the limits to start, to find that sneaky powerful feeling in your legs and then hit it hard again. In some ways, the progress – and anticipating it – is enjoyable in and of itself.
@farzani
This has been amazing for me. As a lifelong outdoor athlete, I simply HATE working out inside, whether its the trainer, the gym, whatever. But I’ve started working on my core for various reasons, and its amazing how much it helps the pedaling. For one thing, I can drop into the Phantom Aero bars without loading my arms very much, just by using my core. And then still get full engagement from the pedals as you can still push even though you’re way down.
Similarly, just riding along normally, it almost feels like you can start engaging the pedals when its 10 or so degrees behind the normal plane of engagement.
I do the most intense work in winter, but I’ve been keeping up with it over the summer, and it has really helped.
This is good news. My parents are in their 70’s and going strong…and don’t seem to be losing much strength. Forces to be reckoned with, those two.
The final sentance of this piece is a quotation for the ages: “Optimism is what allows the mortal to start down the path laid by the immortal.”
It is also what allows most of us to continue to move forward…
@frank
I too can’t stand going to the gym, even if it is with some friends. It feels like such a waste of an hour, and I stick out like a stick against all the meatheads in there. Even at home I haven’t gone out to the weight machine deal, I did do a tiny amount of core work. One thing I find is that I tend to rely too much on my core and not enough on my arms to support my weight, especially climbing on the tops. I tried running two winters ago, I got up to doing 5k every other day, but my form was terrible and I got shin splints all the time.
@frank
Frank – more awesomeness! Thanks again. Yes, this mission is simple too – if I put in the hours, a bit of focus, and some effort and creativity, I’ll be done! A huge hurdle cleared.
My mantra for the next few weeks – stop being such a pussy, show the monkey Rule #5!
@frank
Core is core!
My experience with back pain when I was first racing many years ago, I believe was as the result of woeful core strength. It limited me in so many ways. Chronic pain in lower back, unable to spend any period of time in the drops, etc.
My riding and racing renaissance has coincided with a strong focus on core and upper body strength and flexibility. All of this is done at home with push ups, sit ups, crunches, oblique crunches, etc. It only takes 30mins of an evening in front of the telly.
Now, 20 years after my first riding career, I have no back pain, I have a greater saddle to bar drop and live in the drops. Also, I’ve found that with the core stability, I have quiet upper body in hard efforts as my legs have something solid to push against..
@frank
Honey badger don’t give a shit (look two memes in one, how clever):
@mouse
While I get what you’re saying about core, it’s weird that I’ve had a different experience with the back pain. I wrecked my low back pretty bad in my 20’s in a high speed downhill ski accident. Really fast and my race bindings were cranked way too high so my skis didn’t release. Anyway, the only thing that makes that pain go away (besides drugs, and that’s not a real, long term solution) is riding. Sound’s counterintuitive, but it works for me.
Agreed, core strength is vital, or more importantly, sore endurance
Just got yet another Swiss ball yesterday (kids love playing football with them – slice, hawthorn bush, new ball required again)
My legs are definitely stronger this year, but my performance is only the same as last year, and I think it is because I have been neglecting my core workouts – Sky, and especially Wiggo do masses of work in this area
Favorite exercise is kneeling on the ball, straight back, arms out and rotating arms from one side to the other, holding for 15 secs at either side – that hurts, but boy does it sort your balance out!
@Marcus
superb