Categories: Defining MomentsLa Vie VelominatusNostalgia

Training: The Fourth Bridge

The Forth over the Firth in Scotland

Before the New Year, it was my ride up Haleakala. At present, it’s Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics 2013. Before Haleakala, it was one of the various Cyclocross races and before that the Zoo Hill Time Trial. The targets change, but throughout my life as a Velominatus, there always seems to be a goal looming over the horizon which spurs me on. Training, for its endless nature, is like painting the Forth Bridge in Scotland: it takes a year to paint and you have to paint it every year.

In contrast to my opinion of painting a bridge, training is something I fundamentally enjoy. Lucky for me, I love training for the sake of training; I don’t feel any compelling need to do a particular ride in any particular time. What I do feel, however, is the need to do any particular ride in a better time than I have previously. I’m fortunate to delight in the process of finding form and fitness, of getting better. I love seeing the improvement; I love setting incremental goals and reaching them through the elementary process of working towards them.

Cycling, in this way, presents me with an incredibly rewarding outlet for that bit of my nature that lives on seeing marked progress. In every walk of life, things are complicated. The deeper we wade into any endeavor, the more embroiled we become in the mechanics of staying afloat – to say nothing of actually moving towards an end. Yet, Cycling is simple; put in the work and the results come.

The more complicated my life gets and the more conflicted my priorities, the more I find I love Cycling for its elemental simplicity. Set a goal, make a plan, follow it. There is no one to look to but yourself. There are no external dependencies. There is only the endlessness of The Work.

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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frank says:

Feb 12 2013 at 9:43 am

@brett

Nice one Franky boy...

I gave up 'training' a while back, no more intervals, no more set days of doing exactly what a program says. Just riding. Riding hard with my mates, challenging each other up hills and in sprints, sharing the work, just having fun. And it works.

Right now I guess I'm training for Keepers Tour, but haven't said once that 'this is what I need to do'. We ride our road bikes on 6 hour rides, we ride our singlespeeds on short and fast loops with plenty of hills, we ride our mountain bikes on technical, steep trails and we ride our steel bikes around the bays checking out the talent. And we usually have a beer or two after. The social aspect can be one of the best 'training tools' out there. And we're all pretty damn fit for it... I'm in way better shape than this time last year for Keepers Tour, without really thinking about it.

If riding is a chore, then you're not going to make any progress because chores aren't enjoyable.

Two means to the same end.

This does raise a few questions:

If riding is a chore, then you're not going to make any progress because chores aren't enjoyable.

Are you a child? Does Bretty-whetty not like his chores? Does Bretty-whetty not like eating his peas either?

For the record, I fucking hate peas, so I'm right there with you.

Whether its enjoyable or not is beside the point. I do love training because I'm wired that way (OCD, anyone?) but on the other hand, if something needs doing there is no point in not enjoying it. I was taught that when I was raised, and at this point I can't even really tell the difference between things I want to do because I love them or things I do because I know they need to be done. Either way, by the time I'm done doing it, I'll feel good about it.

I'm in way better shape than this time last year for Keepers Tour, without really thinking about it.

Not being facetious, but wondering how you know you're in better shape if you're not keeping track of your training?
frank says:

Feb 12 2013 at 9:46 am

@Steampunk

@frank

Seriously?? Fuck: this place is going downhill fast.

Yeah, it started right around the time you started showing up.

To be fair, though, the joke may have seemed funnier to my by the fact that the VMH could hardly crack a smile about it, which said to me it was fucking hilarious

@Chris

I'm definitelynitty definitely in the "needs motivational targets" camp, especially in the winter and at least until I've found some form and the guns start to lay down a proper barrage rather than the soft nerfy shit they're producing at the moment.

it's not that I don't like riding in Rule #9 weather, it's just so much harder to drag my climbs like a battleship carcas out of a warm bed when I know that not only am I going to be colds and wet (an eternal battle regardless of how much I'm looking forward to a ride or thstalemate of the weather) but, more importantly, that I'm going to be doing it badly.

Once I start finding that form it gets so much easier - there's a lot to be said for @Barracuda's "As a rule, the more I ride, the better I feel and therefore the better I fell, the more I ride."

Intervals and structured training certainly seems to suit me, being able to do short, intense sessions (often on the rollers) fits well with family, work and commuting and allows me to enjoy longer rides when I do get some time. Without the shorter sessions, I wouldn't enjoy the the longer rides and the while thing would probably fall beside the wayside.

Either you're on your iPad or you're hammered already. If its the later, then AWESOME.

.
Chris says:

Feb 12 2013 at 9:54 am

@frank

@Chris

I'm definitelynitty definitely in the "needs motivational targets" camp, especially in the winter and at least until I've found some form and the guns start to lay down a proper barrage rather than the soft nerfy shit they're producing at the moment.

it's not that I don't like riding in Rule #9 weather, it's just so much harder to drag my climbs like a battleship carcas out of a warm bed when I know that not only am I going to be colds and wet (an eternal battle regardless of how much I'm looking forward to a ride or thstalemate of the weather) but, more importantly, that I'm going to be doing it badly.

Once I start finding that form it gets so much easier - there's a lot to be said for @Barracuda's "As a rule, the more I ride, the better I feel and therefore the better I fell, the more I ride."

Intervals and structured training certainly seems to suit me, being able to do short, intense sessions (often on the rollers) fits well with family, work and commuting and allows me to enjoy longer rides when I do get some time. Without the shorter sessions, I wouldn't enjoy the the longer rides and the while thing would probably fall beside the wayside.

Either you're on your iPad or you're hammered already. If its the later, then AWESOME..

iPad Mini, got it for my sons birthday yesterday. It seems to be like typing on an iPad whilst hammered.

Drinking is the hardest part of getting my form back. Once I cut the booze out, form comes back fairly quickly.
frank says:

Feb 12 2013 at 9:55 am

@Steampunk

@Chris

I've long felt that the surest sign of good form has less to do with power and endurance or even the capacity to recover quickly from an exertion. Instead, for me, form has everything to do acquiring that higher threshold for pain. When I can look forward to hurting myself and relishing in that moment. That's when I know the fitness and form are on track...

TTTHHHHHIIIIIISSSSSS.

@PeakInTwoYears

@Chris

@Steampunk True enough, the ability ability to not mind increasing levels of pain does come with form but I quite often find that when I'm really lacking in form my legs start to give out before the pain become too much. I think that is an indication of a lack of power possibly resulting from generally riding at a high cadence all the time. Low cadence intervals seem to be working at the moment but it's early days.

Re cadence: spending time on the mtb this winter, I'm turning the pedals slower and (I think) finding a wee bit of increased power. Now if only my knees don't complain too much...

Rule 90 has been great for my power, but with the knee tweaks I've had the last month or so, I'm backing off on it. Mountain biking (and CX) teach you a great range of pedalling; on the road you slip into whatever your natural cadence is but off road you ride according to the terrain. Its great for your stroke.
Buck Rogers says:

Feb 12 2013 at 11:28 am

@Chris

@frank

@Chris

I'm definitelynitty definitely in the "needs motivational targets" camp, especially in the winter and at least until I've found some form and the guns start to lay down a proper barrage rather than the soft nerfy shit they're producing at the moment.

it's not that I don't like riding in Rule #9 weather, it's just so much harder to drag my climbs like a battleship carcas out of a warm bed when I know that not only am I going to be colds and wet (an eternal battle regardless of how much I'm looking forward to a ride or thstalemate of the weather) but, more importantly, that I'm going to be doing it badly.

Once I start finding that form it gets so much easier - there's a lot to be said for @Barracuda's "As a rule, the more I ride, the better I feel and therefore the better I fell, the more I ride."

Intervals and structured training certainly seems to suit me, being able to do short, intense sessions (often on the rollers) fits well with family, work and commuting and allows me to enjoy longer rides when I do get some time. Without the shorter sessions, I wouldn't enjoy the the longer rides and the while thing would probably fall beside the wayside.

Either you're on your iPad or you're hammered already. If its the later, then AWESOME..

iPad Mini, got it for my sons birthday yesterday. It seems to be like typing on an iPad whilst hammered.

Drinking is the hardest part of getting my form back. Once I cut the booze out, form comes back fairly quickly.

Yeah, I weighed in on Feb 1st and weighed more than I ever have in my entire life. I cut out all booze and any form of candy and kept the exercise at the same level and i have dropped 2 kilos in two weeks, and strangely enough, I have not missed the booze. Something is REALLY not right here.

No booze for me until I get back to my college undergrad graduating weight (4 kilos to go).
brett says:

Feb 12 2013 at 11:33 am

@frank

@brett

I'm in way better shape than this time last year for Keepers Tour, without really thinking about it.

Not being facetious, but wondering how you know you're in better shape if you're not keeping track of your training?

Easy. I feel better, I'm riding more/further/faster/stronger, my tan lines are crisper.

I've been doing this long enough to know what kind of shape I'm in. I don't need a journal or HRMs or Strava to tell me how I'm feeling.

@frank

Whether its enjoyable or not is beside the point. I do love training because I'm wired that way (OCD, anyone?) but on the other hand, if something needs doing there is no point in not enjoying it. I was taught that when I was raised, and at this point I can't even really tell the difference between things I want to do because I love them or things I do because I know they need to be done. Either way, by the time I'm done doing it, I'll feel good about it.

And of course enjoyment is the point. When I started riding bikes as a kid it wasn't because I wanted to train, I did it because it was fun. You don't get to a point and say "right, that was fun but now let's make it suck and something I don't want to do but will anyway". If you feel like you ride because you 'have to', then why bother?
frank says:

Feb 12 2013 at 11:49 am

@brett

@frank

@brett

I'm in way better shape than this time last year for Keepers Tour, without really thinking about it.

Not being facetious, but wondering how you know you're in better shape if you're not keeping track of your training?

Easy. I feel better, I'm riding more/further/faster/stronger, my tan lines are crisper.

I've been doing this long enough to know what kind of shape I'm in. I don't need a journal or HRMs or Strava to tell me how I'm feeling.

Correct answer. Its like the friendship test.
gaswepass says:

Feb 12 2013 at 11:55 am

@scaler911

Mmmm. Training. As I was asking @gaswepass last night, does anyone know where you can buy a "Home Tonsil Removal Kit"? If I can get scaler911 Jr's out sooner than the scheduled date of the 21st, I can get back to sitting on the bike, instead of sitting around the house with a febrile kiddo.

he left out the part about whether the rollers still work indoors when you can't get out...
Ron says:

Feb 12 2013 at 12:38 pm

I don't eat green beans because they squeak on my teeth & the effect is like nails on a chalkboard.

Buck, ouch! Highest weight ever? That hurts. Thankfully we had to lift lots of weights in college & I now am far below that highest weight; if I get to that again I'll be looking like Lampre Man in my kit, and my V-jersey is already snug in the arms as it is.
minion says:

Feb 12 2013 at 1:14 pm

@frank

@brett

Nice one Franky boy...

I gave up 'training' a while back, no more intervals, no more set days of doing exactly what a program says. Just riding. Riding hard with my mates, challenging each other up hills and in sprints, sharing the work, just having fun. And it works.

Right now I guess I'm training for Keepers Tour, but haven't said once that 'this is what I need to do'. We ride our road bikes on 6 hour rides, we ride our singlespeeds on short and fast loops with plenty of hills, we ride our mountain bikes on technical, steep trails and we ride our steel bikes around the bays checking out the talent. And we usually have a beer or two after. The social aspect can be one of the best 'training tools' out there. And we're all pretty damn fit for it... I'm in way better shape than this time last year for Keepers Tour, without really thinking about it.

If riding is a chore, then you're not going to make any progress because chores aren't enjoyable.

Two means to the same end.

This does raise a few questions:

If riding is a chore, then you're not going to make any progress because chores aren't enjoyable.

Are you a child? Does Bretty-whetty not like his chores? Does Bretty-whetty not like eating his peas either?

For the record, I fucking hate peas, so I'm right there with you.

Whether its enjoyable or not is beside the point. I do love training because I'm wired that way (OCD, anyone?) but on the other hand, if something needs doing there is no point in not enjoying it. I was taught that when I was raised, and at this point I can't even really tell the difference between things I want to do because I love them or things I do because I know they need to be done. Either way, by the time I'm done doing it, I'll feel good about it.

I'm in way better shape than this time last year for Keepers Tour, without really thinking about it.

Not being facetious, but wondering how you know you're in better shape if you're not keeping track of your training?

He's started smoking Marlborough lights instead of Marlborough Reds. Not too hard to figure out.