On Rule #10: The Mandlebrot Set of Pain
My training hasn’t gone as I’d like it to be going. My days keep getting loaded up with things that pay the bills more than they add to the account at the V-Bank. It’s part of not being a Pro, I suppose, as if to spite my obvious talent which is a sort of talent sleeper cell where only I recognize my potential while the rest of the world perceives it as mundane mediocrity. I’ll show them, when I get around to it.
[rule number=10/]
To be an athlete is to mimic the animal world; this is the luxury of our age, stimulating the survival instinct through games rather than an actual need to survive which is itself a staggering accomplishment. It is our nature as animals that drives us to find the next level of achievement as athletes; as athletes, our success is rooted in our ability to process the act of suffering into a productive output, to push beyond the plane of perceived capability. What is left to the adventurer who walks along the path – the Velominatus – is to discover the complexity of suffering.
And, as Rule #10 implies, what lies hidden within the complexity of suffering is deceptively simple: more suffering, like some diabolical Mandelbrot Set set of pain where every point on its continuum contains an infinite set just like it.
The strange thing about suffering is that as you gain fitness, your lens shifts. When our fitness has the most opportunity for improvement, we alternate between pushing through a blockage either in the legs or the lungs – never both. The human mind is, after all, equipped to process only one pain at a time. But as our fitness develops, the mind learns to delegate the pain to the lesser organs and allows them to self-manage: the strength of one learns to support the weakness in the other. Over time, the suffering body becomes a holistic organism that can compensate for the most acutely weak unit with those which still yield some reserves. This is how we go faster; we transform how our body manages its resources.
When we speak of suffering, our minds shift to the climbs. Climbing is the easiest place to find suffering, a sinister gift of our old friend, Gravity. But suffering is to be found anywhere just as easily, provided you can motivate yourself to push as hard as gravity can pull. The Hour Record doesn’t have a climb in sight, but it scores a 100% on the Cycling version of Rotten Tomatoes (which, I am not too modest to suggest, finds its logical home right here at Velominati.)
As I suffer my way towards some level of condition, I am grateful for the opportunity to rediscover the pain behind the pain, to find some hint of control over the suffering, the ability to compensate one suffering unit for another. The ability to, despite every signal emitting from the body, push a little harder and resist the temptation to yield is perhaps the most noble gift our generous sport imparts upon us.
Nice! I just read today that the hour goes forward on March 8th. Damn that’s good news here in WI because it means the possibility of rides after work, getting in those short rides to build up some fitness. That fitness leads to longer rides and that will mean, sooner rather than later, I bite off a bigger one than I’m ready for and suffer accordingly. I’ve done a couple of 80kms this year and was surprised at how well they went. This has instilled some confidence (misplaced, I’m sure) that I’m ready for some 100-120 kms rides in March. It’s as if I’m daring the man with the hammer to come out with me. Is it too perverse to say I’m looking forward to renewing his acquaintance?
Same here. Not much riding, shit legs and Het Volk round the corner. This spring is gonna be tough.
http://www.omloophetnieuwsblad.be/nl/elite-men/race/track
@wiscot
not at all, without his visits, how would you know you’d really pushed yourself?
TDU week last month was an interesting example for me, I was leading a tour group around on ~100k rides each day, but because I was designated to only maintain a pace that the group could hold, I still came out of a 700k week with plenty in the tank & feeling invincible.
Skip forward a few weeks & a tough, but manageable, 100k/3,000m ride with the other ride leader from the week drew a visit from the man 70k in. Cue 30km (and a couple of tough climbs) of communing with butterflies as I crawled home, strangely happy that I still knew how to properly hurt myself.
Deep Stuff Frank!
Good to have you back espousing the noble cycling truths.
I am experimenting with training while suffering from the flu. My theory is I can burn up the illness through suffering in the saddle. I am not sure if it works but I do get some temporary relief through an endorphin release. And I’ll be damned if the flu is going to keep me off the bike!
@Mikael Liddy
I know how you feel. Did 175k 2 weeks ago and was comfortable the whole way. Following week was wheel sucking 2nd half of 100k.
Frank I hope we get to ride together one day — and I hope I’ve made myself to suffer enough before we do.
True words, true words. Damned if you can get non-cyclists to understand the beauty of suffering (and it’s inherent benefits). Like any good hypocrite though, I look with scorn on those folks you see whipping themselves in the name of religion yet do the same thing (cycling speaking) to myself on my bike.
The only thing better than making yourself suffer though, is making someone else suffer…
I’m so there with you. Ice everywhere here in NashVegas for the last couple of weeks. Were it not for the trainer and Sufferfest, I’d have no legs at all. Holding on to what form I have with my fingernails.
mmm…mandelbrodt…
Actually a pretty decent–bubbeh approved–energy bar substitute, now that I think of it.
Climbing is gravity’s way of telling you you’re headed in the wrong direction.
@Ccos
+1 Hearing the yoyo string snap is a beautiful sound…
Timely article for that fact that, on Monday, I completed an hour long FTP test prior to starting my newest training program. I thought I was mentally prepared for the Man with the Hammer, but he brought a very heavy one and hit me with it at a little over 40 minutes in. The suffering was blinding up to the bell. We had this picture pasted to the wall for inspiration:
@Mikael Liddy
I know it all too well
@Barracuda
yeah I should clarify, it’s a nice sound to hear from behind you…when you hear it up front you know you’re in a whole world of trouble!
@Barracuda
The greatest feeling of fitness is pushing so hard that your world collapses in upon itself and forms the all too familiar morsus cavernosum. At this point ones focus and intensity falls clearly on the circular motion and steady cadence needed for sustainability. And at the pinnacle of triumph, the last gasp over the valley you have overcome, the darkness fading, you are alone and the companions of your journey are no where to be seen.
@xyxax
Brilliant!
It’s late, I’m patching servers after banging out some laps on the boards, and I want to go to bed. I read the title as Mandelbaum, which is kind of appropriate.
Here’s some Rule #5 inspiration for you.
And I bought this today:
Should have ‘er built up tomorrow. Just need to slip it in under the radar.
No mention thus far about yesterday’s hour record attempt by Thomas Dekker (on a Koga)?
Unfortunately he did not make it but he was very close. Attached link contains more info on the bike and the preparation. Guess since most of it is in Dutch, y’all will get some time practicing your Flemish.
http://www.koga.com/nl/over-koga/nieuws/thomas-dekker-doet-aanval-op-werelduurrecord-in-mexico.htm
A good laugh to see is the 6min video about someone else (with help from Thomas Dekker) trying to equal the first hour record set in 1893 by Henry Desgrange (35.325 km), without a lot of training. Also epic is the footage of Merckx’ record in 1972 where he had to be taken off the bike after finishing.
@xyxax
+1
Too many cakes do not make a climber.
@TBONE
Rule #27 violation right there.
The lack of gloves is pro though.
@Oli
So glad to see you back on these pages, OBW. Adds a touch of class to the proceedings.
@VeloJello
And you know what March means: the start of the Classic cake season, with Dutch and Belgian chocolate. Yum.
Thanks man, it’s good to be back.
@TBONE
This much badassitry can give Rule #27 the finger and still be awesome.
@KogaLover
I meant to mention it in my post, but forgot. Seems that the expectations that the record was going to be beaten repeatedly in relatively quick succession are falling short. If there’s one thing that’s becoming abundantly clear, it’s that the hour is a very, very hard record to hold.
@Frank
Good stuff. Rule #10 has become my favorite rule. I remind myself of it all the time, and it has more applications than one might see at it’s surface.
@Sparty
Good god man, has your coach never heard of the 20 minute ftp protocol or does he just hate you?
Oooh @Frank… I posted the above, and this, from home and had forgotten to log on to my VPN, and it worked.
Merckx be praised (assuming it was Him and not you).
@Sparty
Coming out of winter training, 60 min FTP makes me cringe at the thought.
@ChrisO
This is all me…. 20 minute FTP. That hurts plenty to feel the breath of the man on the back of your neck
@TBONE
There is no slipping Celeste under the radar. Maybe you have to invoke the s-1 part of Rule nr. 12.
@1860
I can build it during the day, hide it in the spare room. It will live under the track. Or, I could just come clean.
@VeloJello
No cakes for me, but recovery beverages aren’t helping my cause. In two weeks I’ll be doing a 160km/3000m event, suffering up the climbs is a given. Embracing it is my goal.
I have to admit, I find training a bit of a challenge, I’m not sure what I’m training for? I can understand it for people here who enter competitive races and are capable of actually taking part and have some chance of doing well. For me, I’m only ‘racing’ myself most of the time. I usually ride alone and have to admit even if I’m on a ride with other people I find my own rhythm and can get quite annoyed if someone is with me and they are either just a *little* bit slower or faster than me.
I train, such as I have been able this year, in the winter so I can go out on decent rides when the weather picks up, rides when I can loose myself on the bike, face a few challenges (hills – I hate them over about 15%), fight them and win and finish the ride with that warm feeling that I’ve done it, I’m knackered but I enjoyed it. There’s nothing worse than doing a ride and hating it, or even worse cutting it short because you’ve blown out.
@TBONE
You could do like my wife would say when confronted about some new piece of clothing… “Oh this is old, I have had it forever…”
in my view the question of coming clean depends on what Group you are putting on the bike… if it is Super Record then it is badass of course, and everybody will understand (or at least should…).
The other thing that is bothering me about this whole business, since when did I start respecting Canadians? But you sir, deserve it….
@VeloSix
What’s FTP? I’m originally from the West of Scotland and know one interpretation, but it’s not applicable here.
Remember guys, it’s just NOT pro to go out training before 10 a.m.
@wiscot
Functional Threshold Power, in theory, this is the max average power you can sustain for one hour.
This whole article smacks of an early excuse for Keepers Tour form…
@chipomarc
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve been out of sorts with starting our Sunday rides at the ungodly hour of 9.30…
@wiscot
Scottish west coast FTP? A not so friendly sentiment to the local Polis?
@1860
Paint the walls Eau de Nil?
@1860
errrrr – Group?? It’s a track frame…………….
This whole thread rings so true for me this year. Last winter I had loads of home based work and was doing hill reps pretty much every other lunchtime and hit the spring in good form. This winter I’m out on customer sites working silly hours and living in hotels and my chest seems to be slipping down to my waist.
@JohnB
No, more a not-so-friendly sentiment to the Holy Father in Rome…
@Al__S
Ah gotcha. Not an issue that we on the east coast experience quite as much. Must be a Dundee sentiment to the local constabulary.
@wiscot
What you will see though, is the majority of the next challengers choosing to make their attempt at altitude…
For a reasonable, but not out of this world, TT rider like Dekker to get within a lap of Dennis’ time when prior to the event no one really expected him to be much of a chance indicates that the thinner air is the way to go…either that or he’s taking advantage of no longer being restricted by Garmin’s medical policy.
@Teocalli
Correct! Rest assured, it’s a steezy build, SRAM omniums, Dura Ace hubs, Campy Barcelona rims, and other bits. I did just order some 88mm Planet X rims though. I have certain Provincial championship aspirations this summer…
@ChrisO
The reason I we test my FTP using the hour time is twofold.  First, when I have tested using the 20 minute version, I had too many power spikes and had difficulty pacing myself.  Thus, the reading was less accurate  Second, when I do time trial, I am always in the saddle 40 minutes or more and I need to know that I can mentally accept the suffering for that duration.  Using the hour method, I have nothing left in the tank, the power is much more consistent and the result very accurate – and the suffering VERY real!
@VeloSix
Just to elaborate on that, in case you think it’s just an interesting number…
FTP becomes the level around which all your training is based when you are using power. You establish training zones and work around them.
So a Zone 1 recovery ride would be no more than 60% of FTP, which is actually really difficult to do.
Z2 Endurance is 60-75% so that’s the sort of pace you should be able to do for several hours.
Z3 is also known as Sweet Spot, 75-90% – if you can do a lot of time in that area it pushes the FTP up.
Then you get Z4 which is basically your FTP level and you would do sustained bursts, Z5 is 105-120% which is great to go in and out of to simulate racing and Z6 / Z7 (some scales stop at Z6) is your sprinting.
The Z4 and above levels tend to be done in structured exercises e.g. 1 min Z5, 4min Z4, 5 min Z3 and repeat or 20 seconds Z6 with 40 seconds rest x 10. Z3 and below are ones you crucnh out for a whole ride.
Apart from training FTP is also a good indicator of performance. When you hear people talk about watts per kilo comparison among pros they are typically using FTP for the watts. Tell me your w/kg FTP and I’ll tell you what category you can race at.
Anything above 5 w/kg is pro-level and if you’re getting up towards 6 w/kg you’re a stage or race winner. At my very best I’ve made it up 4.4.
Roughly speaking between 4 and 5 w /kg is pretty good club and amateur racing from Cat 3 up to Cat 1/ Elite level. 3 to below 4 w/kg is sportive/Cat 4 level and below 3 your aren’t trying.