On Rule #6: Resistance

This man isn’t about to quit; that’s V Face right there.

Strength can be a fickle thing this time of year, when the training isn’t as consistent as it should be; it comes and goes, sometimes several times in the span of a single ride or even a climb. Like a rosy-eyed dreamer I keep awakening as I train, thrown like a rag doll between a state nearing euphoria and one resembling purgatory.

My mind is what drives me as a Cyclist, it is what allows my to keep going despite the burning in my legs and lungs. It is what pushes me to leave the comfort of my home to climb aboard my bike when it is dark, cold, and rainy. But there are times when the legs won’t go or the body fails in some anomalous way when we are struck by the reality that we are but puppets, pushed and pulled by forces that exist outside outside the jurisdiction of our will.

Whether or not the body fails, the mind can still resist. It can resist easing back. It can resist turning around. It can resist turning the bars to steer away from the extra climbing loop. Giving in is the worst kind of weakness we have in Cycling. With time all the acute reasons why we want to quit will pass; the acid will flush from our muscles, the gasps for air will give way to steady breathing, the cold will leave our bodies. But quitting, and the doubt it cultivates can last much, much longer.

Quitting begets quitting. It wears down your confidence and makes you question yourself. It asks questions of you that you will struggle to answer when the 2am Ghosts of Lost Opportunities come calling. Worst of all, quitting gets easier the more you do it.

Before my rides, I will decide if it is to be a hard day or an easy day; whether I will do the extra loop with the big climbs or look for the flatter roads. Once on the ride, I will shut off the part of my mind that asks those questions and simply shut off the part of my mind that processes those considerations. I will not stop until I am done.

Our strength may be fickle, but our minds are steady.

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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Chris says:

Feb 5 2014 at 9:11 am

@wiscot

@the Engine

First person to say they weren't expecting the Spanish Inquisition has to do hill reps

Or eat spam. Spam, spam, spam (ad nauseum) . . . or even a wafer thin mint. (said in a cloying, obsequious French accent).

The Black Knight knew how to suffer, though...

Tis but a scratch!
Teocalli says:

Feb 5 2014 at 9:15 am

@the Engine

On a point of order that wasn't a Python sketch it was from At Last the 1948 Show - which begat both Python and the Goodies

Not forgetting I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again as a nursing ground for both.
wiscot says:

Feb 5 2014 at 9:28 am

@Teocalli

@the Engine

On a point of order that wasn't a Python sketch it was from At Last the 1948 Show - which begat both Python and the Goodies

Not forgetting I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again as a nursing ground for both.

And the Goons begat MP and the Goodies. Milligan, Secombe, Sellars and Bentine. I remember Bentine's kid's show in the 70s - wonderfully strange. Also Milligan's QB7 stuff - just strange.
Steve-o says:

Feb 5 2014 at 9:29 am

@Mike_P

@wiscot

@zugo

I don't quit. My problem is different. I have trouble stablishing new goals and challenges. I'm now trying to do a transition to a more experienced group of riders from my currently "newbie we only ride bycicles" group. It's really hard for me cause I don't wanna be the last guy on the peloton. I need to take some shots of The V.

I think this is one of the great things about the bike: the ability to set goals and achieve them - even if it take a shitload of suffering to do so. I know the Rules say it's not about distance, but distance is a very good way to set and achieve said goals. For example: as the year progresses, my rides go from 50kms to 80kms, 100, 120, 160, 200, 200+ The goal this year is a 320 kms ride. Sure, time and daylight sometimes dictate otherwise, but there's also great joy when you head out on a ride, feel better than you thought you would and blow past the goal for the day. Truly a win-win.

+1

@zugo put that ego in a box for a while, join that faster group and accept the batterings for a while. You'll not be at the back for too long, but in my humble opinion "I don't want to...." is a path to certain disappointment. I prescribe liberal doses of Rules #5 and #10

@zugo, do it. That time in the pain cave has rewards. I did the same, called it my Thurday Death Ride. But before long I was hanging onto the back of the group, then I was in the group, then I was dropping back to bring slower riders up. The faster riders commented on the progress I'd made. It as all very encouraging. My fastest year on the bike since the 80's, and just a few months after ACL reconstruction.
unversio says:

Feb 5 2014 at 12:38 pm

"I rode. I rode until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I rode some more."
unversio says:

Feb 5 2014 at 12:44 pm

Fight Club minus Tyler Durden from Richard Trammell on Vimeo.
RedRanger says:

Feb 5 2014 at 5:20 pm

Percentage wise, doing nothing is 100% easier
frank says:

Feb 5 2014 at 6:07 pm

@Chris

@wiscot

@the Engine

First person to say they weren't expecting the Spanish Inquisition has to do hill reps

Or eat spam. Spam, spam, spam (ad nauseum) . . . or even a wafer thin mint. (said in a cloying, obsequious French accent).

The Black Knight knew how to suffer, though...

Tis but a scratch!
frank says:

Feb 5 2014 at 6:09 pm

@wiscot

@the Engine

First person to say they weren't expecting the Spanish Inquisition has to do hill reps

Or eat spam. Spam, spam, spam (ad nauseum) . . . or even a wafer thin mint. (said in a cloying, obsequious French accent).

Hey, keep to your own turf. You can have your crappy cheese but Spam belongs to Minnesota!
frank says:

Feb 5 2014 at 6:10 pm

@RedRanger

Percentage wise, doing nothing is 100% easier

Similarly, going slow is the only thing you don't need to practice in order to get better at it.

(Not totally true, I actually find that only really good cyclists can go however slowly they need to in order to ride with someone who sucks. Museeuw riding with us being a prime example.)