Categories: EtiquetteFolkloreLa Vie VelominatusTradition

Hunger

This Hunger is insatiable

My favorite feeling is perhaps the empty hollowness of hunger. That statement, in itself, is a declaration of the privileged life I’ve led; it is borderline obscene to boast of such a thing in a world where 842 million people don’t have enough to eat. Nevertheless, being lucky enough to have been raised in America and just competent enough to hold down a job, I find myself in the enviable position of needing to invoke “discipline” in order to experience this sensation.

All that aside, I love feeling hungry, both physically and metaphorically. Physically, being hungry brings something primal out in me; there is an edge that awakens which feels dormant when I’ve eaten. I’m sharper, more alive somehow.

When I eat or drink too much, I feel it in my flesh; I feel the lethargy that comes with food everywhere. I feel it on my back, I feel it in my limbs, I feel it in my eyes – everything is weighed down and blurred. When I am overweight, I find I can go all day without eating and hardly give it a thought. When I’m training and riding well and my weight is down, I can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never feel sated. That is the feeling of hunger to which I refer; not a desire to starve, but a physical condition where sustenance feels impossible to achieve. This is a beautiful state where everything feels alive and there is a sharpness and precision in every motion.

There is also a metaphorical hunger, which I don’t think we can achieve without the physical sort. The metaphorical sort is borne of desire and need. This is what drives us to achieve more than we normally would. Sean Kelly talks of this hunger in his book by the same name; in his opening chapter, he says he would rather fall into the any of the greenhouses below the sweeping hairpins along the descent from the Poggio into Sanremo than face defeat by Moreno Argentin. That is hunger in the metaphorical sense.

I am a better person when I feel hunger; I have drive, I have humility, I have courage. When hunger stirs, we come alive with an urgency we don’t otherwise find. Without it, there is no compulsion to act, to fight, or to endure.

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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meursault says:

Mar 4 2014 at 2:21 pm

@TommyTubolare

@chipomarc

Dude seriously quit COTHO trolling under this nice article. You were told to piss off on more than several occasions on other forums and you're here now. Do yourself a favor and wake up from the Lance nightmare you continuosly living in. Your links to Lance activities are really valid and important only to you. Wish I could recommend somebody to help you but it's hopeless. It has been going on for so long all over the net that I begin to think you're the COTHO himself in disguise.

Gianni, now may not be the time!
unversio says:

Mar 4 2014 at 2:42 pm

If I can control my hunger to be roadside at the 98th Giro d'Italia, then next year I'll be there -- witnessing the Giro -- experiencing cycling/racing culture in Italy.
scaler911 says:

Mar 4 2014 at 2:59 pm

Food, starving oneself, what to eat, when, how? Y'all are missing probably the bigger point of the article, hunger to achieve a goal. The metaphorical hunger that drives us to participate in this insane, beautiful sport. The same kinda hunger to succeed, to get to and over that plateau (which can also be literal or metaphorical).

Anyway, fab article penned at the exact right time of year, especially for those of us living above the 45th Parallel N. Find that hunger, feed it, but satiate it very rarely. We need it.
frank says:

Mar 4 2014 at 3:03 pm

@Puffy

@chipomarc

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sStK1KG8lnA

COTHO " Sometimes you have to miss a meal"

Huh? I don't know how old that video is, but we know better now. You eat enough carbs to fuel your training with a small deficit. Note: small, 500 Cal max my coach keeps telling me. Don't eat enough, your peformace suffers in the same way he describes it suffering when you bonk. Take it too far, and you start loosing muscle! Skipping a whole mean? No way! Not unless you ate too much the meal prior.

This is such total bullshit. Your body burns the easiest fuel it can find; it won't start on muscle until you're in a hunger camp.

By this reasoning no one would ever lose weight or starve to death.

@sthilzy

Speaking of bananas, it took me over 40 years to do it right!

I use to eat before a one hour ride. Like out of bed, kit up, stretch, eat - banana or bowl of oats or bananas, go. Wouldn't carry food in the pockets at all. Now I get up, kit up and go ride up to two hours on the meal on the night before. Since doing the later, held off six kilo's. Six more to go!

This is the way to go. Early morning long ride on espresso only. Instant weight loss, despite the fads.
frank says:

Mar 4 2014 at 3:09 pm

@Tom Mc

Great stuff as always. I have two kinds of hunger here - after a shockingly cold winter here in WI, I'm ravenous to get some real, non-trainer miles in my legs.

In the interests of Rule #19...

My name's Tom. And I'm a cycling addict. As an Aussie (and only a Pedalwan at that), I've been fortunate enough not to know this hunger for much of my life. However, a recent broken arm has meant 6 weeks off the roads and on the turbo trainer. Fair to say I now understand what @wiscot is talking about - I'm counting down the days until I can get back out there again!

Carry on mate and welcome. That first ride back will be so sweet you'll hardly notice the suffering.

@Deakus

Having over indulged in post ride recovery beverages last night (without the ride to earn it!) and over indulged again this morning on pre ride sausages, I simply cannot comment on this article today...I have strayed from the path of enlightenment lord Merckx help me.

On the plus side I am starting the season 7kgs lighter than last year so salvation may be at hand!

We are all friends here. Just put down the fork and the pint and climb on the bike until you feel that burn in your belly again. All will be right, pedalwan.
frank says:

Mar 4 2014 at 3:15 pm

@unversio

Granola! Any warnings against eating good ole fresh granola in place of heavier meals? I'm assuming that this choice is safe. Ordered from Bob's Red Mill and having a box of granola delivered to my desk is different.

I eat some of that regularly with yogurt and flax seed. Too much yogurt will also fatten you up, but the probiotics help you digest and it seems on balance to help me keep trim(ish).
frank says:

Mar 4 2014 at 3:16 pm

@piwakawaka

@Puffy more a compliment to the banana, the perfect power food, in a biodegradable package as well, if you're racing I reckon shove down whatever works, but in training, water only, unless its a hard ride of more than two hours.

I tried to watch that video, but I just kept thinking "what the f*ck do you know? all your numbers are screwed by doping" All your experiences are tainted by the cheating COTHO.

I hate the guy as much (or more) as anyone, but the twat still had to be fucking trim and fit to do what he did, drugs or no.

Having doped through his career (and after!) doesn't mean he didn't know how to diet and train.

@scaler911

Food, starving oneself, what to eat, when, how? Y'all are missing probably the bigger point of the article, hunger to achieve a goal. The metaphorical hunger that drives us to participate in this insane, beautiful sport. The same kinda hunger to succeed, to get to and over that plateau (which can also be literal or metaphorical).

Anyway, fab article penned at the exact right time of year, especially for those of us living above the 45th Parallel N. Find that hunger, feed it, but satiate it very rarely. We need it.

Plus one badge to you, matey.
PeakInTwoYears says:

Mar 4 2014 at 5:48 pm

@frank

@scaler911

Food, starving oneself, what to eat, when, how? Y'all are missing probably the bigger point of the article, hunger to achieve a goal. The metaphorical hunger that drives us to participate in this insane, beautiful sport. The same kinda hunger to succeed, to get to and over that plateau (which can also be literal or metaphorical).

Anyway, fab article penned at the exact right time of year, especially for those of us living above the 45th Parallel N. Find that hunger, feed it, but satiate it very rarely. We need it.

Plus one badge to you, matey.

T. McGoats. That was what made the article so good.
meursault says:

Mar 4 2014 at 6:19 pm

Oh my Merckx, I'm a level one, I feel so cheap...
Gianni says:

Mar 4 2014 at 6:38 pm

@meursault

@TommyTubolare

@chipomarc

Dude seriously quit COTHO trolling under this nice article. You were told to piss off on more than several occasions on other forums and you're here now. Do yourself a favor and wake up from the Lance nightmare you continuosly living in. Your links to Lance activities are really valid and important only to you. Wish I could recommend somebody to help you but it's hopeless. It has been going on for so long all over the net that I begin to think you're the COTHO himself in disguise.

Gianni, now may not be the time!

Heeeheee. Maybe yes, maybe no.