Categories: Defining MomentsLa Vie VelominatusTradition

Through the Eyes of a Canine

The Directeur takes his dog for a walk.

I envy my dog. There is nothing in her life that can not be immediately obtained that she bothers herself with; she is a perfect example of the happiness to be found through living in the moment, unclouded by dreams or goals. This is the embodiment of one aspect of what I seek from Cycling: freedom from external pressures via total inward focus on the now.

While I envy her, I pity her for this same reason; she will never know the beauty of cultivating a dream, nor the satisfaction to be found in achieving a goal, which is something else I seek from Cycling.

Her combination of focus and absent-mindedness inspires me. She has no limit to her desire to show me her favorite orange ball, or her insistence on helping me notice that she’s laid it in my lap. I can get up and move to another chair, and she will helpfully carry the ball over for me, noting that I neglected to bring it myself. Should something more important demand on her attention – say, the mailman arriving at the door (who requires a session of being barked at), or the appearance of food in her dish – the ball will be forgotten in totality. Later in the day, she will serendipitously reencounter the ball and delight afresh in its limitless bounties.

The changing of the seasons gives me this same gift; with each season I rediscover the beauty of our sport in new ways; riding through a fiery tunnel of changing leaves, the damp earthy smell of a winter’s training ride, the freedom of riding without arm, knee, and shoe covers on a warm spring day, or the glory of riding in the baking summer sun. Each arrives with the welcome of a long-lost friend.

I imagine that everything I need to know in order to become a Directeur Sportif, should the need arise, I have learned from raising dogs. For instance, loyalty is earned, not deserved. Further, loyalty and intelligence are more important than size, strength or talent. Managing a rider in a breakaway, assuming it is a US or Aussie team, the same principles apply as walking a dog on a lead; you prevent them pulling by any means necessary.

As for tolerating doping or other shenanigans within the team, even a dog instinctively knows never to shit where it sleeps.

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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piwakawaka says:

Oct 15 2013 at 1:39 pm

@atomicmanatee Le Man.
atomicmanatee says:

Oct 15 2013 at 2:22 pm

@piwakawaka I left him out on account of becoming Le Melvin.
Marcus says:

Oct 15 2013 at 2:50 pm

@minion

Ahhhh. I'm looking forward to a long, productive northern hemisphere winter watching Faharank and Marcus, representatives of two out of the three fattest nations on earth, argue about which is the 19th worst cycling nation, Aus or the US.

My money's on Fhronk.

Fhrowhnk is at an unfair advantage because when it suits him, he switches his allegiance to the Netherlands (this ability to switch allegiances marks him as a true Dutchman).
Chris says:

Oct 15 2013 at 4:08 pm

@frank

@Marcus

You clearly don't race bikes

And you obviously do, and likely don't win often.

And he's unlikely to win while he keeps going for a swim beforehand.
scaler911 says:

Oct 15 2013 at 8:46 pm

@Chris

@frank

@Marcus

You clearly don't race bikes

And you obviously do, and likely don't win often.

And he's unlikely to win while he keeps going for a swim beforehand.

And a run in a banana hammok after.
ChrisO says:

Oct 15 2013 at 11:11 pm

So Frank et al, how would you distinguish between Gerrans' M-SR ride and Costa's world championship ride ?

Because I haven't seen anyone saying he wheelsucked his way to the rainbow jersey but they look like pretty similar efforts to me.
Marcus says:

Oct 15 2013 at 11:25 pm

@ChrisO I hate it when I agree with you - this bullshit about wheelsucking is exactly that.

You want a sport where the strongest invariably wins, go watch athletics.

In cycling it is not always the strongest who wins, but the one who uses HIS resources the smartest.

And that's the beauty of the sport.
Teocalli says:

Oct 16 2013 at 1:19 am

@Marcus

You want a sport where the strongest invariably wins, go watch athletics.

Though drafting mostly takes place on the track too in middle and long distance running.
meursault says:

Oct 16 2013 at 2:56 am

Ah the dogs life. One of the best things about getting into Buddhism, is mindfulness. It's a bit like anti multi-tasking. Whatever you are doing, do just that, nothing else. The more you practise this, the better it gets. It's brilliant. Living in the moment and focusing, actually shines more realism into reality.
minion says:

Oct 16 2013 at 5:37 am

@Marcus

@minion

Ahhhh. I'm looking forward to a long, productive northern hemisphere winter watching Faharank and Marcus, representatives of two out of the three fattest nations on earth, argue about which is the 19th worst cycling nation, Aus or the US.

My money's on Fhronk.

Fhrowhnk is at an unfair advantage because when it suits him, he switches his allegiance to the Netherlands (this ability to switch allegiances marks him as a true Dutchman).

That's not much help to Fhronk, Belkin's registered in the Netherlands. Not fat but couldn't win a bike race with an EPO - filled chicken (oh sorry that was Rabobank), a former track sprint world champion, or a Bond villain. Interestingly the team appears to be filled with a combination of Dutch and 'Strayan riders, so you could do the six degrees of separation between Marcus and Fahrownk with that team. or, six degrees of Fhra - arcus.