Rapha Festive 500: Day One
Distance: 121 km Time: 4:25 Motivation can appear in many forms. Some are motivated by fear—fear of failure, fear of not living up to expectations. Others derive their inspiration from anger, money, revenge, stature, winning. I know all of those people. Motivation in cycling can often be easy to come by—the next big race, setting a new power record, a category upgrade—but when it is scarce, it can lead a person to a dark place. And this time of year, especially, it’s easy to find...
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Perfection
Individuals who engage extremely deeply in a given pursuit are often termed perfectionists. Their commitment to a particular interest transcends the activity itself, permeating their thoughts and consuming their general being to the point where an uninitiated outsider might consider them obsessed. It’s also a fact that these types of individuals, these perfectionists, choose to participate in activities in which perfection is an elusive and often unattainable goal. Take music, for example. As a musician, there are a myriad of elements one works to perfect....
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Indulge, imbibe, unwind
Make a mental list of five of the most difficult challenges we face as cyclists. Stop reading and do this right now. Here are mine, which are likely colored by the current season: always staying motivated despite the time of year or weather conditions, getting on the rollers at 5 p.m. after a long day to try and knock out 2 hours of LT intervals in the basement, pushing yourself farther than the pain wants you to during an interval or while establishing a breakaway,...
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Miles are meaningless
It is a question the devoted among us constantly find ourselves having to answer: how far did you ride? Coming as it usually does from loved ones, friends, or colleagues, giving a proper answer becomes something of a balancing act. Not wanting to appear rude, a response is required, especially since the individual making the innocent inquiry is simply expressing an interest in an activity they know us to take quite seriously. The easy answer, of course, is to simply state the number of miles...
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The wild dogs of Arkansas
It would perhaps be obvious to state that cycling is full of occupational hazards. We accept things like crashing, injury, and illness as the inherent risks of getting on with the work. Out of superstition, we may not acknowledge their presence, yet we keep tucked in the recesses of our minds that a little dirt in a corner, a poorly chosen line, an inattentive rider, could render us a victim to any one of these dangers. Yet despite the perils that present themselves as a...
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In praise of the wind vest
Of all the articles of clothing we, as cyclists, possess, the wind vest is perhaps the most virtuous and exquisite. Who among us has not secretly harbored desires even during the most ideal summer weather for the air to turn crisp, the thermometer registering just shy of 60 degrees, so that we might adorn ourselves with this magnificent piece of apparel? Perhaps it is because of the rarity of its necessity that we find it so enchanting. A jersey is a jersey; we wear those...
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Accepting defeat
There’s a famous line; how does it go? Something about mice, men, and best laid plans? There are times when even the hardest among us–those who in order to evade the mind-numbing sensation bestowed by another session on the rollers may think nothing of a ride in sub-zero conditions as snow lightly falls–must admit that we have been defeated. And beyond simply acknowledging our defeat, we must learn to, above all, accept it. There is of course a fine line patrolled by one’s own integrity...
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My favorite meals, Part I
In many cultures, food plays a central role in the social fabric. A meal is not simply a compulsory routine occurring at regular intervals throughout the day, it is a community ritual, an exercise in hierarchies, a time to forge and strengthen relationships. If you find yourself a guest in a culture with such inclinations, a willing interloper eager to partake in a nonnative feast, the stakes at the dinner table are high. Out of respect, you take care to polish your plate, which leads...
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A la recherche
How many times have I traversed these roads? Have my tires ever rolled over the same place twice? Were the asphalt softer, would I have worn a path by now? Do the fields remember me? The horses? The trees? Every ride is new but every ride is also a summation of memories from rides past. I vividly recall details of no specific importance from training sessions months ago, years ago. It’s a feeling akin to hearing a song from adolescence and being instantly transported to...
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Indian summer
This is October. October is a time for crisp air and changing leaves. It is a time to enjoy the comforting smell of chimney smoke and cinnamon brooms. It is a time for morning fog and frosty grass and savoring the warmth of the morning coffee as the chilly pre-dawn air wafts through a half-open dining room window while bare feet struggle to keep warm on the cold, wooden floor. It is a time for unstructured riding, a brief respite before we begin training for...
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Un jour sans
We’ve all had those days. Days when everything seems to be going against us, when nothing works out quite right or unfolds according to plan. It may be one big piece not falling into place, but more often than not it is a string of minor occurrences that keep accumulating and never seem to cease. Although we might recognize what is happening, that the gods detailed to manage and oversee the smooth execution of our well-worn routines have gone for an afternoon espresso, remaining rational...
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The first of many
The weather in Baltimore this weekend has taken a quick and unexpected, though not unwelcome, turn. It has become the weather of arm warmers and knee warmers, of lightweight shoe covers and long-fingered gloves, of wind vests and shivers at the beginnings of rides. It is the weather that greets me this morning. The sky is grey and just as my body warms up, a light, misty rain begins to fall. At first I ignore it, pretending my disregard alone will cause it to cease....
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January 8, 2012
55.59 Mile in 03:04:22
