If you really want to get a boiling discussion/debate/argument/fistfight going, take an opposing view with someone regarding their core beliefs. Whether it be religion, politics, or your favorite flavor of soft drink, there is nothing more essential to the person than his or her guiding principles. This is the source of motivation, the moral compass, and ultimately defines who you are to the rest of the world.
I'm just here to work hard.
The Amish, from whom our club draws its name, keep the idea God placed them here to serve Him, and they do so zealously. They work hard from dawn to dusk, living simple lives in Him. Sure, we make jokes from time to time, but there truly can be nothing but admiration for a society that manages to live as simply and directly as do the Amish. And by the way Wes, there's your communal anarchy model.
I go to work, and I work with good people. Still, as the school year draws to a close, more and more I can see how people are in glide mode. Rules are relaxed (just when they should be tightened), and the implied message to the kids is it's play time. It's times like this I wish we were a bit more Amish.
Me, I'm just here to work hard.
In our group workouts, discussion always ranges from what's happened in our lives to what will, our relationships, and perhaps our goals. Truthfully it's a joyous part of the day for all of us, and not to be missed. I truly believe it's the candy that keeps us all coming together as we do. The tone can be somewhat different on hard workout days. In the moments leading up to the difficult portion the talk turns to how bad we feel, how slow we will be, the typical lowering of expectations. These are negative thoughts, and only serve to limit us.
I'm as bad as anyone in this regard with one possible exception, and this I say only because I am not in the mind of anyone else but me. When the moment comes, I push the negative out of, or at the very least far back of my mind. I turn my thoughts to right now, what I can control and how I can control it. I start to see connections of course and wind speed and gradient. I make the choice to try hard, control what I can and leave the rest to chance. The talk will come later. Right now it's the workout.
I'm just here to work hard.
Used to be when we rode out to the county line, it was a slow-motion stroll, almost painfully so at times. No more. It's now a given that there will be a group of riders that will fall into line and roll out at a moderate pace. It's not a bad idea on many levels, starting with time management and going to our ultimate goals of distance racing. It's true, we don't get as much time to chat, but after all, our goal is to gain fitness, practice race-specific activity (in the form of aero position), and possibly most importantly sharpen the mind's focus. I do feel badly about anyone who longs for the days past, but as for me, there is only one way to go.
I'm just here to work hard.
Last Night
Last night was a great night - 9 guys showed, all great riders, and we left the church more or less on time (5 minutes late for Jimmy). The night was warm and a bit muggy - summer is coming, and the humidity is rising. I had considered coming out and putting in miles early, but I don't handle high humidity well, especially early on, so I backed off the idea. My knee was still sore anyway, so it was probably just as well. After all, the night is a quality workout, not quantity.
At 337, I jumped on front and pulled out to the line. John T., Jimmy, and Scott joined on I believe. Truth is, I can't say for sure who got on as I never really looked back. I figured if guys wanted on they would be there, if they didn't, they wouldn't. While I didn't ride it that hard (22.5 mph average) it would likely be harder than some guys would want leading up to the hard portion of the ride. With 9 riders, there shouldn't be anyone left behind.
I kept it smooth. Intentionally I kept my mouth closed all the way out, meaning I was breathing only through my nose. Opening the chest slowly and smoothly, I cruised through the first pull with little effort. This was a very good sign, as the wind seemed more or less in our faces for most of the way out. Not overly strong, but it was definitely there. By the time we hit the straightaway, the Amish windmills betrayed the wind direction to be more south than southwest. It would actually be a bit favorable for the ride.
As we gathered, the serious talk began. After the last few weeks I pretty much knew how it would go... I would say, "What are we going to do?" Most everyone else would look at their feet. I guess the truth is we should have a plan in place before we get to the tree (and individually I always do), but I always give the guys a chance to decide (in the name of flexibility). When no consensus could be reached, I made my choice. "I'm taking the first pull to Bromer. I will be going smoothly. I won't pull all the way or too hard. Join if you want." John T. lined up willingly; Jimmy grudgingly joined on a moment later.
The wind was at our backs slightly, and the ride was smooth and fast. We were coasting through almost 27 mph, and once again I was breathing from the nose only. As the straightaway ended, I yelled back to John T., "I am good to go the whole way unless you want a pull. Just let me know if you want to lead." He answered, "I'm fine right here!" I didn't even worry about Jimmy - I knew he'd be happy with a strong pull.
From there the speed went up, up, up. Before long 27 had turned to 29, 30 and more. I didn't look back. It'd been a fight to get the ride started, and I figured either they wanted to do it or they didn't. We weren't doing anything they couldn't do, so it would come down to choice. They wanted to be there or they didn't.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear their voices behind me in the later stages of the ride urging me on. I was then sure not only were they there but they were well under control. It had been a good ride for all of us. In the final stretch I waited for the pass that didn't come. I wouldn't have contested - my ride had been strong and exactly what I needed.
The run after featured a mixture of music and Jimmy complaining about the course. Scott tried to restrain himself, but Scott is Scott and ultimately he ran away. I was feeling pretty good, so I ran up to catch both him and Rand. Rand didn't take long to notice the pace had quickened and he pulled back. I just kept pace with Scott, letting him lift it up. We finished solidly, capping a great workout.
Me, I'm just here to work hard.
I'm just here to work hard.
The Amish, from whom our club draws its name, keep the idea God placed them here to serve Him, and they do so zealously. They work hard from dawn to dusk, living simple lives in Him. Sure, we make jokes from time to time, but there truly can be nothing but admiration for a society that manages to live as simply and directly as do the Amish. And by the way Wes, there's your communal anarchy model.
I go to work, and I work with good people. Still, as the school year draws to a close, more and more I can see how people are in glide mode. Rules are relaxed (just when they should be tightened), and the implied message to the kids is it's play time. It's times like this I wish we were a bit more Amish.
Me, I'm just here to work hard.
In our group workouts, discussion always ranges from what's happened in our lives to what will, our relationships, and perhaps our goals. Truthfully it's a joyous part of the day for all of us, and not to be missed. I truly believe it's the candy that keeps us all coming together as we do. The tone can be somewhat different on hard workout days. In the moments leading up to the difficult portion the talk turns to how bad we feel, how slow we will be, the typical lowering of expectations. These are negative thoughts, and only serve to limit us.
I'm as bad as anyone in this regard with one possible exception, and this I say only because I am not in the mind of anyone else but me. When the moment comes, I push the negative out of, or at the very least far back of my mind. I turn my thoughts to right now, what I can control and how I can control it. I start to see connections of course and wind speed and gradient. I make the choice to try hard, control what I can and leave the rest to chance. The talk will come later. Right now it's the workout.
I'm just here to work hard.
Used to be when we rode out to the county line, it was a slow-motion stroll, almost painfully so at times. No more. It's now a given that there will be a group of riders that will fall into line and roll out at a moderate pace. It's not a bad idea on many levels, starting with time management and going to our ultimate goals of distance racing. It's true, we don't get as much time to chat, but after all, our goal is to gain fitness, practice race-specific activity (in the form of aero position), and possibly most importantly sharpen the mind's focus. I do feel badly about anyone who longs for the days past, but as for me, there is only one way to go.
I'm just here to work hard.
Last Night
Last night was a great night - 9 guys showed, all great riders, and we left the church more or less on time (5 minutes late for Jimmy). The night was warm and a bit muggy - summer is coming, and the humidity is rising. I had considered coming out and putting in miles early, but I don't handle high humidity well, especially early on, so I backed off the idea. My knee was still sore anyway, so it was probably just as well. After all, the night is a quality workout, not quantity.
At 337, I jumped on front and pulled out to the line. John T., Jimmy, and Scott joined on I believe. Truth is, I can't say for sure who got on as I never really looked back. I figured if guys wanted on they would be there, if they didn't, they wouldn't. While I didn't ride it that hard (22.5 mph average) it would likely be harder than some guys would want leading up to the hard portion of the ride. With 9 riders, there shouldn't be anyone left behind.
I kept it smooth. Intentionally I kept my mouth closed all the way out, meaning I was breathing only through my nose. Opening the chest slowly and smoothly, I cruised through the first pull with little effort. This was a very good sign, as the wind seemed more or less in our faces for most of the way out. Not overly strong, but it was definitely there. By the time we hit the straightaway, the Amish windmills betrayed the wind direction to be more south than southwest. It would actually be a bit favorable for the ride.
As we gathered, the serious talk began. After the last few weeks I pretty much knew how it would go... I would say, "What are we going to do?" Most everyone else would look at their feet. I guess the truth is we should have a plan in place before we get to the tree (and individually I always do), but I always give the guys a chance to decide (in the name of flexibility). When no consensus could be reached, I made my choice. "I'm taking the first pull to Bromer. I will be going smoothly. I won't pull all the way or too hard. Join if you want." John T. lined up willingly; Jimmy grudgingly joined on a moment later.
The wind was at our backs slightly, and the ride was smooth and fast. We were coasting through almost 27 mph, and once again I was breathing from the nose only. As the straightaway ended, I yelled back to John T., "I am good to go the whole way unless you want a pull. Just let me know if you want to lead." He answered, "I'm fine right here!" I didn't even worry about Jimmy - I knew he'd be happy with a strong pull.
From there the speed went up, up, up. Before long 27 had turned to 29, 30 and more. I didn't look back. It'd been a fight to get the ride started, and I figured either they wanted to do it or they didn't. We weren't doing anything they couldn't do, so it would come down to choice. They wanted to be there or they didn't.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear their voices behind me in the later stages of the ride urging me on. I was then sure not only were they there but they were well under control. It had been a good ride for all of us. In the final stretch I waited for the pass that didn't come. I wouldn't have contested - my ride had been strong and exactly what I needed.
The run after featured a mixture of music and Jimmy complaining about the course. Scott tried to restrain himself, but Scott is Scott and ultimately he ran away. I was feeling pretty good, so I ran up to catch both him and Rand. Rand didn't take long to notice the pace had quickened and he pulled back. I just kept pace with Scott, letting him lift it up. We finished solidly, capping a great workout.
Me, I'm just here to work hard.
No comments:
Post a Comment