“What — in this context — do you love doing? What do you love so much that you will make it important enough to do every day? To recover with intent on the days you don't do it? To pay attention to your behavior in the hours when you aren't doing it, and to change behavior to support eventual doing?" Honest replies usually define a solution for most people.”
I have been utilising this thought process with my work for a while now (probably picked it up from you at some other point). It is always fascinating to watch my client pause and reflect, to screw their face when I ask about their life and their interests, all for the purpose of creating a ‘meaningless’ training program. But when they leave there is a spark, when they return they have actually been able to take a step forward.
I chuckle the longer I awkwardly spin around the sun that your “Mind is Primary” principle, just gets deeper and deeper the more I ponder.
Sorry for the long winded comment. And thank you for steering me to Substack, I have found this platform wonderful for reading and thought.
I remember a comment on a podcast from long ago where you said something to the effect of: when you were in the best biking shape of your life you were in a not good for much else fitness related shape. Do you recall this and if so do you feel that way?
Oh, I remember that, for sure. And stand by the statement. The formula for success in road cycling (generally) is “two pounds per inch”, so if you want to race well and you’re six feet tall you should weigh 144-145 pounds. And making power in circles doesn’t transfer to making power with steps or moving external objects, etc., and doesn’t prepare you to absorb impact or any eccentric loading. There are anomalies who break the formula, of course. And one’s definition of being in the best shape differs by individual; riding 100 miles for fun allows for a lot of variation in body composition, bike handling skills, etc., but racing well is not that. I prefer to be on foot these days because it feels more useful as I get older. I’ll get back to the bike casually but as a tool for general fitness and “health” it’s not my jam these days.
Oh, damn, this is good. I think the love of the bike and riding it comes from doing it well, feeling like you’re integrated with the tool and the environment and the gas tank never empties. For me the hate came from time constraints and declining capability, when I couldn’t do the volume required to be good, and one with the bike, my attitude turned to shit. And soon it felt like the bike itself was mocking my lack of fitness, my waning commitment … all of that. I think I’ve reached a nice point of neutrality with the bike now, so we are talking again .
It sounds like you're pretty driven, Mark (as am I, when I get into it; it varies since like you I do other things too.)
I used to do some pretty big endurance stuff, and the 'day in the office' experience of training and training-recovery hit a point where my brain couldn't cope. I'd suffer neuralgia getting *on* the bike and even weeks of rest weren't helping.
What helped though, was silliness. I'd get on the bike and ride with friends doing the stupidest things -- like bottom-gear high-cadence races on flat ground. When my brain got used to not-suffering every time I parked my butt on the seat, the neuralgia evaporated inside a week.
My conclusion? I might like the machinelike experience of doing endurance, but brains are plastic. Human endurance is extraordinary, but I'm *not* a machine -- endurance capability is a means to an end; it's not the endpoint. You can definitely have too much of a good thing (for some definition of 'good'.) :D
(Or maybe I could say it another way: I could structure my life around torturing myself for endorphins without realising that while the structure, endorphins and training were changing me, the torture was too. :p)
As a devoted triathlete and climber, this deeply resonated.
"heart — and passion — is the true source of power, while muscle is just the tool we use to express it."
Thanks for resharing. Hope our paths cross soon.
GDay Mark, I love this quote in the piece…
“What — in this context — do you love doing? What do you love so much that you will make it important enough to do every day? To recover with intent on the days you don't do it? To pay attention to your behavior in the hours when you aren't doing it, and to change behavior to support eventual doing?" Honest replies usually define a solution for most people.”
I have been utilising this thought process with my work for a while now (probably picked it up from you at some other point). It is always fascinating to watch my client pause and reflect, to screw their face when I ask about their life and their interests, all for the purpose of creating a ‘meaningless’ training program. But when they leave there is a spark, when they return they have actually been able to take a step forward.
I chuckle the longer I awkwardly spin around the sun that your “Mind is Primary” principle, just gets deeper and deeper the more I ponder.
Sorry for the long winded comment. And thank you for steering me to Substack, I have found this platform wonderful for reading and thought.
I remember a comment on a podcast from long ago where you said something to the effect of: when you were in the best biking shape of your life you were in a not good for much else fitness related shape. Do you recall this and if so do you feel that way?
Oh, I remember that, for sure. And stand by the statement. The formula for success in road cycling (generally) is “two pounds per inch”, so if you want to race well and you’re six feet tall you should weigh 144-145 pounds. And making power in circles doesn’t transfer to making power with steps or moving external objects, etc., and doesn’t prepare you to absorb impact or any eccentric loading. There are anomalies who break the formula, of course. And one’s definition of being in the best shape differs by individual; riding 100 miles for fun allows for a lot of variation in body composition, bike handling skills, etc., but racing well is not that. I prefer to be on foot these days because it feels more useful as I get older. I’ll get back to the bike casually but as a tool for general fitness and “health” it’s not my jam these days.
Mark, we both cycle and both love endurance. What do you think changes your love to hate? What changes it back?
Oh, damn, this is good. I think the love of the bike and riding it comes from doing it well, feeling like you’re integrated with the tool and the environment and the gas tank never empties. For me the hate came from time constraints and declining capability, when I couldn’t do the volume required to be good, and one with the bike, my attitude turned to shit. And soon it felt like the bike itself was mocking my lack of fitness, my waning commitment … all of that. I think I’ve reached a nice point of neutrality with the bike now, so we are talking again .
It sounds like you're pretty driven, Mark (as am I, when I get into it; it varies since like you I do other things too.)
I used to do some pretty big endurance stuff, and the 'day in the office' experience of training and training-recovery hit a point where my brain couldn't cope. I'd suffer neuralgia getting *on* the bike and even weeks of rest weren't helping.
What helped though, was silliness. I'd get on the bike and ride with friends doing the stupidest things -- like bottom-gear high-cadence races on flat ground. When my brain got used to not-suffering every time I parked my butt on the seat, the neuralgia evaporated inside a week.
My conclusion? I might like the machinelike experience of doing endurance, but brains are plastic. Human endurance is extraordinary, but I'm *not* a machine -- endurance capability is a means to an end; it's not the endpoint. You can definitely have too much of a good thing (for some definition of 'good'.) :D
(Or maybe I could say it another way: I could structure my life around torturing myself for endorphins without realising that while the structure, endorphins and training were changing me, the torture was too. :p)