Thursday, June 19, 2008

its that time again. the time where you start to feel human once again. after cycling approx 3 to 6 hours a day 5 days a week, my body, not used to the constant struggle, has begun to rebel. my right knee hurts when i jump out of the saddle or mash down on gears. there is a spot in the middle of my back that hurts whenever i bend over the handlebars and when i raise my arm in the mornings. i have 2 saddle sores in sensitive areas.

luckily i havent crashed, or i would have more to worry about then just niggling injuries. we must count our blessings after all. even if day after day i wake up and feel as if im back in the army, back in the jungles again. that familiar sensation of weakness and disorientation that strikes you when you become conscious.

strangely, once you get on the bike, once those skinny birdlike legs begin to spin, the weakness melts away and we are strong again. the pain flares and then numbs and goes away, replaced by other sensations. the vague fear of hitting a pothole when drafting behind someone. the screaming exultation of a blistering attack. the tunnel vision when chasing, your heart rate soaring towards 200. breathe, my friend, breathe.

i am starting to understand why pro cyclists dope. which idiot wouldnt? the level of recovery and performance that is demanded of them day after day is simply inhuman. i mean, im just an ordinary recreational rider and after just one week of higher intensity training i can feel the matches burning out one by one.

it is intoxicating. you feel good, you think you have good legs and so you push and push harder. but cycling is a cruel sport; one moment you are flying in the clouds, the next ... gone, thrown out the back of the train like a piece of trash.

again, we are forced to red line ourselves, to go as close to disaster and blowing up than what is sane. only then will we know our limits and how far we can go. im sure that none of us truly realises our potential just yet; that is both exciting and scary at once.

and while we dance on our pedals, dance with disaster, flirt with speed and wink at reason, we find out a little more about our strength and our weaknesses. in return for knowledge, in return for peace of mind, we sacrifice our bodies. a worthy transaction. (?)

allez. allez!

Posted by Anonymous at 8:31 PM