We are Wimps
Tomorrow, we elected as a group to ride indoors. I am not disagreeing with the decision, but I cannot help but think of Paris-Roubaix. This weekend, one of the toughest one-day cycling events on the planet. It has 38 sections of cobblestone over 125 miles. The roads are so bad that the cyclists elect to ride on the grass. Those that do brave the cobbles can be seen falling over for absolutely no reason. On top of that, it is usually cold and rainy. So cold that the cyclists are decked out in full winter gear, including booties. The irony of it all is that the race ends on a track that is in perfect condition for racing. So, after 124 miles of grueling racing, the cruelest part of the race is that you have to dig deep for that final sprint in which sprinters have perfect conditions to beat you. A few weeks ago, during an indoor ride, Paris-Roubaix 2002 was our selection of choice. The conditions were as described above. George Hincapie was in good position to not only be the first american ever to podium at the race, but win the race. On one of the sections of cobbles, he wiped out forcing his then teammate, Tom Boonen, to leave him for his own race. It was a shame as less than 15 miles remained in the race. Hincapie ended up in 4th and Boonen took 2nd or 3rd. It wasn’t so much the results that astounded me, it was the sheer exhaustion that Hincapie diplayed in the post-race interview. What was even more amazing was that he seemed happy. He raced in just awful conditions, fell, lost a podium spot, and yet he was happy with 4th.
It makes me think that sometimes with our multi-thousand dollar bikes and all the other toys we have surrounding cycling and triathlon, if we aren’t too wimpy when it comes to braving the elements. This also brings me back to my poster of Lance riding in the rain alone in the Spring of 1999 by himself because the rest of the team said it the weather was too bad to train. So, he went it alone with Johan driving along the side of him. The point is that no matter whether you are doing a sprint tri, a marathon, Ironman, a CAT 5 race or a masters race, tomorrow morning, despite it being 30 degrees when we wake up, someone will be out there training. They will be getting stronger not only physically, but mentally for having gone out. Meanwhile, I will choose the more comforting, easy way out and ride inside. Maybe that is why, I am not a champion.