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PAIN AND SUFFERING
IN SPORTS
By Roger
Jens Voigt - surely a rider who knows how to
suffer
Particularly in cycling people always talk about suffering.
They say “ I was suffering like a dog”.
I am not a dog, so I would not know what that feels like, but
I have done my share of suffering for sure. The commentators always say
“you can see the pain on the guy’s face”
What kind of pain? Like a 2nd degree burn pain or
aching pain in your lower back?
There is
a statement that reflects this topic very well; the guy who can suffer the
most in a race or take the most pain will win the race. Does this mean that
the guy that finishes a couple of minutes back did not suffer? I think this
guy suffered even more than the guy who won, but he was just not as fit or
strong as the winner. If you add the mental pain that comes with losing,
the suffering gets worse.
Do you
suffer more when you are not super fit? No, the pain and suffering never
gets any less the fitter you are, you just go faster.
How do
you know how much pain you can take and where does that take you? Why so
much pain for what? The difference between an elite athlete and an average
one is that they can push themselves beyond any set limit or endure another
level of pain longer in a situation when it is about winning or losing, I
guess that is an other talent in some peoples' eyes. There are so many
examples in Pro races where you see this. This is almost like you are
blocking out what your brain is telling you. Obviously you can only do this
for shorter periods of time and make sure it is the right time in a race.
Solo breaks, time trials where you are trying to hold that magic 30 mph’s
or hanging onto a wheel going up a hill that is trying to break your legs
or on an uphill finish when it would be so easy to give up and say I could
not hang on any more.
I never
suffer or endure the same kind of pain on a training ride as I do in a
race. (Well some times riding the Power Cranks, but that is a different
story) Does this mean I do not train hard enough? No, I do not have to win
a training ride! If you are mentally strong and physically prepared when
the gun goes off the pain threshold automatically goes up a few levels and
you almost become a different person that thrives on pain. The harder the
race is the better you feel. You almost have tunnel vision and you will
tear yourself inside out to be there at the end and not miss a move. That
is when pain is good!
Unless
you test yourself in a race to see how many hits by the hammer you can
take, you will never know what true pain is, you might just be suffering
after all!
KYLE WOLFE
FINKRAFT'S
NEW ASSISTANT COACH
FinKraft is
excited to have Kyle Wolfe as a new Assistant Coach.
Welcome to the
team!
Athletic Background
Kyle quickly
realized his passion for endurance sports after setting the school record
for the mile run in only the fourth grade. When he discovered the
thrill and excitement of cycling, Kyle knew he had found his calling.
Kyle competed in his first bike race
at age 15 and his first triathlon at 16. Growing up in a football
family where his father was the school’s coach, Kyle applied the
performance and aggression taught on the gridiron to the road itself.
Kyle has raced at the elite level across
this country and in Europe
, and continues to race his bicycle at the Elite and Masters level
for road and cyclocross where he has enjoyed a lot of success and fun over
the past years, in the present and definitely into the future.
Coaching Experience
After a lifetime of coaching exposure and input, Kyle
combines that with his decades of competitive experience to work with athletes
to help them achieve their goals and dreams. Two years of managing
and directing a national level u-25 cycling team has also helped Kyle
refine his skills and abilities.
Kyle is also a licensed USA Cycling
official, an UCI registered Directeur Sportif and of course a
certified USA Cycling coach.
The peloton in a bike race is a living breathing
thing. Learning to anticipate its feelings and learn from its motion
will always lead to success. “Pick a good wheel, and don’t look
back.”
Eric Carlson - spirit award
by Shane
Moran
(from
Peloton East)
I just wanted to take the time to point out a person that
embodies the spirit of cycling more than anyone I've met so far. Everyone
focuses a lot on results but there is much more to the sport.
Eric Carlson, a Westwood Velo Cat 4, has been on the team for
a couple of years now. While I don't know Eric very well I see him races
all the time.
He is a hard worker but struggles in races. He's a bigger guy
so you'd think that he would avoid races like The Housatonic, Tour of
Hilltowns, Union Vale or Battenkill. He's always at the toughest races. The
ones that strike fear into the hearts of big, non-climbers. Yes, Eric gets
dropped but we've all been dropped. I remember racing up at Johnny Cake
this past Spring with Eric. It was just the two of us from Westwood that
week. I got into a 9 man break. Eric was dropped from the peloton at some
point. The 9 man break lapped him. As We came past I yelled out
encouragement to him...something like, "Finish it out, Eric!" Of
course, he did just that, as he always does. I was a wrestler in high
school. I wasn't very good, especially early on. My freshman year I was
thrown onto the Varsity team to fill a slot and I was tossed around all
year. I didn't win a single match. My friend's asked me why I wrestled if I
couldn't win. I told them because I loved the sport. Results had nothing to
do with it. I've seen many talented cyclist drop out of the sport because
of discouraging results. Because they didn't upgrade to Cat 2 fast enough
or they keep missing the top ten. Whaaaah! Guess they just weren't
tough enough for this sport.
Every time I start feeling self pity I think of Eric. There he
is, smiling at the start of another tough race. Ready to mix it up and just
happy to be racing his bike. It took me a good 4 years to finally become
competitive at the Cat 4 level. I earned my upgrade points this year and
plan on making the move to cat 3 at the end of the season. I think if Eric
keeps at it, he'll be rubbing elbows at the front too.
Until then it's encouraging to see him week in and week out no
matter what is thrown at him.
Roger has known Eric for a
good 10 years. Eric served as a Soigneur for many Pro teams in the
past and currently has his own sports massage business on
20th st and 5th ave , one of the best in the business!! www.ricart1@mac.com
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
ARIZONA
TRAINING CAMP 2010
FEBRUARY
21 TO MARCH 14
TUCSON,
ARIZONA
Photo
shows actual house for next year's stay
for more
info go to web site link / services-training camps
WWW.FINKRAFTCOACHING.COM
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