You either like the headwind, or you're wrong

Before I jump into it, I'm gonna preface it with this: this mostly applies to people that do road races, time trials, or the hero on the Saturday/Sunday group pace line. But I do think that there's a bit of info here that everyone can learn from. I'm also going to group crosswinds in the same category as headwinds, because they share many similar qualities. K. Ready?

If you don't like the headwind, then it's about time you get onboard with it, because that shit ain't going anywhere, besides into your face. It's mother-friggin nature. You aren't gonna beat that.

The other day I was out at Fiesta Island, and it had been particularly windy most of the day. As such, a bunch of my riding buddies were texting back and forth, humming and hawing about what the wind would be like on our workout at the island that night. The general consensus? Utter fear.

A casualty of the winds that day

In my mind, Fiesta Island is perfect. The big lap is a 4 mile circular loop that starts off with a crosswind. This transforms rather quickly into a short headwind, then a looooong crosswind, followed by a banking lefthand turn that gives you a tailwind. Just when you think you're about to recover, you sweep left and BOOM! Back into headwind before it tosses you into a crosswind, and then you're right where you left off. Sound grueling? That's because it is, and that's how it should be.

 It teaches you how to be a hardman (or hardwoman), mentally and physically. Seriously. In other words, it's a free training tool.

I specifically choose a ride which involves a long, soul crushing headwind a couple times a week. I do this just so I get more experience and so I get better at breaking people with it. Think about it for a minute. Assuming you've got any decent wind in your area, just think of the number of directions it can come from. Now think of all those different directions that aren't a tailwind, and try not to swallow in shock, mkay?

I can't tell you how many times my ability to ride into a headwind has paid off, and I've broken lesser riders. More often than not, they look up and see me at the front, practically unaffected as I drill a pace, my pull longer and faster than those that came before me. They see my legs continuing to not mash the pedals, but merely spin, and they tremble. It's at this point that they look down and realize that we've picked up a couple miles an hour. Their heart rate begins to climb, as does their power, and they stare, unabashed as I continue pulling, unwilling to let anyone else come to the front. At this point, they begin to doubt themselves. They doubt their abilities. Their very souls cry out in pain and in disgrace. Now, one of two things happens. Either they break mentally, or I continue pulling and break their legs off. Either way, their time in the group is done.

All because I ride into the wind.

If you don't believe that knowing how to be a hardman in the wind is important, I encourage you to watch my main man Jens Voigt crack the peloton in half at stage 5 of the 2013 Tour of California. How did he do it? He went to the front of the pack during a gnarly crosswind and did what Jens Voigt does best: made lesser men cry by putting down the hammer.

The thing is, anyone can ride fast with a tailwind. It's easy to push 25, 28, or even 30 miles an hour with a strong enough tailwind. But turn around and try riding 20 miles an hour into that same wind, and tell me how you do. It's a whole different beast, and it's what separates the men from the boys. The wheat from the chaff. The awesome post race IPA from fizzy yellow beer. Ya see where I'm going with this? A headwind is resistance training that you don't pay for.

Anyone can go for a ride with a tailwind, focus on their miles per hour, and think that you're one bad mamba jamba. But turn around into that headwind, and all of a sudden it's a different story. You look at your speed, and feel an overwhelming sadness come over you. Don't let it. Remember, everyone is encountering the same wind that you are.

If you have a power meter, instead focus on that. That's where the money lies. Power can tell you exponentially more than speed can, simply because power is actually representative of how much...wait for it....power you're putting out. Isn't that a wonder? Speed, in this situation, is irrelevant. Power is everything. Shift up a couple gears if you have to, but always try to put out a consistent amount of power.

Remember two things when riding into a headwind. 1) those guys sucking your wheel are hurting more than you are, and 2) this headwind isn't going to let up, so you may as well embrace it for what it is: a challenge. And eventually, isn't that what cycling is all about? Pushing past your boundaries to become a better cyclist? To get harder, better, faster, stronger? And to hopefully one day be that rider at the front who knows that, on a whim, they can break the legs off of the lesser cyclists behind them?

Get out there. Ride into a headwind. Learn to crush souls, and break legs off. Also, because if you time it right, the way back home is a tailwind, so you can relax and enjoy yourself.

Till the next one, keep the rubber side down, and your skin off the ground!

Tips for dating a cyclist

OK. So, I've been tossing this idea around for about a week or so. Mainly because some days I really feel for my poor girlfriend, who has to deal with me talking about FTP, or power to weight ratio, or my diet, or how expensive new kits are, or any of the other hundred things that cyclist think/complain about. So I wanted to maybe give some tips to all those significant others who have chosen to date my lycra clad brethren.

1) We're mostly introverts. Yeah, we may go out and do 40-50 miles on a casual Sunday ride, filled with 20 other people, but we're actually introverted people. We're all simply drawn together by our love of riding our bikes. And lycra. See, the thing is, though, that with all that time we spend pedaling, we have a lot of time to think. About work, riding, you, ourselves, our cat, you, whether or not we should buy a duck (yes, I've spent two hours debating that with myself during a ride.), if we want a beer or a Coke after we're done, what to eat for dinner, you, and also you.

2) Yeah, we're gonna worry about our diet. This is actually a better deal than most people think. Yes, we're gonna worry about our diet. But here's the thing. We're gonna eat what tastes good. If we've found a restaurant or recipe that is not only healthy, but tastes great, then that's what we're gonna eat. We like finding new foods that taste amazing, in addition to being healthy for us. And besides, it's highly unlikely that it's gonna be like this 1000% of the time. We're gonna get those cravings for pizza and hamburgers with a large Coke, as well. Just trust us when we suggest eating a seared ahi steak with lemon sauce, served on a bed of rice/quinoa, with a baked potato, and a side of strawberry chicken salad.

3) Speaking of food, we won't ever say no to leftovers. If you insist on giving them to us, expect us to put up a token resistance, while silently doing a fist pump.

Of course, that's assuming that there are any leftovers at all. I typically cook for a small army. Not because I have a small army, but because I need to cook like that if I'm gonna keep myself fed. Just don't get your fingers too close when you're pointing out how much we've eaten. We don't want to accidentally consume that, too.

4) Expect to learn what FTP is, or zone 3, or a pinch flat, or any of the other hundred things we talk about. OK. Maybe don't expect to learn about them. But expect to hear about them. Cuz we're gonna talk about it. Learning about them only helps you understand us in the long run.

5) If we say we're gonna skip a ride to be with you, that's probably one of the most important things we can do to show you we care. It means that, rather than spend the 3 hours flogging ourselves doing the intervals that we had planned, we're instead going to spend those 3 hours with you. It's a huge compliment.

6) We don't need much in the way of gifts. Odds are, if riding our bike is something we're really into, we're already pretty self sufficient. And we probably have tons of spares of, well, almost everything. But, if you absolutely want to get us a gift, most peoples minds immediately go to buying a bike. Don't. Those things are wicked expensive, and we don't want that kind of money wasted on us. Instead, how about a new set of pedals and cleats? A new chain? Some handlebar grips/tape? I can't think of any cyclist that would say no to some rad socks, or a new bib. In short, buying us spare tubes and such is a nice thought, but they'll probably sit in a drawer, and buying a bike is just plain crazy talk.

7) Tan lines. In addition to the farmers tan, and the tan on our thighs, I also sport a sock and glove tan. And before I swapped to full fingered gloves, I also had tans on my fingers, also from the gloves. You can tell how long we're riding for just by how well defined the tan lines are.

8) No matter where we are, if we see another cyclist ride by, we're going to silently appraise them. It's not that we're not paying attention to you, it's just that we're trying to figure out if we can beat that guy in a race.

9) When there's a major cycling race on TV, expect us to disappear from the world. Seriously. I've been known to go through complete radio silence while I watch each stage of Le Tour, or the Tour of California, or Paris-Nice. We're not ignoring you. It's just that this is our Super Bowl. Every day of the week. For weeks at a time.

10) Our sport can be dangerous. But we love it. It's ours. But because I ride my bike, I have hundreds of amazing photos and experiences that I wouldn't trade for the world.

11) Finally, and this is important. If you aren't on board with all the rest of the reasons, I think that this one will help you appreciate cycling. How do I put this delicately? Our asses look amazing. Especially in the lycra. Even I am amazed at how good my butt looks in the mirror.

So, what do you guys think? Do you have any other tips for dating a cyclist? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so post them in the comments below!

Until the next one, guys, keep the rubber side down, and your skin off the ground.