In one of the awesome podcasts from Spartan Up! , I listened not long ago to Nicole DeBoom – a triathlete entrepreneur who pioneered the running skirt and offered – amongst other gems – the notion of “no junk miles” in her training approach. It struck a chord with me. Since then I’ve learned, of course, it did not originate with Nicole and there are varied opinions – sometimes quite passionate – for or against the notion. Yet, I still find myself inspired by it! On and off the bike… Get to that in a moment…
As for the idea of “Junk Miles” – it applies for me to time in the saddle of my “aluminum hoss.” For two riding seasons now (road bike), I’ve found there are hundreds of little choice points where “junk” can creep into a ride. Most of it is mental junk – the excuses, justifications, etc. for letting myself off the hook for what I know that ride is meant to be about. There are certainly those who hold to the idea that there are NO junk rides – just those of different purposes or intents, I get it. Not talking about that here…
I’m talking of those where I’m clear from the moment I clip in that I’ll be pushing and looking to improve form, distance, time, strength, etc. Those are most often the times where the old adage:
“It never gets easier, you just get stronger and faster”
comes into play. At least for me. And along the way – whether 10 or 50+ miles – if I’m pushing – the ride is pushing back. We get into it – almost like the chronic bickering between cranky old spouses.
Say I hit a sprint; “she” responds with unexpected wind in my face. I’ll come strong into a particularly grueling climb; she patiently waits and then mocks me knowingly when it becomes clear I didn’t quite feed/hydrate the body enough and blow my wad before hitting summit… Again – hundreds of possible variables and moments where the “ol’ lass” of the ride gently whispers in my ear or flat-out gets in my face with “ease up ol’ man, you’re in over your head,” “you might as well ‘scrap’ this one…” or “you seriously thought you could do what?!?” [Cue the derisive laughter I swear I can sometimes hear over the music in my earbuds.] And – yep – sometimes I’ve gone for the call of the not-so-sweet cycling siren.
Other times, however, I’ve been able to coax enough functional grey-matter amidst hypoxic conditions to respond with “NO JUNK MILES!” And, as I quickly discovered,
NO JUNK MINUTES!
The latter has proven to be just as – if not more – applicable. On my bike, the minutes it takes to put together a mile at times were/are even more precious than the mile itself! And as I’ve long since discovered, bit by bit, enough of those minutes turn into a pretty darn good ride! Unsurprisingly – the same mindset off my bike has resulted in enough of those minutes turning into pretty darn good days, weeks, months, etc. as well – in many other areas.
No – it’s not always about “nose to the grindstone” and “push to failure” etc. Sometimes, No Junk Minutes is every bit as much about rest, recovery, and even
Slow means smooth & smooth means strong
(and often fast)!
It might mean late night snuggles with a sick 5-year-old who tearfully says “Daddy, but my cough won’t go to sleep,” and so you both find a way to manage ’til morning when she finally rests and you get on with your day. It can mean waking up to realize that as much as you think you’ve got a handle on your commitments, life-pacing, etc. that the “crud-bug” you’ve recently caught is really disease masquerading as “dis-ease” and your body is finally being feisty enough to get your attention. Prompting renewed “less is more” re-prioritization for the benefit of mind, body, spirit, and relationships! It can mean putting the phone away, Daddy wrassles on the trampoline, saying I’m sorry – no really saying it through the language of action so that it carries more weight than over-used words. It can mean seeing your 17-year-old daughter “for the first time” as she takes a big risk in putting herself out there at school, only to be disappointed but strong enough to try again. It can mean these and a thousand other things.
And the thing is – the minutes don’t care – they will pass with our without you. You realize, then…
Junk miles or junk minutes is really about junk mindset!
So here’s to wrapping up a long overdue post with a reminder for at least an audience of one. Miles, minutes, or mindset = mandatory; “Junk” = optional. Choose well!
Wegoseeback!
Teejer