I know most of you dedicated roadies have little to no trouble pounding up steep hills turning large gears, but for "twiddlers" like me, that lofty goal is still a LONG way away 
There are several moderate ascents on my normal ride and nothing is as frustrating, or makes me feel as much a failure as stopping on a climb within reach of the top or having to start to zig-zag just to survive to the top.
Maybe I am pushing myself too hard, or maybe my threshold for pain is far too low... whatever the reason, I created this little tool that tricks me into digging for that extra...
I watched the CBS special for the final stage of the Tour just as a capper to the OLN coverage, and the Host; Armen Kateyian (sp?) during one of his artistic voice over narrations about Domestiques (which was very touching) he made a comment that made me sit up a little... He said...
"Where do they find the strength to go on, It's simple physics really, the energy transfer from the endless line of cheering specatators..."
So the next thing I do is fire up the Tivo and sample the sound of the crowds during the race... I make several MP3s of the cheering at different instensities and even a few choice sound bits of Phil and Paul commentating...
Working them over a bit in the sound editor of my PC I looped sequences so they are seamless and insert commentary also without breaks in the continuitiy of sound...
So now, while riding, I don't listen to music at all, but the sound of the roiling, cheering crowd, an ocassional airhorn, clapping and shouting, I have one track for long flats where you hear only moderate applause and ocassional shouts, a downhill track with even less ambient crowd sound, a climbling track with more, and a "summit" track where the crowds are a continuous roar!...
Call me psychologically simple minded, but after using the sounds I haven't once stopped while on those moderate climbs, or had to zig zag... on one ocassion the timing was absolutely impeccable in its coincidence... I had the long climbing track running and instead of repeating it went on to the last track I was working on but forgot to delete; about 300 yards from the top I suddenly hear Phil Ligget saying "This is the moment everyone was waiting for! as he pulls away from Mayo! *pause* and look at this! Ullrich has been put into difficulty! he's desperately trying to maintain a rhythm and limit the damage!"
I think it was the fastest I've ever gone up that hill
am I a dork for having to fool myself into trying harder? or just easily distracted from concentration on the effort... Maybe even more accurately, I'm a damned egotists! hah!
Anyone want a copy of the MP3's? *laughing*
Feanor
There are several moderate ascents on my normal ride and nothing is as frustrating, or makes me feel as much a failure as stopping on a climb within reach of the top or having to start to zig-zag just to survive to the top.
Maybe I am pushing myself too hard, or maybe my threshold for pain is far too low... whatever the reason, I created this little tool that tricks me into digging for that extra...
I watched the CBS special for the final stage of the Tour just as a capper to the OLN coverage, and the Host; Armen Kateyian (sp?) during one of his artistic voice over narrations about Domestiques (which was very touching) he made a comment that made me sit up a little... He said...
"Where do they find the strength to go on, It's simple physics really, the energy transfer from the endless line of cheering specatators..."
So the next thing I do is fire up the Tivo and sample the sound of the crowds during the race... I make several MP3s of the cheering at different instensities and even a few choice sound bits of Phil and Paul commentating...
Working them over a bit in the sound editor of my PC I looped sequences so they are seamless and insert commentary also without breaks in the continuitiy of sound...
So now, while riding, I don't listen to music at all, but the sound of the roiling, cheering crowd, an ocassional airhorn, clapping and shouting, I have one track for long flats where you hear only moderate applause and ocassional shouts, a downhill track with even less ambient crowd sound, a climbling track with more, and a "summit" track where the crowds are a continuous roar!...
Call me psychologically simple minded, but after using the sounds I haven't once stopped while on those moderate climbs, or had to zig zag... on one ocassion the timing was absolutely impeccable in its coincidence... I had the long climbing track running and instead of repeating it went on to the last track I was working on but forgot to delete; about 300 yards from the top I suddenly hear Phil Ligget saying "This is the moment everyone was waiting for! as he pulls away from Mayo! *pause* and look at this! Ullrich has been put into difficulty! he's desperately trying to maintain a rhythm and limit the damage!"
I think it was the fastest I've ever gone up that hill
am I a dork for having to fool myself into trying harder? or just easily distracted from concentration on the effort... Maybe even more accurately, I'm a damned egotists! hah!
Anyone want a copy of the MP3's? *laughing*
Feanor
