By Kevin Kolodziejski
A vital advantage. An extra edge.
In his autobiography, “Laurent Fignon: We Were Young and Carefree” (Yellow Jersey Press, 2010), the feisty, astute, and my favorite French cycling legend says both about something you probably see as neither.
Aging.
That’s because the rider who’s most likely remembered in the U.S. for losing the 1989 Tour de France to Greg LeMond on the final day’s 15-mile time trial — even though he was dominant in two TDF victories in 1983 and 1984 — believes as a pro cyclist gets older, he becomes “totally aware of all the information his body gives him.” I believe that’s true for aging pros, too, but in the same way Darwin believes in natural selection. They need to develop total awareness or face pro cycling’s equivalent to extinction. No contract offers at the end of the season.
Don’t Be a Dodo
Yeah, yeah, I know you’re not a cycling pro and may not even be doing any type of amateur racing. Even so, who wants to become a bicycling dodo? Besides, Fignon’s right. You can avoid that fate if you — regardless of age —become totally aware of the bodily sensations present while powering the pedals.
But to achieve total awareness while cycling is far from an easy job. It is related, though, to one that’s not exactly in great demand anymore. That of a palace guard.
Become a Palace Guard
In “The Miracle of Mindfulness” (Beacon Press, 1976), Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddhist Zen Master who became one of the most revered and influential spiritual teachers in the world, reveals the “essential thing.” It’s knowing your own mind, to be fully mindful of all feelings and thoughts “like a palace guard who is aware of every face that passes through the front corridor.” While this analogy works whether what you’re after is a higher transcendent state or the back end of the breakaway on a group ride suddenly gone gonzo, it begs this question. Why personally mind the mansion when a bike computer and a smartwatch can do that for you?
Yeah, yeah, I know total awareness makes you far less likely to crash or get hit by a car, but long before you read this article, you knew that. It’s an expected result, and I’d rather hit a large pothole on a fast descent than present nothing more to you than the expected. But something as out of the blue as your local municipality finally patching all those small potholes on that flat road you need to use to get in and out of town? Now that’s a worthwhile cycling present. Especially if it also does what Fignon claims and gives you a vital advantage and an extra edge against that relentless cycling adversary, advancing age.
So tear away the wrapping paper as I explain the gift’s backstory.
Same Old Self-Help Book? Yes and No
After receiving an offer from a publicist, I agreed to feature a self-help health book by Daniella Dayoub Forrest, “Own Your Wellness: Giving You the Tools to Break Through Your Health Plateaus” (Forefront Books, 2024), in the health and fitness column I write weekly for a Pennsylvania newspaper. After reading the book and taking extensive notes, though, I hit a roadblock. While the book did a good job of emphasizing that you need to take control of your health, it essentially did so by offering the same old advice. And writing about the same old same old leads to those expected results I’m so hellbent not to write about.
But then I remembered that Thich Nhat Hanh suggests we all become palace guards, so I looked at my notes again as if I were one and . . . lo and behold. I uncovered what Fignon says pros gain as they get older. A vital advantage. An extra edge.
Lo and Behold
In the chapter titled “Move,” Dayoub Forrest explains why the use-it-or-lose-it muscle theory is indeed true (particularly as you age) and why she has clients go shoeless as often as possible as a way to improve their balance. You have “tons of tiny little muscles and nerves in your feet,” she says, “that really need to feel the ground.” So while her clients are barefoot and brushing their teeth first thing in the morning, she suggests they spread their toes as widely as they can because “it helps you hold onto the floor.”
Makes sense to me. Especially when I sensed a connection between the wide spread of the toes and my current health situation. It occurred to me that I had been keeping my toes close together while pedaling in response to the discomfort I get in my hips and glutes from breaking my pelvis and both femurs in bicycle crashes.
So on subsequent rides I tried to be totally aware of the discomfort and keep my toes spread when it occurred — and I really think I’ve stumbled onto something. Focusing on that in times of riding discomfort seems to keep my heels from bowing inward near the bottom of the downstroke, which allows more of the power from the upper legs to be directly applied to the pedals. Better still, the discomfort diminishes.
All of which created a clear path around my writing roadblock, by the way.
Become a Palace Guard: Part Two
To bring this to a close, I will not suggest you start pedaling with your toes spread wider, but feel free to experiment with that if you want to. What I will suggest is for your next easy solo ride: To consider each sensation during it the way that aforementioned palace guard checks out every face that passes by him. Do so and you just might just stumble upon something significant, too.
Kevin Kolodziejski began his writing career in earnest in 1989. Since then he’s written a weekly health and fitness column and his articles have appeared in magazines such as “MuscleMag,” “Ironman,” “Vegetarian Times,” and “Bicycle Guide.” He has Bachelor and Masters degrees in English from DeSales and Kutztown Universities.
A competitive cyclist for more than 30 years, Kevin won two Pennsylvania State Time Trial championships in his 30’s, the aptly named Pain Mountain Time Trial 4 out of 5 times in his 40s, two more state TT’s in his 50’s, and the season-long Pennsylvania 40+ BAR championship at 43.
Larry says
I coached High School runners for years. When the earbud and music trend started i strongly discouraged it. “Distracting” yourself is n the road to improvement. You need to focus on your “sensations.” Your form, arm carry, etc. Same holds true for cycling.
Steve Weeks says
May I suggest that “total awareness” on the bike (in traffic, at least) is more attainable with a rear-view mirror. 🙂
Greg Bland says
Yep totally agree there about rear view mirrors. Situational awareness is the name of the game both what’s going on around you and inside you, mentally and physically
paulie says
Yeah, as I get older, I “become totally aware of all the information my body gives me,” alright!!!! (All the freaking aches and pains.) I’d love to walk barefoot as much as possible, but I am “totally aware” of how much my freaking feet hurt when I do that!
Bill Butternuts says
This article is absolute garbage. It makes my head hurt trying to make sense of it. Was the author on drugs when he penned it? Learn how to make a coherent point. Geez.
Maven says
Kevin, another gem! A swim coach once suggested, “Swim slower to swim faster.” Two years ago when recovering from a torn something in the shoulder I slowed WAY DOWN and focused on every micro movement in the stroke: symmetry, core, stronger kick, anything you can think of. Then, recently doing Tabata Intervals (8 repeats of 20 sec all-out, 10 sec rest; do 3 sets if you can), things got better. Likewise intense intervals on the bike are at first all over the place: jiggly, pulling with the arms, uneven circles, etc, then as I go slower and focus on micro movements, things get smoother. Not yet faster, but that will come. At 76, speed increases painfully slowly. A wobble board is a tool that will have you working on foot and ankle stability, one tiny muscle at a time, Do it daily.
Paul says
Coincidentally I just heard on a podcast the recommendation about an exercise of spreading toes. I’m going to try it – makes sense, and not just on the bike.
Dave Minden says
I use my daily yoga to figure out how to bike more healthy and stronger. This week spreading my toes in poses led to spreading them in my Bont mountain shoes, which took away all the feelings of tightness in the shoes. I recommend Chris McDougal’s books and Phil Maffetone’s for good foot and healthy body info.