The Souplesse Life

Souplesse is a French word used in Cycling to describe the smoothness or lack of smoothness of one's pedal stroke. A rider with no souplesse will pedal in squares, or simply pound the pedals straight down, lurching and fighting against ones' self, wasting energy to propel the bicycle forward. A rider with souplesse is smooth and relaxed. This rider looks calm whether going 15 kmp on the bike path or 50 kmp under duress during the most important moments of a race.

The souplesse rider's shoulders are square, head up, focusing up the road, back flat, hips level and not rocking side to side. The feet however hold the secret. The souplesse rider drops the heals as the foot comes to the bottom of the stroke, like scraping mud off, onto a curb. Then as the toe comes to the bottom of the stroke, it points down and the quad lifts the leg up and over the dead spot at the top of the stroke. This happens at 100+ rpm, each kilometer, every kilometer. Up hill or down, head wind, crosswind or tailwind. Bonking or full of energy. The rider with souplesse always has good form on the bike.

My initial blog attempt was called The Souplesse Life. I started it after finding out A was pregnant and when I landed a new job that finally had career potential. Not just a paycheck. However, in a bout of paranoia likely because of a months worth of airline travel and hotel rooms, I deleted the blog thinking big brother was after me. I have since calmed down.

The proof of good form for any racer is an epic, difficult race to test the character more than the legs. A race where an unexpected wind blows in and crashes and/or mechanical failures force the rider to spend the day chasing the back of the race instead of dividing the field in an effort to conquer.

Off the back alone, does the rider maintain a smooth pedal stroke or panic and mash the biggest gear in a short sighted attempt to get back into the race? Does the rider stare straight down at the front hub and simply ride, not looking ahead for occasional protection from the wind via houses, trees, parked cars or the follow vehicles of the race? The souplesse rider rides like a champion off the back due to poor luck, just as he would at the front as the patron of the peloton.

Good luck befalls the prepared. Even the rider in the worst situation can benefit from being prepared for a change of fate. Perhaps a crash in the peloton up the road will slow the race and allow the rider to regain contact. Maybe a group off the back will be motivated by the souplesse rider and work together to regain the peloton. The aggressive charge at the head of the race may simmer. Anything is possible.

Good form is easy when all is well. Everyone is a champion in a tailwind. Just when A and I would lay in bed feeling Tiny kick and punch inside her, I find myself sleeping in the living room in a hospital bed. Suddenly, I am off the back of the race.

The people around us however are helping keep our heads up and eyes on the road. Our small group from church has been awesome at providing meals, doing chores to help take the load off A as I am unable to do much and am otherwise useless.

The racers I coach and a few who have shown to be great friends after casual chit chat on training rides or in races have also helped with meals or watch WEC fights on VS. with me on the weekend, allowing A to take a break from taking care of me.

My boss flew across the country to have dinner with us when he could otherwise have been with his own family. Co-workers across the country send cards and emails. These are guys I met one night at a sales conference in January. I'm amazed at the people who care.

My niece and nephew come over to vacuum and mow the lawns. I love the look on my brothers face when his kids ask me what else they can do. If only they did that at home! A's family too continues to change light bulbs, take the dog (see last post) or make me lunch a day or two a week.

Despite being in a situation where A and I could panic, push too big of a gear and waste energy and resources in a poor attempt to go it alone, all the people around us have dropped back and are helping us pace ourselves back to the front of the race.

Thank you.