January 13th, 2009
Over 20 years ago during my second year of racing I found myself in Northern Wisconsin about to take part in my first of many North American Birkebeiner Races. A couple of days prior to the actual event I went to watch a press conference at Telemark lodge with the Midwest Karhu Rep. Since I did not expect to be participating at such a prestigious event, I was dressed in an old t-shirt, baseball cap and worn jeans. However, to my shock and dismay the moderator called me up to be part of the panel along with members of the top Marathon Teams. Luckily I was invisible to the moderator and the press – until the end. Someone got the Timex skiathlon rep to ask a specific question to me. At this frontal assault I was more then miffed. The query was: “Duncan what do you think about when you race a 50 km Ski Race?”
Well, I thought about it for a couple of seconds turned my Karhu baseball cap to be on correctly, stopped leaning back on the rear two legs of the chair, and I then leaned forward and grabbed the mike. Staring decisively around the room, I a authoritatively uttered one word – “PAIIIIIN”
To clarify the statement I continued “ During a 50 km ski race I only ask myself one question: Can I feel any more pain??? If I can then the answer is push harder.
As you can imagine the room was quiet for a bit. It appeared that the moderator was aghast, he then posed the question to the other members and got the appropriate responses of good technique, a song runs through my head, etc.
In my opinion, if one can ask oneself, any question in a race, they are not suffering enough! Nirvana is attained when all you can do is push your body to near failure, with the caveat that it responds to what is asked/required!! ( Doesn’t one wish that was always the case!) Stay tuned for what is thought about on all those countless hours of “mindless” training.
January 15th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Duncan, as I remember the room was not quiet after you spoke the P word. In the crowd in the auditorium were a number of midwestern roadies that knew exactly what you meant. That group, along with Peter and I cheered at your answer. The moderator did in fact leave an object similar to a pickle in his trousers when you gave your answer. By the way you did ski well the next day and were able to justify up your presence on that stage.
Perhaps the Karhu rep is still in therapy after offering you a banana and watching you eat the whole thing unpeeled and seeming to savor the gnarly stem!!!
January 17th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Duncan thanks for the words of wisdom … would love for you to stop in at your old stomping ground and say a view words to my nordic team before the Lake Placid Loppet. As for Todd … hello and what are you up to? (I had a great two weeks climbing in Chamonix this summer.)
January 19th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Duncan, I believe that’s precisely why people like yourself do so well. Competing at a high level is all about pain management. Many people don’t understand that and stop pushing hard when they encounter pain. They don’t realize (or refuse to admit) that they can push themselves into a higher level of performance (and pain), and the body will still recover!