Cycling in Alignment with Colby Pearce Colby Pearce

During this walking podcast I discuss the idea that all movement is like a river. I offer that we must direct and cultivate the qualities of the river of our movement with a specific intent, or this river will be wild, untamed, and end up in the wrong place. I offer this analogy to help people understand that their daily movement patterns impact their movement in sports, and their movement in all of life. I also offer some practical takeaways to help direct the river of movement into a more optimal fashion. Movement is a daily practice that requires attention, embodiment and awareness.

This walking podcast is a commentary on two different perspectives about forward saddle positions that have been floating around in the intersphere. They got me thinking so I figured I would drop some thoughts on this topic.

In this night time walking adventure I speak about the three characteristics a cyclist must have in order to express their highest potential as an athlete.The episode is inspired by conversations with Jonathan Vaughters about what it takes to be good. His list included 1) Marathoner 2) F1 Driver. He has a video about this in our Team EF Coaching education portal. JV says you have to have a big engine, and be able to drive a bike. I agree, and I would offer a 3rd item to this list: 3D chess. Meaning: a cyclist can’t just corner like a maniac and drop watt bombs. They have to selectively, intelligently choose when to utilize their strength. This is what differentiates cycling from Marathon running or swimming events: cycling is a sport that is heavily influenced by the size of the athlete’s engine, but it is also influenced heavily by physics and terrain [read: mostly draft effect and hills] which change the weight of the variables that influence performance. My gripe with many modern coaches and athletes is that they over train the engine and neglect the other aspects. Even worse, they really only focus on one particular aspect of the engine. This makes you one dimensional and opens numerous possibilities for race day failure. These concepts don’t only apply to competitive elite or World Tour riders; they apply to all riders at every level. A bit of artwork is included to help you conceptualize these ideas as I am teaching them.

In this discussion I speak to my audience of somanauts about impressions Japan has left on me and how these concepts can help us in our practice of sport and life. Wandering through the forest, I discuss cleaning your room, respect for other humans and reverence for nature.

Today’s conversation is with Craig Taber from Locavore Delivery. Locavore works with the highest quality farms across the front range of Colorado to deliver meat to your doorstep.

Grandpa Pearce is here to tell you a walking story again. The story is about cold. Cold can teach you a lot about yourself. It is an opportunity to work with the breath and to have an alternative means of generating a focused state. It also brings about an experience of equanimity following the event. Do you work with cold to enhance your durability or health? What has your experience been? Share in the comments. As always, thanks for listening.