They are out. Have you heard them? I’m talking about the spring peepers–you know, the frogs. Spring doesn’t officially start until March 20, but here in Pennsylvania, Mother Nature has sounded the alarm. I noticed them just the other day while rolling down Elizabethtown Road on my bike. I passed the same spot a day or so later and they were singing again.
I’d have missed them if I were wearing headphones. Thank goodness I wasn’t. There was a time in my life when I would have tried to drown out the discomfort of pushing the pedals with noise in my ears, but those days have passed. Nowadays, I treat cycling like running, and I want to be engaged. I like to hear the hum of my tires, the ebb and flow of my breathing, and the sounds of all that surrounds me. From garbage trucks to geese flying overhead, tuned in is where I want to be.
Lately, I’ve been thinking more about these sounds. Howling wind, rustling leaves, falling water, mooing cows, and bleating goats: this is the soundtrack of nature. And then there are humans. We talk and yell, sing and cheer. We cry and grumble. We congratulate and reprimand. We also play instruments and sing songs. Meanwhile our gadgets ding, bing, beep, and buzz. Our machines hum and whir. Gas pumps click. Doors bang. Everything seems to make noise.
And you know what we often do? We block it out with more noise. We jump in the car and turn on the radio. We listen to the news as we eat breakfast and drive to work. We stream podcasts and music. We crank up the volume and pop in noise-canceling headphones. We sit down to dinner and click on the television. Sometimes we do it simply to enjoy something. Other times we do it to distract ourselves.
It’s not all bad. The noise, even the sounds meant for distraction, can have their place. And yet, I can’t help but think about what we’re missing when we plug in and check out. It’s not so much that what we are listening to is bad. It’s more about missing out on whatever it’s drowning out.
I feel like a lot of people experience a very similar dynamic when it comes to training and racing. Even when you enjoy something such as running, cycling, or cross-country skiing, there is still an element of discomfort that is associated with these activities. Often our response is to try to ignore or drown out such feelings. We tell ourselves to “quiet the voices.” At times this can be helpful, but I think there may be a better solution.
What’s better than tuning out? Tuning in! We spend a lot of time doing uncomfortable things, things that take us to the intersection of pleasure and pain. What have I learned at that intersection? I’ve come to realize that one of my biggest sources of motivation is a competitive spirit.
When I am standing at that intersection, there is a war being waged between myself and all of those voices in my head. If I pretend that they don’t exist, then I miss my opportunity to compete with them. If I allow them to say their piece, however, I create a competition and give myself an opportunity to fight back. To quote Jens Voigt, the great German cyclist, it is in these moments that I have the opportunity to let the competition rage and respond by saying, “Shut up legs! Do what I tell you to do!”
As many of my thoughts go, this one is not only for training. This extends to the rest of life as well. If the past year has taught us anything, it is that sometimes life can throw some very challenging curve balls. But if running, cycling, Jens Voigt, and the spring peepers have taught us anything, it is that we should listen and respond to the sounds of life.
I imagine that Jens Voigt’s legs don’t usually stop feeling fatigued simply because he told them to shut up. What I do think, however, is that he is motivated by waging war against them. His mindset is not to lay low and wait for the pain to pass, but instead to fight it head on. So next time life cranks up its volume, stay engaged, listen closely, and let it bring fuel and fire to your stride. After all, everything talks. Let’s all join the conversation.
Call for Comments
- What sounds do you hear if you turn off distractions and listen to the world around you?
- And what does your mind say when there is nothing distracting it?
Photo: Nathan Miller
Photo: Zach Miller
