What to call why do we do it again after saying never again?

bahzob
bahzob Posts: 2,195
edited August 2009 in The bottom bracket
Many who have taken on some sort of challenge or other will know a weird contradiction.

During it, in the midst of pain/exhaustion various thoughts go through your head like "why am i doing this?" and often "never again!!".

However in the aftermath, beer in hand these tend to be replaced by a strange feeling of regret that the challenge is history and you start to look forward to doing it or something similar(often harder) in the future.

Examples abound on the forum, Etape is a good one. Tales of woe and suffering but lots end with something like "Already looking forward to 2010". But doesnt need to be as big as that, club 10s or cat 4 races give rise to the same. And of course its not just cycling specific, same happens all over the place e.g. marathons, triathlons (and, from personal experience, golf).

Sound familiar?

Whats this condition called? I cant think of a name for it apart from "b.... daft". Any ideas?
Martin S. Newbury RC

Comments

  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,715
    Masochism. Really, we all love the suffering. ;)
  • Stewie Griffin
    Stewie Griffin Posts: 4,330
    Is it not called doing a Sir Steve Redgrave? "If anyone sees me near a boat again they can shoot me".
  • CHRISNOIR
    CHRISNOIR Posts: 1,400
    Stewie Griffin wrote:
    Is it not called doing a Sir Steve Redgrave? "If anyone sees me near a boat again they can shoot me".

    Maybe call it 'Redgrave Syndrome' then? It would be nice to have a more cycle-specific example but I can't really think of any recent 'big-name' cyclists daft enough to come out of retirement to torture themselves on a three week tour... :wink:
  • Stewie Griffin
    Stewie Griffin Posts: 4,330
    CHRISNOIR wrote:
    Stewie Griffin wrote:
    Is it not called doing a Sir Steve Redgrave? "If anyone sees me near a boat again they can shoot me".

    Maybe call it 'Redgrave Syndrome' then? It would be nice to have a more cycle-specific example but I can't really think of any recent 'big-name' cyclists daft enough to come out of retirement to torture themselves on a three week tour... :wink:

    Oh yeah I forgot about him :oops: :wink:
  • Aggieboy
    Aggieboy Posts: 3,996
    It's called a 'challenge' :twisted:
    "There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world, t'would be a pity to damage yours."
  • CHRISNOIR
    CHRISNOIR Posts: 1,400
    Stewie Griffin wrote:
    CHRISNOIR wrote:
    Stewie Griffin wrote:
    Is it not called doing a Sir Steve Redgrave? "If anyone sees me near a boat again they can shoot me".

    Maybe call it 'Redgrave Syndrome' then? It would be nice to have a more cycle-specific example but I can't really think of any recent 'big-name' cyclists daft enough to come out of retirement to torture themselves on a three week tour... :wink:

    Oh yeah I forgot about him :oops: :wink:

    Forgetting about 'him' is a good thing; the mere mention of 'his' name causes forum threads to erupt in violence. Stick with the Redgrave example.
  • bahzob
    bahzob Posts: 2,195
    Thanks. Think "Redgrave Syndrome" is excellent suggestion. There have definitely been times over past couple of weeks that had somebody stuck a microphone in front of me I would have paraphrased and said anybody finding me on a bike again in future would have permission to shoot me.
    Martin S. Newbury RC
  • ju5t1n
    ju5t1n Posts: 2,028
    Hangovers?
  • freehub
    freehub Posts: 4,257
    After every saturday ride I say never again.
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    Can't say I've ever really thought that on the bike, even during some horrible bonks.

    I guess I can handle the pain better than you lot :wink:
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    My experience is that when you're struggling(i.e. climbing some steep mountain) that
    you will always, at some time or another, ask yourself that question. What the h*ll am
    I doing? You may even swear, to whomever is listening, that you will NEVER even think about doing this again. It's just a passing phase or bad moment and you will be thinking about giving it another shot the next time the opportunity comes around. And on that "next time" you'll probably once again swear to the "gods" that you will never.........
    At least that's how it works for me. :wink::wink:
  • nolf
    nolf Posts: 1,287
    After and during the polka dot challenge I said never again.
    6 hours in torrential rain/hailstorms put a bit of a dampener (ha!) on my enthusiasm.

    Although since then I've just found it actually has made me more willing to ride in the rain. No rain since has ever seemed as bad compared to that hellish day. :)
    "I hold it true, what'er befall;
    I feel it, when I sorrow most;
    'Tis better to have loved and lost;
    Than never to have loved at all."

    Alfred Tennyson
  • bahzob
    bahzob Posts: 2,195
    nolf wrote:
    After and during the polka dot challenge I said never again.
    6 hours in torrential rain/hailstorms put a bit of a dampener (ha!) on my enthusiasm.

    Although since then I've just found it actually has made me more willing to ride in the rain. No rain since has ever seemed as bad compared to that hellish day. :)

    True. One of the silver linings on the cloud of suffering is that it puts lesser travails in context.

    In my case I know that no matter how much it rains or how much of a gale force headwind is blowing it will "never be as bad as Belgium"

    (with apologies to Belgians, visited country since and very much enjoyed it + belgian family got me out of worst ever tour disaster. Just happened to have very bad luck one there one week)
    Martin S. Newbury RC

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