The Unbearable Lightness of Being
I read Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" some years ago. As an angsty teenager, I explored the existentialist works of Sartre, Camus, and Nietzsche, trying to make sense of life. I might have pretended to understand these ideas fully at the time. But it was only as I grew older and gained more personal experiences I began recognising these themes in the world around me. In Kundera's novel, I came across the idea of "Einmal ist Keinmal," an old German saying, "Once is never."
Kundera writes about the nature of our existence:
"The heaviest of burdens crushes us, we sink beneath it, it pins us to the ground... The heavier the burden, the closer our lives come to the earth, the more real and truthful they become. Conversely, the absolute absence of burden causes man to be lighter than air, to soar into heights, take leave of the earth and his earthly being, and become only half real, his movements as free as they are insignificant. What then shall we choose? Weight or lightness?”
This idea of weight versus lightness gets me thinking, especially when cycling. If you stare at the road before you for five to six hours, your mind can take you to places, even if you don't want it to. Well, for me, it does. Every pedal stroke reflects this dilemma and makes the concept quite understandable.
I am considering ways to incorporate these themes into cycling and training. "Einmal ist Keinmal" is a reminder that every training session has the potential for improvement. Like life's unique moments, every ride offers the opportunity to improve your skills and build endurance. However, progress is not determined solely by individual training sessions. Sometimes, skipping a training session in favour of rest and recovery is part of a larger, more balanced training plan.
In the past, I was often told that the sole purpose of entering a race is to win. This belief ingrained a mindset where victory was the only measure of success. Admittedly, failing to win led to intense disappointment. Over time, I've learned that it's foolish to think every race is winnable or that victory is guaranteed. Even if we can't win every race, we can make the most of every racing opportunity by setting specific goals. These could be improving our position in the field, learning to read the race better, or attempting a breakaway. Therefore, every race can bring something to us, even if our form dictates otherwise. By setting smaller, achievable goals, each race contributes to our growth as cyclists. In this way, we can remove the burden of unrealistic expectations and embrace the "Einmail ist Keinmal" as a philosophy to focus on race as an experience and opportunity for growth rather than just the pursuit of victory.
"Einmal ist Keinmal" can allow racing cyclists to live in the here and now. Instead of worrying about past failures or future uncertainties, focus on the here and now. Give yourself entirely to your training sessions and give it your all on race day, knowing that this moment is unique and irreplaceable. Kundera's novel suggests that we must give meaning to life when it inherently has no meaning. In cycling, that means finding meaning in every pedal stroke, every race and every challenge. It's shaping your own narrative and defining your purpose through personal development, the joy of competition, or the high of the ride itself.
