The Pain Bank

American cycling pioneer and Tour de France TV commentator, Bob Roll (at right).

During this year’s Tour de France TV coverage on OLN, there was a Q&A session called “Ask Bobke” with Bob Roll, former member of the groundbreaking 7-11 Cycling Team, and also one of the most entertaining and offbeat commentators in any sport.

A viewer asked, “Why are so many top cyclists in their thirties, which in other sports would be considered past their prime?” The question caught my attention, because the same holds true for most endurance sports, including long-distance triathlon: Not many Ironman triathletes assert themselves in their twenties.

Bob’s answer: “You have to make a lot of deposits to the Pain Bank!” He suggested that younger riders have not yet learned how to suffer, whereas older riders have built a better tolerance for pain, from having spent more tough years in the saddle.

A more scientific description, although less entertaining, is that lactic acid causes pain; and proper training (ie. Intervals) in Zone 4 increases your ability to deal with lactic acid for a longer period of time, or push your lactate threshold higher. Zone 4 hurts, so every time you’re there, you are putting time in the Pain Bank.

In Ironman racing, however, you want to stay away from the Pain Bank until the last several miles of the marathon, otherwise you'll end up overdrawn!