Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Munga 2016 - back on the start line.

It's only mid morning in Bloemfontein and already it's 35 Celsius.
The small voice in my head asks the inevitable question, 'Why are you doing this?'

A tussle rages within my cranium as both protagonist and antagonist raise their views. The antagonist speaks of reason. The protagonist purports to be purpose.
The antagonist speaks with a clear voice while the protagonist is found mumbling albeit in a seductive tone.
There are times when the antagonists voice swells and drowns out the protagonist. But the protagonists voice, like a bass drum beats a steady cadence that is always present in the stillness between doubts.

It helps to remind myself that
there is no such thing as cycling conscription and even if there was you could be a conscientious objector and serve out your time pottering around the garden or lazing by the pool.

I've got nothing against gardening or swimming. But I have to say that the sky above Sutherland on a clear night trumps them both. There are easier ways to get to Sutherland but I've got my bike here so I may as well use it.

The antagonist within rolls their eyes at the stupidity of that statement which is obviously devoid of sound reason. There's the thing about antagonists, in order to survive they need to be paired with a protagonist. Without purpose, without goals that birth doubt, the antagonist is silenced.

Should be fun listening to them sparring all the way to Wellington.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Wow,Mike,this is an amazing piece. I know these voices so well. But I've never seen them described so clearly. Thank you. I race 24h events regularly - I'll keep this in mind at the next one. I've also been following you at the Munga. While I write this you are sitting 3rd and about 200KM from Wellington. I hope the protagonist is still strong!