The Tri Town Times: 1/22/24
- Posted on
- By Antonio Gonzalez
- Posted in the tri town times
- 0
This week: Preparation vs hard work
Hi all,
Here is your weekly Tri Town Times newsletter:
Weekend highlights:
The Tour Down Under wrapped up in South Australia as the first UCI World Tour and Women's World Tour of the new year. You may have noticed some riders dramatically rotating their brake hoods inwards for a slight aerodynamic advantage, and this was the first race in which the UCI has placed limits on excessive brake/shift hood angles.
Gear that caught my attention:
The Wahoo Kickr Core is back in stock and a great tool to properly build your base through the winter months. Join us on Zwift Tuesday and Saturday mornings.
Quote that struck a chord:
"I thought you would rather have a live donkey than a dead lion." - Sir Ernest Shackleton writing to his wife in regards to an aborted arctic expedition.
Some of greatest feats of human endurance have not taken place on a field or in a race, but across the land in the spirit of discovery. During the early 1900's, polar explorers raced to be the first to the North and/or South Pole. A lack of experience and understanding of Arctic conditions, often combined with the dangerous ingredient of ego, resulted in immense human suffering. In the end, survival was often the only remaining goal of these early expeditions. In 1909, approximately 100 miles from the South Pole, Ernest Shackleton turned his polar team around upon realizing he did not have the supplies and endurance to make the final push to the Pole. Though he set a new 'furthest south' record in the process, he barely survived the journey.
The hardest choice is often not to push on, but in shutting it down. In the moment, there is a sense of heroics (ego?) in sacrificing yourself in the pursuit of a goal. The fear of having to admit that you did not accomplish what you originally set out to do compounds the pressure to keep on. This is not to underplay the importance of being tough- a basic requirement of success, but we should not pay for momentary toughness with the currency of long-term success.
When the South Pole was finally reached by Roald Amundsen in 1911, the trip was described as relatively smooth and uneventful (despite extreme temperatures and conditions). Why? Because he and his team had done their training; they were well prepared for the journey.
The next time you find yourself in a struggle, maybe the right question to ask is, "Am I properly prepared for this?" rather than saying "I need to work harder."
If you have a moment to spare:
- Mathieu Van Der Poel's amazing ten race winning streak on the cyclocross circuit has come to an end after an accident filled day in Spain.
- Triathlon's top earners.
- Shimano files patent for AI powered suspension.
Have a great week!
Antonio Gonzalez
Tri Town Bicycles
Like the newsletter? Please forward to a friend so they can subscribe.
Comments
Be the first to comment...