The Tri Town Times: 11/29/21
- Posted on
- By Antonio Gonzalez
- Posted in the tri town times
- 0
Image: Denis Pyryev leading out of T1.
Lessons on suffering from polar exploration; best bike commercial ever; a destructive parrot.
Hi all,
Here is your weekly TT Times newsletter:
Gear that caught my attention:
- The Wahoo Kickr and Kickr Core are in stock and 10% off for today only. An indoor trainer is a key training tool to properly build your base through the winter months.
- Not sure what to get the endurance athlete in your family? Tri Town has gift cards available.
Quote that struck a chord:
"A live donkey is better than a dead lion." - Sir Ernest Shackleton
Some of greatest feats of human endurance have not been contested 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 longterm 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 say "I need to work harder."
If you have a moment to spare:
- The best bike commercial I've seen in a long time.
- A parrot on a destructive mission.
Have a great week!
Antonio Gonzalez
Tri Town Bicycles
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