Image: Trail run in the Boise foothills.
This week: Turning misfortune into opportunity; "The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read." A review of some of the best books on endurance sports performance.
Hi all,
Thank you for being a part of and supporting our business this year. It has been a challenging year for many, and many lessons were learned along the way. This year I lost friends and saw friends lose people they love. I also saw people come together and support each other in ways I did not believe possible in the past. It's a skill worth developing: the ability to turn misfortune into an opportunity. This does not mean misfortune or adversity needs to be viewed as pleasant- often it's not, but misfortune is rarely served pure. Seneca once said that no man is more unhappy than he who has not faced adversity, for he is never permitted to prove himself. When I think of the times in my life I have changed the most, it was often under times of intense stress. These are the times we adapt, evolve, prioritize, and determine what is most essential to us. Embrace them when they come, for hidden within is opportunity.
Speaking of opportunities and change, we have a variety of announcements to make next week. Stay posted as Tri Town continues to evolve to best serve you- our friends and clients.
Here is your weekly TT Times newsletter:
Shop ops:
The shop will close at 2pm on New Year's Eve, and we will be closed New Years Day.
Quote that struck a chord:
"The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read." -Mark Twain.
Almost all of human knowledge and experience is written down in a book. Though social media is convenient for sharing information, there is no doubt comprehension and understanding is improved by reading on a topic in book format. This year, I committed to reading more on topics that interest me. Topics ranged from sports and coaching, business, philosophy, and history. As American philosopher Mortimer Adler once said, "In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." About 20 books "got through me" this year, and below is a quick summary of the ones most relevant to endurance sports performance (in no particular order):
- Bike Fit, by Phil Burt. A surprising good review on bicycle fitting and the theory behind the it. I learned more than I expected in this book, and keep it on my shelf at work now as a valuable resource during fits. My book notes.
- Swim to the Top, by David Wright and Garth Gilmour. Written for swimmers who are interested in training the Lydiard-way, the training methods described in this book are relevant to swimmers, bikers and runners. The best info took place in the first 1/2 of the book. My book notes.
- Running to the Top, by Arthur Lydiard. A solid review of Lydiard training methods with plenty of examples of training plans for various race distances. This book provided clarity that was missed in his book Running the Lydiard Way. My book notes.
- The Inner Game of Tennis, by Timothy Gallwey. Possibly the best book I've read on coaching "the mental game" in sport. Full of great quotes and lessons that are applicable to life and sport. My book notes.
- Essentialism, by Greg McKeown. A guide to prioritizing and simplifying life to open up more time for the things that matter most. Wish I had read this in my early 20's. My book notes.
- The Captain Class, by Sam Walker. This book reframed how I feel about team captains and leadership in particular. In particular, a strong argument is made that the strongest player on a team may not be the best captain. My book notes.
- The Little Book of Talent, by Daniel Coyle. Thoughtful, regular, and deep practice, while embracing mistakes as part of the learning process, is the key to developing a skill. My book notes.
Have a great week!
Antonio Gonzalez
Tri Town Bicycles
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