The Tri Town Times: 7/4/22

• Posted on 4 July 2022
• By Antonio Gonzalez
• Posted in the tri town times
• 0

This Week: Finding strength in adversity.

Image: Using gravel to find your strength.

Hi all,

Happy 4th of July! 

Weekend race report: 

- Anne Haug of Germany defended her 2021 Challenge Roth title by posting the fastest bike and run splits of the day. In the men's race, Magnus Ditlev of Denmark posted a course record bike split, and won the race in a finishing time of 7:35:48, only 9 seconds off Jan Frodeno's course record time set in 2016.

- Athletes with Boise roots made a splash at 70.3 Finland this past weekend: top age group athlete Carolyn Olsen of Boise won the race, and Boise State grad Minttu Hukka took second overall. 

- The Tour de France is well underway, with Wout Van Aert of Belgium in the yellow jersey while taking 2nd place in the first three opening stages. Matteo Jorgensen of Boise is currently in 78th place in his Tour de France debut. 

Events I'm looking forward to: 

• Oregon 70.3 is this Sunday in Salem. 
• The popular Boise Twilight Criterium is this Saturday in downtown Boise. 

Shop Ops: 

The shop is closed today. We'll be back to normal hours tomorrow. 

Quote that struck a chord: 

"No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself." -Seneca.

The whole point of doing hard things is to experience a struggle and a bit of suffering. What will we remember at the end of our lives? The chill, easy, monotonous moments? Or will we remember the times when we had our backs against the wall, on the edge of failure, yet somehow overcame the odds and pulled through? The fact that it was hard is what made it worth while and memorable. 

A good challenge is like fertilizer to personal growth. Real development only happens after you've moved past your comfort zone.

Epictetus, another Stoic philosopher, once said, "The trials of these teachings will introduce you to your strengths." I get the impression that even 2,000 years ago some Romans felt life had become too soft for their taste. In today's world, most of life's natural challenges have been conquered by society, yet most of us discover a calling within our souls that is drawn to a good challenge. 

Take cycling for example: when you start to feel the first signs of a bonk coming on, that is the place you must get to before you can adapt and develop as an athlete. It may take three hours of riding before you can get that last hour of development. The first three hours are the entry fee, the last hour of discomfort is the reward. 

When you're feeling comfortable and fresh, your mind is like that of a busy and noisy classroom. There are tons of distractions, lights, voices, and noises. Learning and development is compromised. When you begin to struggle, the distracting lights in your mind turn down, the room becomes dark, you may hear nothing but the voice in your head telling you to stop. The outside world becomes almost invisible, your focus is directed 100% internally. You've now entered the realm where you can develop as an athlete and learn something about yourself. 

I hope you find a way to smile when the struggle becomes real in your next event. The event you signed up for was supposed to be hard, wasn't it? Remember that only when you're well past your comfort zone can truly learn something about yourself, and hopefully grow and develop as an athlete in the process.

Train smart, and have a great week! 

Antonio Gonzalez

Tri Town Bicycles

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