Jun 04, 2023

IT'S NOT AN 'A' RACE IF...

AS RACERS AND ATHLETES, the 'A' race is our north star. Everything we are doing is aligned to achieve a specific result. To be truly powerful...

... 'A' races are something we have never done.

Doing LoToJa for the 'nth time is not an A race...

going for a PR is,
arriving at a never before race-weight is,
completing it when life derailed nearly all training plans is,
shooting for the podium after being pack fodder for years and years is...

... if it isn't scary, it's not an A race.

It's just a race that will B nice to do and allow us to C our friends

Which is fine, but hardly a north star by which all decisions are going to be weighed against...

... is this going to help or hinder the A race?

In that light, most us fail.

Me, especially.

We plan poorly,
make up excuses,
create unrealistic fears,
anything to keep us from facing the fact...

... we are scared shiftless.

Recently, I was talking myself out of going to USA Cycling's MTB Marathon Nationals...

It's so far away.
I hate flying (I really do)
Work is so busy that time of year
It's gonna cost a ton
... on an on.

... What a freakin' baby (I'd say pussy but I know that offends a lot of people, but that's what I was thinking. What a freakin' pussy to come up with all these excuses when it's been on my bucket list for years to go and to win.)

You know the difference between an A race and a B and a C?

Courage.

Because we don't know how we're gonna do it.
We've never done it.
It's impossible.

There is a secret, however.

It starts with Registration.

Just because we can't fathom the outcome we want to achieve,
doesn't mean it's unachievable.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/the-way-of-the-racer

If you've read my book, which apparently I need to read again for a kick in the bibs...

... then you know Registration is where the magic begins.

And, until that happens we are only fooling ourselves.