Carnegie Hall

Man walks up to another man on Seventh Avenue in New York ands asks him innocently, "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?"

You know the punch line. But the pragmatic truth in the flippant response, is both the moral of the story and the theme of today's post, with one minor variation, it is PERFECT practice that makes perfect, not merely practice (practice and practice).

If we continue to practice the same way, for the same duration and with the same intensity we will most likely get what we have always got. Why don't we practice at a higher vibration, with added amplitude and with as much attention as we can bring to our effort? Won't that parlay to a better performance, be it on stage with a Stratavarius or on the circuit atop a Cervelo? I think so. And it certainly dials up the importance of training, keeping us constantly motivated to be our best during rehearsal so a personal best will result when the cameras are rolling.

Practice perfect.

Every pedal rotation, every climb, every mile. There is something somewhere that needs work and attention. Needs that mind-body synergy to create a, pick one, smoother, quicker, longer, faster, fitter, more confident, better prepared more perfect package. As I am fond of saying, your body already knows this, it is your brain that is the mule. That stubborn gray-matter part of you that insists that this is OK as is, that life is supposed to be about comfort, convenience and cash, that hard work and dedicated effort is for losers, or that next year you'll finally start that diet. We have found the enemy folks and it is (again) us. Madison Avenue wins another round. They have sold you easy. Drive to work, take the elevator, sit all day using just your wrist, reverse commute and then sit and watch a big plasma screen till bed time. It's no wonder our State Run Ferries are reevaluating load capacities on peak hour commuter runs, there are a TON of fatties aboard!

Solution? Ask me how to get to Carnigie Hall. I will put you on a stationary bike, dial up some timeless rock, fill your water bottle, adjust your seat height and outline some exercise (and diet) parameters. The rest is then up to you, with one word of advice:

Practice, practice, practice.