THE

Fresh of the bike. (Double) protein smoothie in the can. Electronic communications updated. Progress initiated. Time to call for a time-out and fit together random bits of input collected over the last few hours. The task is always how to prioritize. What is the most important, the most potentially profitable or the most time sensitive? Then there is separating ego from real, short-term gratifications from long-tern goals and the creative from the energy-draining. Over the sixty years of this project I have rendered this process to a simple algorithm: 

DO WHAT MUST BE DONE, REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT IT. 

The problem being, of course, that sometimes what needs to be done is a very small component of the larger picture, the grand design, the primary directive. Creating another level of chaos management altogether. 

Because I have always insisted that the goal of life is happiness. Begging the immediate question, "What makes me happy?"

Problem solving at its most basic. With today's lesson centering around the concept that happiness can be nurtured by our attitude towards winning. As in competition. And even more precisely about being the best. 

Stay with me. 

That puny three letter word article just got in the way. THE best. It causes LOADS of problems. Because there are now over 7 billion people in the world. Can you imagine a better way to set yourself up for failure than to want to be THE best of them? No wonder why we drink so much, I am a miserable failure right off the bat (doesn't help that I am half Irish either). We even narrow the results in the attempt to level the playing field: Age groupings, gender divisions, handicaps, seedings, categories, classifications, weight allowances, restrictions, etc. All designed to make whatever competition is being managed (leveraged) more fair, and therefore a victory available to a greater audience of participants.

I have no issue with this. I only question the millions of innocent people who take away the wrong message. Who feel like losers as a result of missing the message. Of falling prey to THE.

Because it isn't about being THE best. It is about being YOUR best. You don't have to win the Tour de France to be a great cyclist. You don't have to be Adele to be a great singer and you don't have to be Superman to be super. DO YOUR best. Period. It isn't complicated. Do THAT right now as part of your decision making process. 

Do what needs to be done to head daily in this direction. Example?

I got my butt kicked this morning in a 10.03 mile indoor time trial. Interestingly, in that process, I went almost a minute faster than my last attempt on the same course. 

I was the best I could be this morning, and still lost. 

I will do better. I will do what I need to do to become better. Now, as part of that process. THAT makes me happy. I have a goal. There is meaning. A quest. 

That, IMHO, is THE bigger win. Keeping that dream alive. 

Here is an outstanding autobiographical recap of Bradley Wiggins' TT to seal this years TdF.  I have had some of these thoughts. I trust one day I will again, because they contain my deepest understanding of the priorities that create a rich, satisfying and rewarding time trial. And by that I mean this life. See if you agree.