What it Takes to suprise yourself beyond talent & skill...

Here is a great article from Harvard Business Review on what it takes to meet your expectations of "self", assuming of course, you raise your bar VERY high! If you strive for medium don't read my blog anymore-:)

Author Tony Schwartz refers a few gems of books as reference as well, they are outlined below for you.

Here's the link to his quick blog: 6 Keys to Being Excellent

Here are the recent books on this subject:

• Talent is Overrated by Geoffrey Colvin. My personal favorite.
• The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
• The Genius in All of Us by David Schenk.
• Bounce by Mathew Syed

Footnote - photo changed!

Yep - that does it, 100% bike racer with a spice of running foot speed-:)

Time to change the picture on my blog!

Friends and family,

Thanks for checking in and a happy new year to you all. I hope we all got through the Christmas festivus season filled to rim with great food, family, and fine wine!! I for one weighed myself this morning, December 29th, to 167.8lbs. Christmas eve I was on target at 165; time to drink some water-:) This said, it was great to share Christmas with Meredith, mum-in-law June and then have a special visit from Joanne, Doug and the kids Sarah and Bryan and little treat Chester the 8 month old Golden Recliner (ah hum, Retriever)! Gatsby and he loved every minute of their visit together too!!

Onto sports related news...I have taken the autumn season to reflect on what turning 40 means to me as an athlete. I haven't yet wrapped my head around what turning 40 means per se, but I have come to terms with that number as being just that athletically, a number. As little as 5 years ago 40 meant washed up, slow, uncompetitive. One only needs to look at Michael Jordan to see what 40 does to high end sport skills and I would argue, same with Lance. Lets face it, his comeback at 38 wasn't exactly successful in the world of Lance sporting success though 3rd in Le Tour is pretty freaking special all the same! This said, look at Dave Scott who went 2nd and 4th in his 40's at the Hawaii Ironman and this year Macca won at 37; the oldest winner of Hawaii. 40 is just a number but a milestone number all the same and it does in reality mean deminishing returns on speed in my sport.

So my reflection lands on this:

1. do what you love
2. stay fit and healthy
3. don't take it too seriously
4. but seriously enough to be in the mix to win!

Conclusion:

1. I don't love swimming so me and the pool are retired
2. I do love lakes so I won't sell my wetsuit just yet
3. I love running so train hard and race Around the Bay
4. My Cervelo and I are bonded for life; get out and ride

Season goals:

1. PR at Around the Bay March 29th and shoot for sub 2:10 and hope for 2:05
2. Top 5 National Time Trial in Burlington
3. Win, or help team win, National Road race championship July 3rd
4. Top 5 on the GC for Green Mountain Stage race Labor day weekend
5. Late fall marathon for sub 3:10 to qualify for NYC Marathon 2012.

My Ironman career, for now, is over.

Time to update my photo on the banner of this blog!

thanks for checking in!