Setting The Pace

09 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , , ,

The Tortoise & The HareAfter watching Chris Froome and Team Sky  showing the rest of the teams how to take the lead in the Tour de France, it started me thinking about just how they make it all look so controlled and simple. Ok, they are a really amazing set of riders, but they also have a brilliant tactician at the helm.

Sir Dave Brailsford became the team principal at Team Sky three years ago, after taking British cycling to heights never dreamt of a few years before. By all accounts, he is a driven, focussed and demanding man, but he is also highly principled and has spoken out vehemently against doping, which has been rife in the sport for years, as evidenced by the Lance Armstrong debacle.

His team of professional riders are perfectly prepared for each and every stage, with Brailsford’s backroom staff leaving nothing to chance in terms of everything from food to equipment, training to recognisance of the route for that day.

Having managed Bradley Wiggins’ amazing victory in the lasts years Tour, he is doing another brilliant job of setting up another win, this time with the hugely talented Chris Froome.

What wins on the road, also wins in life, knowing the route, the highs and the lows of the road to come, and setting a steady, constant and unwavering pace. Taking your time to plan ahead, being constant and steady in your quest for a goal, and working as a team will give you the best chance of success in anything you do.

Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. The Hare raced off into the distance, at the start of the race. The Tortoise set off at a slower, but steady pace. In the event, the Hare went too fast and had to stop to rest. By the time he was ready to continue, the Tortoise had caught and passed him, and went on to win the race.

So let’s all take a leaf out of Dave Brailsford’s and the Tortoise’s training manual. Be prepared, do the right things, be steady and be a winner. Trying to rush things through, to force the pace, is a recipe for disaster, so slow things down, take your time and be there at the end.

A Sad Exit

08 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Bradley WigginsToday’s stage of the Tour de France ended with a rather sweet and sour outcome. Mark Cavendish of HTC won the stage with a trademark storming finish, but British champion Bradley Wiggins sadly crashed out with a broken collar bone.

As a fanatical armchair pro-cycling fan, I feel very sorry for Wiggins, knowing that he has put in a huge amount training in preparation for this years Tour. Professional cyclists are a breed apart when it comes to sportsmen. The dedication needed to compete, day after day, at the highest level is unstinting and for such effort to come to an end in such a manner is a tragedy.

Wiggins was looking calm, collected and at his very best for the start of this years Tour. Having had a very public dressing down last year, he had pulled out all the stops to get himself in peak condition, and the determination was showing, with him well placed after the first few days.

Not only is it a painful way to leave the race, it also leaves his Sky teammates looking for a natural successor to lead the team.

We all know the feeling of disappointment of striving with all our heart to attain our goals, only to fall (in Bradley’s case, quite literally) short of the desired outcome.

Very sorry to see you go Wiggo, stay positive and make a full and speedy recovery. You have known the Heaven of winning, now you must deal with the Hell of dropping out. Treat those two imposters just the same, as Kipling wrote, and come back even stronger.