The Balance of Life

It was my daughter's 8th birthday party today. Her birthday was the other day, but today was the party. Right now she is sitting in the bath with her brother, she is a bit upset as she comes down from the excitement of today, plus she is super tired from a very early morning. It has been quite a family day.

On a mostly unrelated note, I am just about to finish Cadel Evan's autobiography "The Art of Cycling". I have really enjoyed it. Reading about Cadel's experiences has been enlightening. It gives a bit of insight into some of the goings on that as a cycling fan I remember watching from the outside, knowing there must be more going on behind the scenes.

It has also been an interesting insight into Cadel's mindset. You watch enough cycling and you very quickly see that Cadel is a unique guy. I remember at times he was portrayed as being a difficult person, but really he is just very, very particular, something he is quite open about. I suspect some of that pickiness would make him hard to work with sometimes as he likes to have things exactly right. However, at the heart of this pickiness is the fact that he likes to be very prepared and leave nothing to chance. Part of that preparation is that he works very, very hard to the point of obsessiveness. This philosophy of preparation is one that I can identify with quite a bit. I am not going to try and compare myself to Cadel Evan's, however, whether you are the best cyclist in the world or an Age Group triathlete preparing for your first race, I think we can all learn a bit from Cadel's approach of preparation, preparation, preparation. People might want to pull themselves up short of total obsessiveness, but there is a lot to learn from the approach that Cadel had to racing. Whether it came to training, equipment, race plan, tactics etc Cadel went into his best races knowing he had all the bases covered.

I am just reading the bit at the end of the book as Cadel comes to terms with his imminent retirement. A retirement that he didn't feel he was ready for but was forced upon him by BMC not renewing his contract. Once again I can sort of identify with some of his emotions, how it feels to be forced out of something that you love and enjoy. However, at the moment in the book he is racing his last couple of races and really enjoying them, reveling in the moment, knowing he has no pressure on his shoulders. No next race to plan for. No expectations of performance. He is riding free.

It is another compelling message for those who are involved in preparing for and competing in races. While good preparation is one of the keys to racing well, it should never come at the expense of life balance. Sport can be become all encompassing, and while dedication is important, it should never get to the point that we forget to enjoy what we are doing or the other aspects of our lives.

This weekend my daughter's birthday has made me appreciate the sort of things I get to enjoy more now that I am not training and racing. I will never regret the years I spent training and racing, and if I was able to, I suspect I probably would still be. However, this weekend has been a reminder that perhaps how I was do things before wasn't the right balance. It is also a good reminder that whatever life brings next I need to keep that balance in mind.

Being dedicated and well prepared is very important. But remembering to smell the roses along the way and enjoy the journey as much as the final destination is equally so.