Don’t go alone

Three good cyclists will always beat one great cyclist to the top of the hill.

Going up that hill alone is harder. The whole way you have the wind in your face pushing you back. You have no time to rest. The only thing you can rely on is your legs and they’re starting to burn.

The group of three can take turns at the front. Sometimes they are pushing against the wind and sometimes they can tuck in behind another rider’s wheel, saving up to 30% of their energy.

The front rider provides protection and everyone else can ride in the draft. When that rider gets tired, they can switch out and use someone else’s momentum. It’s extremely rare for the winner of a Tour de France stage to be at the front the entire time. They’re usually protected by their team until it’s time for them to push on at the end.

Don’t try to go alone yourself.

If you want to be successful then you need a team with you. You sometimes need to be at the front pulling the team along and sometimes you can ride in the draft.

There’s a reason that places like No Excuses CrossFit will have at least 60% of its members attend classes on any given day. People know that when they aren’t quite feeling it, the rest of their team will help pull them along.

Compare that to an industry-wide 18% regular attendance.

I’m telling you that you should not join a gym to get fit. Joining a gym is like joining a library to help you diagnose your own illness. Yes, all the books are there and you can read all the medical journals to maybe figure it out, but there’s no draft to fall behind when you’re feeling tired of the research.

Gyms are full of weights, machines, and other tools to help you get fit and achieve your goals. It’s all there and it can be enough for some people, albeit a very small number.

Instead, you need to find a team. A coach and some friends with the same mindset as you. The friends part may be different from the ones you currently have. They may not be in the same chapter as you are with your fitness. You may need to find your new tribe.
Once you have found your tribe, things can become a little easier. You still have to work hard and your goals are still for you to get to the top of the hill. The tribe will pull you on the days you’re not quite feeling it and when you make good progress, you will pull others along with you too.

Don’t try to go it alone, the view at the top is always best shared.