Gravel God Cycling Values
This isn’t a cold capitalist operation churning out cookie-cutter workouts from an open source excel spreadsheet to maximize profits with minimal effort. I stand for something.
1. Change the Culture
No matter what you do on the bike, you’re a failure if you don’t improve other people’s lives.
Most people now don’t move, eat poorly, don’t (really) push themselves physically (or mentally), stare at screens most of the day, and don’t think they can change. What’s the end result?
Most people are unhealthy, screen-addicted zombies completely disassociated from their bodies, resigned to staying that way until the grave, and somehow surprised that they’re miserable.
You can change that.
How?
Through your example. We have never been more tightly networked together than we are now. People notice. What you do matters. If people see you training, eating well, pushing yourself physically and mentally, getting outside, and changing, they’ll notice. You never know; you might inspire them to live better lives.
And if you inspire one person and they work toward a healthier life, that person will inspire someone to live a healthier life and that person will inspire someone to live a healthier life, that person will inspire someone to live a healthier life…
…And that’s how you change a culture.
2. Deep Health
Your training and performance aren’t successful unless you thrive in all aspects of your life.
If you win Unbound 200 pedaling backward on a single speed in record time, you’re a failure if your family won’t talk to you, you lose your job, don’t have any other purpose, and make everything around you worse because the only thing you care about is cycling.
At the end of the day, you’re pedaling a bike. Successful training and racing integrate all parts of your life toward the best possible version of yourself. That includes:
- Environmental – What’s around me is good for me.
- Physical – I mostly feel good and perform well on the bike and in life.
- Mental – I’m sharp. You’d have to get up pretty early to put one past me.
- Emotional – I not only feel, I feel the full range of emotions you’d expect from a human being.
- Existential – I have a reason to get up in the morning and I’m pumped about it.
- Social – I feel connected to people and belong.
3. Ownership
Ultimately, the whole point is to empower people toward better lives through cycling.
What’s the key to empowering athletes? Ownership:
If you’re not something you’d like to be, it’s your fault. No exceptions.
Is that fair? Nah.
True? Nah.
But, if you believe that, will it help you? Absolutely.
If you want to become what you could be, take ownership of your training.
Why is this critical? Because no one can:
- Train for you.
- Give you motivation.
- Dream for you.
- Be with you more than you.
Your progress starts and end with you. I can help, but you are the driver of your progress.
If you take ownership of your training, you will:
- Hold yourself to a higher standard.
- Have a growth mindset.
- Have urgency.
Athete’s that internalize this learn more, have more fun, and progress faster than those that don’t.
4. Lifer
Your relationship with cycling will change throughout your life.
Sometimes you’ll have the time to give a lot. Sometimes less.
Sometimes you’ll race a lot. Sometimes you won’t.
Sometimes you’ll be fit. Sometimes not.
No matter where your relationship with a bike is, one thing doesn’t change: life is better when you’re pedaling.
