Lessons are Everywhere

In 2017 I raced my first enduro race. It was advertised as a 5-lap, technical sprint enduro. But the reality was five, short-form desert races: more speed than I expected and much less technical riding than I hoped. From soft-sand cornering to long sections of whoops, I was struggling.

My first lap was slow and unsettling. My second lap was faster and even more unsettling. It seemed the faster I went, the worse it all got. I dumped the bike twice while cornering. I was out of control on the whoops. I had enough.

I pulled off the course, grabbed my phone and did some quick internet learning. Search, tap, scan, scan, scan. Got it. The advice was counterintuitive, but I gave it a try: sit back in the corners to get the weight off the front wheel. For whoops, lean back and accelerate - float the front wheel over the tops. It worked.

In professional life, I sometimes find myself in situations significantly different from what I expected - and from what I prepared for. That has been true for me in life, generally.

While it is important to be committed to a goal, it is not so important to be committed to tactics. Sometimes, I need to slow and seek help. Just going faster could be dangerous.

By the way, I wasn't suddenly the fastest bike in my class - but I exceeded my goals and set myself up for even better future performance.

Have a great day.