Archive Saturday is an extract from my diary when I rode across the USA (March to May 2004).
This entry was written after the end of a big block. That morning, I had briefly fallen asleep swimming. Woke up when my head hit the bulkhead!
Barry was a favorite guest. At the time, we were eating out of buckets.
My buddy, Barry, had saddle sores so bad, he used his menthol lip balm for relief.
Never borrow lip balm from a vegan called Barry!
As an elite endurance athlete, there will be days when the best thing that happens is rolling a stick of lip balm onto your balls…
…and those will be some of the greatest days of your life!
There’s tired and there’s “lie down on a tarp, covered in mosquitoes and immediately fall asleep tired”
Here’s the thing about fatigue, at first we panic a little, eventually we accept it, then we find a way to relax and dance with it.
A BIG motivator with my Project (to get back in shape) is being able to do adventures with my son. This is the morning we decided to swim to North Carolina and run up to road to meet our support vehicle. Clas “the Baron” Bjorling in the middle & Ben on the right.
From back when the magazine business was a business…
They’d be out of business if we just put JFT on the cover and ran the adverts…
Social media wasn’t a thing in 2004 but the “attention economy” endures.
Be wary of sacrificing the quality of your work to offer novelty to the masses, most of whom will never follow your advice and gain The Knowledge.
The Knowledge doesn’t reside in textbooks, blog posts or podcasts.
Just Keep Training
Sam, me, Barry the Vegan // 8 weeks (and most of the USA) between this photo at the one above. Fuel the work and don’t be a weight nut! Always remember, NEVER borrow lip balm from Barry
Monday’s blog will be about A Swedish Approach to Athletic Excellence – it’s about creating a life that puts you in the position to do The Block.
The Block – a period of 4 months where you take yourself to the top.
The first half of my “Block” was swim/bike/run across America – 9 weeks.
gRAAM – Trans USA Day Forty-Eight camden, tennessee
In the end, we were a bit tired to be much entertainment for Andy, but we left him a couple of souvenirs to show our appreciation of his hospitality.
We didn’t exactly rip out of bed. I managed a weak jog to the pool. The swim was even more lackluster. After 2,000 yards, I nearly fell asleep in the water (not a good sign at all). I managed to squeeze out 3,000 yards, but the last 500 was done in broken 25s at easy pace. Not pretty. I got out of the water and sat in the hot tub for a bit (memories of cracking post-Epic NZ #2).
I shuffled back to Andy’s place, where Baron and I conferenced and agreed that the overall run distance was 5.5K.
We had 180K on the ride agenda and I was starting the day highly whipped. Fortunately, we had tailwinds forecast, but there were a heck of a lot of rollers heading my way. I drank a half litre of gordo-brew, straight-up – nothing happened, not even a ripple in my system.
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So what does one think about when riding, totally wasted? Here’s a selection – as you can tell, I wasn’t feelin’ the love the whole way…
Jimi and me – hey, there’s a lot going on in the background of those songs. He’s laughing and joking the whole way through. Kinda like a my training days.
Dolan – Tom “Mr. Swimming” Dolan trained 100+KM per week in the water for an event that lasted four minutes. How could anybody reasonably expect to perform a 8-9 hour TT on a low-volume program?
Track Sessions – Who’s %^&*$#@ idea was that anyhow? I’m blown to bits and for what? …and the guy tells me to eat light at dinner. Man-o-man, isn’t he reading my reports? Eat light?! Bet he’s drinking a beer right now.
Training Regime – OK, you come and sit on my wheel for two weeks and then we’ll talk training protocols. Far easier to talk than to do what it takes. Two weeks in my big ring and counting.
Mr. Andersson – The guy chose the large jersey. I had the medium with me and he waived it off. Then he diss’d my gift on my site? Sponsor management? Dude, you can just mail that jersey back to me and I’ll find another home for it.
Lance – People diss the guy on the pride he has in his preparation. I’m shelled to s&*# and I’m a wee minnow compared to those guys. Everyone trains hard at the top? No way, only a few people truly apply themselves in ANY endeavour. The ability to persist beats ability. But they wish it was the other way. They wish that there was an excuse, any excuse, to avoid personal responsibility.
Scientists & Experts – I bet I couldn’t find one expert to agree with my training today but, I bet I could find a dozen world champions.
Coach – Don’t fool yourself. Coaches don’t make athletes. Athletes make athletes. Structure, motivation, objectivity, belief. The nature of a session? Doesn’t matter. JFT.
Fatigue – We’re looking for a new kind of fatigue out here. Something deeper, a pure fatigue. Not one of those bush league fatigues. A whole new kind of fatigue.
Balm – You know, that balm I put on my nads is probably going to be the highlight of this day. The menthol aspect lasted for at least forty minutes. That was nice. My only action is medication for my bag – all part of the elite triathlete lifestyle. Funny old life I lead. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
Rights – What am I doing out here? I am exercising my right of self-determination. Perhaps just self-termination.
Tri Mags – It would be pretty thin if you simply put JFT on the cover then ran the adverts. So much time, so much energy, so much money spent on items that have nothing to do with true performance.
I can’t really remember if those were before or after lunch. I do remember that we had 105K on the clock at lunch and my hands were shaking badly on arrival in Bells, TN.
B – I think that we should ride an extra 30K if we feel good. G – More than 200K? B – Yes, a good idea? G – Why not.
So we headed out at 4:30 pm for a second leg of 125K, or so. Somewhere out there I got tired enough to simply relax and resign myself to my fate. Just like the winter storm day. Only this time it was different.
Baron was so shelled that he was pouring water on his head to keep himself from swerving too much. I think we were both beyond caring and feeling – we were simply going to ride until we got to the end or cracked. Neither of us expected to crack, but you can never really be sure.
…perhaps that’s why I did this trip. Because I wanted the knowledge. Yeah, that’s good to know. This could be as close as I’ll be able to come. My personal sixty quarters. Shared with the Baron. The same knowledge but different. I wonder if he understands? He certainly understands but he’d be no more able to explain it then I can. When you have the knowledge you don’t really need to explain it. You just lean back and smile while everyone else hangs at the Mad Hatters Tea Party. Molina has it, sure, but why is he telling me to eat light as well. Is he playing some kind of joke on me? I’m way past simple bean dip fatigue – isn’t he reading these reports. Maybe he’s taking me on the next step. Just keep riding…
…Guess it’s like the quiet power only deeper. If only a few have the knowledge then I wonder why so many of them don’t have the quiet power as well. Perhaps it’s difficult to transfer it across an entire spectrum. Flashes of enlightenment. Wonder how long this will stick with me. Probably be gone tomorrow. But it was nice while it lasted. Keep on riding…
…it’s not the insanity of cities, or the silliness of debate – it’s the total futility of everything. To fight every battle as if it was our last, all the while knowing that it’s really one big joke. A lot of warriors get the first bit but miss the second. Keep on riding…
We rolled into our campsite as darkness fell. Wy asked me a question and I said something along the lines of “I’m OK”. She noted that my reply wasn’t convincing but how to explain without sounding offensive or strange. My own vision-quest exploring the depths of fatigue.
I think we are going to make it, but who’s idea was that track session?
The most “costly” part of the pie is whatever you happen to believe is “essential.” It usually doesn’t feel this way => you truly believe you need this stuff. I feel the same!
When you suffer your first serious setback, you’ll be surprised how little is essential. In 2009, I cut my “essential” in half, overnight.
Similarly, as we age, we may find we were giving time, money and attention to things that don’t seem to matter anymore.
Know your buckets – they will help you think more clearly.
Specifically, Net Worth expressed in “years spending.”
$1,000,000 / $125,000 = 8 years
As we change the spending, we change the years.
Risk, and INFLATION, are easily mitigated when you understand how easily you can change spending.
Risk Concept => not all spending, or financial obligations, are created equal
Be most aware of:
Debt, including contingent – an obligation where non-payment can force the sale of an asset
Spending that comes with spending – large HOA/Club fees come to mind here – put plainly, a hotel visits feel just the same on an ego, yet, don’t require an annual membership fee
Going further => Don’t Capitalize Luxury Spending => the “luxury bucket” from above, if you turn it into a capital obligation then it can bite you, especially when combined with debt.
We don’t need to own the hotel to receive the services offered to a guest.
Same with… plane, waterfront, ski chalet… whatever you find inside your “luxury” bucket.
Staying flexible with the ability to stop spending can feel like a “waste” – even more so when highly-leveraged peers appear to be making easy money.
This feeling is false!
We over-estimate the value of current spending
We adapt very quickly to any level of spending
We notice changes, not absolutes
You are paying for the flexibility to: (a) stop paying; (b) change your mind; and (c) keep your capital invested productively.
At the same time as I was dealing with the fever, my O-sats were getting hammered and that made my thinking REALLY slow, also meant I stopped driving until they rebounded.
I was negative before I was positive – didn’t feel right Tuesday afternoon, tested negative.
Woke Wednesday with a big fever and tanking wellness metrics – clearly positive. If you don’t feel right, then it might take 12-24 hours to see test confirmation of what you feel going on.
I kept hydrating like I was training, put a large glass of water beside my desk and bed (create availability for my O2 deprived brain).
The realization I was spending on things that didn’t make me happy drove positive changes in my life.
In Private Equity, I was surrounded by rich people who struggled to apply their financial wealth towards improving their lives.
My climb up the ladder saw me scale consumption and reinforce my ego.
Until one evening, recently divorced, sitting alone in a fancy townhouse…
I realized the only thing left inside my current path was “more money”
What To Do?
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Consider Declaring Victory
More money will not be making your life any better. In fact, you’re now in danger of being able to ramp consumption in a way that makes your life more complicated.
If you don’t believe me then think about your most recent financial loss. The loss hurts, it’s a distraction, you find yourself wanting more and more…
…but you already have more than your younger self thought they needed?
To think clearly, you need to get out of your environment.
In the summer of 2000, I took a two month leave of absence and trained for triathlon in the hills above Boulder, Colorado.
I journaled, while training to quality for Ironman Hawaii.
Got a bucket list? Go do something on it. Do another. And another.
In my case, I kept on the same thing=> faster, and faster, and faster…
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WHILE LIVING THE DREAM…
Do You Have A Committed Long-Term Relationship?
I didn’t. You might.
This person is your most valuable asset.
Live your dream WITH THEM.
High achievers, quite often, are short-sighted about the value of relationships vs completing “the mission.”
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Don’t have a relationship?
Consider moving to a location where there are a lot of people who share your values & culture.
Once there, focus on making YOURSELF into the person you’d like to attract. It’s took me five years to meet my wife, be patient.
My values:
an active outdoor life
surrounded by nature
athletic
kind & reliable
Yours?
Write it down.
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Do You Have Kids?
Your future self would like you to get to know them, very well.
Why?
If you blow off (the difficulty of toddlers) then you’ll end up with a regret you can’t fix!
You don’t need to become a preschool teacher.
When they were little, I could only handle a few hours a day with my crew…
…but they were very useful hours.
I was able to train my kids to become my partners in exploring the world. I trained our little ones during 1-on-1 trips. They have a lot of very happy memories.
There has been a HUGE payoff. From the time they were 7 years old, my kids have been able to do really cool stuff with me.
Know your best environment – teach them there – 1-on-1
Remember this => don’t let your adult agenda derail the child’s joy in simply being there.
Fill your child with pleasant memories of doing stuff with you.
Step One is improving low-end aerobic function by adding cycling volume under LT1
My return to “proper” endurance training will offer me a chance to demonstrate some things.
It’s whole lot easier to hit modest fitness targets if you have sufficient muscle mass for your goals (Link to Big Slow Day Article)
A lot of athletes see their size as a hinderance to their goals.
I don’t.
If you want to rip bumps in your 60s, sustain impact, run the risk of the occasional crash… a bit of size, combined with a lot strength, will serve you well.
So I’ve moved to my strongest-training weight – which is ~5 lbs above my low-volume sustainable weight.
On my old protocol (outlined here) – being a bit light is fine. However, when my goals require the capacity to fuel meaningful output, my “light weight” slows my recovery.
Let’s be clear: endurance athletes have a “light is right” bias.
Smart athletes know it is better to match your body composition to your goals.
My #1 goal is faster recovery, so:
Each week at least two back-to-back recovery days
Run my body composition a little heavier
Ditch my alarm
Use morning HRV to check in before loading
Bring back training nutrition
Making The Most of My Time
Many athletes seek to optimize their time by boosting average workout intensity (Sweet Spot, Heavy Domain, Tempo).
I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it work.
Doesn’t work for me.
I’m going Nordic
Swedish 5:2 (see below)
Norwegian 80:20 (>80% Stamina Focus)
Swedish Periodization (5 days on, 2 days off) means radical recovery and compressed loading:
If I finish Day 5 by Noon, then I have ~65 hours until I train again
Every week has space for Real Life => sustainable
I get a weekly reset
My digestion gets a rest – training uptake is fatiguing
Feels like I’m getting to the end of my Thursday finance series!
Things I’ve noticed in May 2022:
Stablecoin instability
Pain at the retail level
Step-down price adjustments of stable businesses with mkt cap >$1 billion (disappearance of margin trade on reliable dividends, perhaps)
Buyer of my sale was 95% debt financed with a payment of 3x the gross rent I was receiving
Market down 19%, as I write
What I haven’t seen:
Widespread pain
Institutional capital destruction
Anything, anywhere, that looks cheap
Given the money creation of this cycle, those are key words to watch:
Pain
Capital Destruction
Cheap
Until those arrive, I’m going to be patient and live my life.
A reminder.
The Great Recession of 2008/2009 first got my attention with trouble in the interbank lending market (Early Summer 2008), this was after ~20% market decline.
There was a long way for the bear market to go, and its effect on real asset prices had years to run.
Great deals were available 2010-2012 => the equivalent of 2-4 years from “now”
Same thing in the UK Recession of 1990, my first out of school.
If we’re in a blip then rebalancing will be just fine
If we’re in for something more serious then it takes time to develop AND it takes years for price expectations to adjust
I’ve built online communities 4x and it gets easier each time. Probably, because some of you have been reading me for 20+ years.
Thank you!
KNOW YOUR WHY – most the advice I see is about ramping up follows and seeking to convert attention to cash.
Pay attention and you might find that cash-for-attention isn’t what you seek.
Know your goal and write it down – if you’re successful then the crowd will nudge you in unexpected ways.
My reasons:
Establish Expert Credentials – doing 100s of case studies in public will let you “get your story straight” and build a network of successful students who’ve applied your best advice.
Where this gets really exciting is when you see someone take your lessons and improve upon them. My current project of getting-back-in-shape is using techniques taught to me by coaches who studied my approach. Cool!
Connect/Engage – I live in a narrow niche and have a set of values outside the norm. Toss me on Twitter and there are a million like-minded folks. I get a kick out of engaging from Finland to Switzerland to Brazil.
Take time to unsubscribe from vibes you don’t want.
My feed is positive and WAY better than reading the news.
MUTE AND MOVE ON
A fact of the internet => Yahoo-encounters scale faster than reach
I recommend a one strike and you’re out policy.
It’s never been easier to mute and move on.
My “why” does not require helping everyone, being universally liked or getting wrapped up in drama.
PICK A TOPIC YOU KNOW WELL
Lots of people know more than me, nobody knows my story better than me
…and it’s an interesting story because I…
DO INTERESTING STUFF THEN WRITE ABOUT IT
Taking a leave of absence, qualifying for World Champs and winning Ultraman Hawaii…
Being absolutely miserable then figuring out a way to get better…
Handing back a Private Equity partnership because I wanted to live an outdoor life…
Changing myself so I could attract a wonderful woman…
Learning to be an expert skier, late in life…
Write a book, then another…
Going from the couch to running a 35-minute 10K…
Giving comfort to the dying…
Be willing to fail – failure makes for great copy.
…and if you don’t fail… even better copy!
HELP STRANGERS
Ten years ago, I didn’t know my kids. So glad I made a choice towards family. We only get one chance to know a kid then they’re grown up.
Before I had my kids, I had my team.
Before my team, my readers.
Before my readers, fellow athletes trying to figure out sport.
While you are doing work… leverage yourself. Create systems to capture your best ideas – it might be as simple as a bedside notebook and a Notes App.
Pay attention to everyone who responds positively to your message.
Dial down those with a negative bias – this is very tough with the rich & famous – you do not want to “catch” a negative bias.
DO IT EVERY DAY
Pick one format/platform: blog, Twitter, forum, FB/IG, video… set yourself a schedule and do it every day.
13 cycles of my Content Week was enough to add 1,000 people to my network.
Further, by staying positive, I like ALL these people!
Make sure you like the world you create
ANALYTICS ON
Why?
Most simply, because the author doesn’t get to choose what interests the reader.
Capture what interests people (One Page PDFs)
Reinforce your best ideas (Copy & Paste Links)
Spend time improving your best stuff
Finally, there is no goal
The reward is in the work, improve the world one interaction at a time.
Feel The Byrn 
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