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bradedson · 3 years

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How You Can Achieve a Step Change in Your Fitness Before Summer

Just 21 months ago I couldn’t have jogged 2 miles in under 20 minutes and now I can run 3 miles in 21 minutes or more to the point I can pretty easily run 7.5 miles in an hour.

I’m not super human and while I’m a decent athlete I wasn’t born with super genetics, extra doses of motivation or an unusual ability to tolerate suffering. I was in pretty good athletic shape until 35 but after kids, starting my own companies, travel and age I slowly lost the habit of working out enough to consider myself an athlete.

Starting in 2019 I unlocked the mindset and re-energized my inner-athlete. In fact, since the pandemic began I’ve only missed two days of exercise all year. I only point this out because I want you to understand that if I — of all people — could achieve this I know that you can. I literally weighed 70 pounds more just 21 months ago.

I promised to write about my fitness journey one day to try and help anybody else considering trying to get back into fitness. So here goes …

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Every day is a one. Or a zero. You do or you don’t. It’s that simple. There’s really nothing else to it. The secret is how to make more days ones and fewer days zeros.

I know this seems like a fairly sophomoric graph but I draw it for a reason to illustrate a really simple point that I hope will be etched in your mind. The only thing that matters is “going.” You’ll have some good days and some bad days but just GOING is what makes it a habit. And you’ll seldom take the time to get dressed and get your ass going and then suddenly stop. Our brains have a funny way of kicking into gear and saying “well, I took the time to get my shoes on and my workout gear so I might as well finish this.”

Every single day I struggle with “the start.” That’s because the psychological switch of just saying “I don’t feel like it” is so easy to hit and you tap out. I’ve made a mental commitment to myself not to hit that switch. I know that if I can get over the hurdle of just STARTING I’ll be fine. After 21 months I know before I start that once I’m on the road and running or on the Peloton and grooving out to music I’ll not only be fine but I’ll be happy. I just have to start.

For every time I’ve had to roll out of bed and stare at the cold pool by my house and think about jumping into it knowing it’s going to be a shock — I can visualize how good I’ll feel by the fourth lap. I’ll be in “the zone.” This won’t happen in week or or even in ten weeks but it will happen if you make working out a daily habit.

In my next post I’ll share some ideas of how I took the “go every day” mentality and figured out how to “go hard” more days than not but even if I just do a walk one day in stead of running or biking — I still consider that a victory to my steady state of two years ago, which was, “I’m too tired.”

When you see a super fit person — let’s say just a Peloton instructor, a CrossFit enthusiast or perhaps a professional athlete you assume that they have something you don’t. A certain mindset and drive and commitment that you can’t muster. They’re somehow better than you. You’re a procrastinator or too lazy or not motivated enough and they’re just, well, stronger. Physically and mentally.

But it’s not true. At least the mental part.

As I’ve gotten to talk with and hear from super athletes over the past 2 years I’ve learned that they have the same daily struggle as we all do. Mentally convincing yourself to put on running shoes or biking shorts or a swimsuit and go out in the cold morning or the end of day treadmill is drudgery for everybody.

They have two advantages over you. First, they’ve made it a habit so making the micro-commitment to get started is easier for them than for you. It’s like flossing their teeth. Nobody WANTS to do it before they start but they know it’s going to be good for them. And second, they know that once they start it’s not only not as bad as one thinks it’s always going to be but after you develop the basic muscle structure it’s actually an uplifting endorphin rush.

tl/dr Overview

You only have five basic tasks to get fit. It really is this straightforward.

Commit yourself mentally and don’t make excuses

Set realistic goals for yourself and measure progress

Plan your workout routines in advance so you build around them and don’t flake. Prioritize your workouts. Combine them with social activities in stead of meeting for food or alcohol.

Make working out a habit. It doesn’t matter how hard you go as much as it matters the consistency with which you go

Here are the details ….

1. Make the mental commitment

There is no plan I can give you that will help you upgrade your fitness routine if you’re not mentally committed. There are too many excuses you can make and I’ve heard them all from the un-committed. I didn’t sleep well last night. I have a sore ankle. I have too much work on my plate. I can’t work out when I travel. I know these excuses well. Listen, if the President of the United States can work out every morning (at least W, Obama and Biden have) then you have no excuses.

So if you want to improve and are ready to throw out excuses it gets a whole lot easier.

2. Be realistic

When I started in 2019 many of my days were long walks. I started with a calorie target — I wanted to burn at least 750 calories / day as measured on my Apple Watch. As I improved my fitness I started on the Peloton a few days / week. I started with just 20 minutes / session. Then I moved to 30, then 45. After 5 months I could do an hour. After a year I could do 90 minutes or more. It was really just about consistency.

After 6 months of improving my fitness and losing weight (which is about eating less, not working out more) I was able to start jogging. I started with 20 minutes on my treadmill then moved to 30 minutes on the street and then 45 minutes. Only after a year was I really into distance running on a regular basis.

Start small. Just go. One, not zero. Don’t beat yourself up for any bad day or low effort, congratulate yourself for going. But also be realistic about your needs for improvement. If you reach homeostasis, where your body is accustomed to the same workout all the time you stop improving. So set goals for yourself for modest improvements or occasions “harder days” or adding new routines.

3. Make a forward plan

Last minute spontaneous exercise is really hard. It’s hard because it takes too long to think about “what exercise could I do” and “do I have the right gear” and then you waste too much time getting up the mental energy to work out so you think “I’m too hungry. It’s 7.30pm. I’ll just eat and go tomorrow.” Yup. Been there.

I try to eye my calendar at the start of a week and make a plan. Here’s an example from my week this week:

Monday’s are full days for me so mornings are usually out. I had a construction guy coming to my house at 5:30pm and I figured he’d stay for an hour maximum. It’s spring and the sun is out in LA until 7:30pm so I knew I had time to run. I made sure I had my gear already on when he came and my earphones were charged. He left around 6:40pm and soon after I was out the door on a 5.2 mile run. Home by 7:45pm in time to make the boys dinner and eat a sweaty meal with them and Jerry Seinfeld.

Tuesday I had hoped to work out in the morning but an LP from the Middle East asked for a call and given time zones 7:30am was the best time so once he asked I mentally switched gears and told myself I would run later in the day. My son had a soccer game early evening and he’s a senior in high school so I wanted to see his first home game if I could. So I made sure I was in my running gear when my last Zoom call ended and I raced to get a 30-minute treadmill run in, put on a hat, sweats and a mask(and deodorant!) and raced to the car to catch the game.

Wednesday and Thursday were the only days in the week I knew I could swim and in the Covid world you have to pre-book way in advance so I booked 7am Wed (this morning!) and 8am Thursday. I pack my swimming backpack the night before so that I can race out the door. I’m not gonna lie — it was earlier than I wanted to go but this was the only open slot this morning. In a pre-Covid world I used to have to go at 6am so I knew that mentally I could make it work. Honestly, I shouldn’t be blogging right now — I should be in bed so I get a good night’s sleep but I’ve put this off long enough. But I WILL NOT flake on going tomorrow morning. My Strava community knows that!

Friday I’m booked all morning so it’s going to have to be afternoon. I still don’t know what I’ll do but I’ll have a plan by tomorrow afternoon.

Saturday I pre-booked a hike for 7.30am with a friend who has super young toddlers. I usually prefer 8.30am on the weekends but sometimes you gotta be flexible for others! I love combining weekend hikes with social occasions and/or people with whom I work. My family sleeps in any ways so be planning early I get it out of the way.

Saturday and Sunday afternoons I always play tennis with my teenage boys. I don’t actually count this as my “workout” — I still will hold myself accountable for a Sunday jog, Peloton or hike. But if I feel more tired or fatigued I know that an hour of tennis is truly a good cardio routine on its own if I want.

I tell you all this to show you that literally every week is like this for me. I eye the week, I make a tentative plan and I do my best to stick to the plan.

4. Make it a habit and gamify yourself

You can accomplish anything that you choose to prioritize and make a habit. You need to set small, achievable goals. You need to commit to doing it a little bit every day (or at least frequently) and record your progress. You need to hold yourself accountable and better yet have the community to cheer you on.

I decided late last year that I wanted to massively increase my French skills. So I committed to a daily habit on DuoLingo. You wake up 5 minutes later and suddenly you’re at 125 straight days! When I started it seemed like a mountain. I’m now more than 4 months in of not missing a single day. I now have committed to 3 days / week of video discussions on italki with native French speakers. It’s super fucking intimidating but after 6 weeks I’m feeling more comfortable every time. Small. Daily. Habits. With consistency.

Consistency > Duration of workout > Effort fo workout.

Ones, not zeros.

Don’t believe me? Here’s my March Strava totals.

And then there are my Peloton streaks. I once told myself I wanted to do 60 straight days of biking on Peloton so I set a goal and off I went. I knew I didn’t care if that streak continued because I like going outside but it was fun to have a goal and hold myself to it. I helped me to avoid excuses. And I’m religiously protecting my weekly streak on Peloton (I’m now at 75) and I want to hit 2 years (104 weeks).

5. Go. And be accountable to that.

It’s that simple. If it’s 6pm and you haven’t exercised go for a walk. If you have indoor equipment go on a stationary bike or lift weights or do yoga. Sometimes I can’t fit it in before dinner so I eat at 6pm and workout at 8pm. I hate doing that and try really hard not to. It lessens my sleep. And it’s a grind. But if it’s 8pm and my punishment for not finding the time earlier to go is that I need to do 30 minutes at 8pm? I’m going. Because the first time I make an excuse to skip then it gets easier then next time.

Now, I know people will be thinking “you’re supposed to rest one day / week.” True, true. But if you feel that way then just at least walk on your off day. For me? Cross training is enough that I can go 360+ days / year and not get injured.

If you’re intrinsically motivated then just keep a log of your workouts and hold yourself accountable to a plan. Write down your workouts. The best way is on Strava but there are a bunch of other products or tools — heck you can even keep track of it on Google Sheets (which is how I track my pushup challenges).

But most of us are not intrinsically motivated we’re extrinsically motivated meaning we find more motivation in not letting others down or having others hold us accountable. That’s the beauty of things like Strava or Peloton. You can share your workouts with a community. Sometimes I’ll send a screen grab of a hard effort to my brothers so that I know that somebody else is watching! It’s all just a form of accountability.

Summary

If you want to get fit there is a straightforward plan:

Commit yourself mentally and don’t make excuses

Set realistic goals for yourself and measure progress

Plan your workout routines in advance so you build around them and don’t flake. Prioritize your workouts. Combine them with social activities in stead of meeting for food or alcohol.

Make working out a habit. It doesn’t matter how hard you go as much as it matters the consistency with which you go

How You Can Achieve a Step Change in Your Fitness Before Summer was originally published in Both Sides of the Table on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

from Both Sides of the Table - Medium https://bothsidesofthetable.com/how-you-can-achieve-a-step-change-in-your-fitness-before-summer-829cedd551ef?source=rss----97f98e5df342---4 via IFTTT

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acrossthemar · 3 years

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December 2020 Covid Updates

December 2020 Updates

Haven’t checked in here in 5 months somehow. The pandemic has completely warped my sense of time. The days, weeks, and months all blend together and it feels like both no time has passed and it’s been an eternity since I’ve last checked in here. I suppose this is consistent with my general relationship to time, but it feels heightened due to the pandemic.

I’ve been meaning to write an update here for a while, but I’ve continued to put it off, almost feeling gutted by how much I’d have to capture.

Let’s start with July: We got married! We had a 14 person wedding ceremony and dinner in Eric’s parents’ backyard. It was absolutely lovely. We really did not know what to expect or what it would feel like, but it far exceeded our expectations. There was something very beautiful about having such an intimate celebration. Everyone was able to give a speech or say a few words, and it was so special that we were able to pull it off. We kept all households distanced, using 8 foot tables with one person on each side. We saved our Jewish Ceremony and name changing until next summer, but of course all is still up in the air with our rescheduled wedding for July, 2021.

We still went on our ‘mini moon’ to Cape Cod right after the wedding. Given that this was always intended to be a relaxing getaway, it likely wasn’t all that different of a trip than it would have been without the pandemic. It was interesting to make that reflection, since almost everything else that’s happened in the last (almost) year has been different due to COVID. But this trip, which consisted mostly of pool, beach, outdoor dining, and hiking, was largely consistent with its non-pandemic alternative.

In August we went on a trip to Maine with my mom and Kristin’s family. COVID was fairly stable in the North East over the summer, and while we still distanced and took the same precautions, we were able to take this trip with a bit less anxiety. We stayed at the Samoset Resort, but spent a night in Freeport on our way. Our Maine trip was of course cancelled this summer, so it was great to see our favorite spots. We also spent a night with Elise and Connor (and Bowie) at their Maine Island house.

That was the last of our trips, and somehow it went from late August to December overnight. We’ve now been in COVID times for nearly a year. Some things have changed, others are different. We no longer have to wait in crazy long lines for grocery stores, toilet paper is back in stock. It is still impossible to find lysol wipes and a thermometer, though.

All in all, we actually had a really nice summer. We were able to take several domestic trips (North Carolina road trip, Connecticut rental, Cape Cod, Maine). We were able to do plenty of outdoor hangs and were impressively social given the constraints. My mom joined the Larchmont Manor beach, where I joined her often. Work from home in the summer definitely has its perks. Read: step outside for my lunch break which means sit and read my book on a lounge chair by my kiddie pool. Really other than our wedding being indefinitely postponed and my constant worry of my mom’s health, the summer was really quite nice.

Fast forward to now, the dreaded winter. For months we’ve been mentally preparing for the ‘worst winter of our life’. In a sense, this will prove to be true. COVID is spiking all over the country again, we are nearing our April COVID numbers in New York, and anxiety is high again. But at the same time, it’s December 9th and we’re still going strong with outdoor hangs. I definitely anticipated outdoor hangs completely ending after October, and just isolating with Eric and Winnie for the coming months. But just in the last two weeks I’ve had two outdoor brunches in NYC! Not to say it’s not cold, it certainly is, but we are making it work. Leveraging restaurants with outdoor heaters, planning gatherings around days that hit 40 or 50 degrees. Eric and I don’t go inside with anyone except my mom. We are figuring out what this will look like with his family for the winter. Up until now, all the way since April, we’ve primarily done outdoor dinners and hang outs with Eric’s family. We will likely start to occasionally go inside their house, but with masks when we’re not eating and try to space at the table. I’ll then try to plan my visits to my mom around this as to not put her at risk. Michelle is now a substitute teacher at Hastings Elementary School where there’s a fair bit of COVID, so there’s definitely some risk.

Let’s chat Thanksgiving quickly. We cancelled our typical plan to go to New Hampshire with Kristin’s family. Well actually, Eric and I were supposed to be on our honeymoon in Thailand, so really there was no world in which we were going to Kristin’s for Thanksgiving. COVID has been spiking everywhere and all were warned not to travel or gather. We decided to do Thanksgiving with my mom and Eric’s immediate family, but then we realized this really is as much of a risk as seeing Kristin’s family. It would be so nice to do Thanksgiving with them, but not worth possibly putting my mom at risk. We were about to cancel, but then it ended up being 60 degrees on Thanksgiving (!!) so we did an OUTDOOR Thanksgiving dinner in Eric’s parents’ backyard! It ended up being lovely. I was so anxious about Thanksgiving, really wanting to make it work but not wanting to take too many unnecessary risks. An outdoor Thanksgiving allowed for exactly that. It was safe, unique, and really enjoyable!

Should also note it is now December which means the 2020 election happened and it is with great pleasure and deep relief that I can say Biden and Harris won. It was an election like we’ve never lived through before. Results weren’t confirmed until almost a week after the election, and Trump STILL has not conceded or admitted defeat. Trump is the most evil human I’ve ever encountered and everything he says or tweets is abhorrent. I hope he rots in a jail cell for the rest of his life but sadly he will not. I am relieved that Biden won but not ecstatic. It is devastating that 70+ million people voted for Trump and still support his insanity. Also, Biden is fine and I’m excited to have Kamala as the first female and POC VP. But he was not my candidate of choice. I still mourn Elizabeth Warren, she would have just been incredible. But sadly our country isn’t ready for actual progress. There’s also still a ton unknown with how the pandemic is handled and what Trump does next and what happens in four years. Trump thinks COVID is a hoax and has been detrimental in our country’s progress. I should also name that we have a few vaccines that have proven effective and we are in early stages of vaccine approval and distribution. Still a long road ahead.

Nothing else is jumping to mind that I need to check in on. Work is still fine. Eric is back to in person school. The kids can opt-in or out. He teaches inside with masks and the kids are spaced with windows open and ventilators. My peloton and Winnie are still absolute life savers. Of course as is Eric. A few TV shows we’ve recently watched: Social Distance, Queen’s Gambit, The Undoing. And I’m re watching Gossip Girl which is surprisingly good! Queen’s Gambit is about Chess and I’ve taught myself how to play chess and am actually decent! We still do quite a bit of cooking, hiking, and board games. I try to see my mom about once a week.

I’ll post some pictures too. Xoxo.

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gaudeixcc · 6 years

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Peleton News – Confessions (G18 Tour special – April 2018)

This year’s tour was a little fractured to start with.

JT, my honorable (although diminutive) co-chair has been living in Munich for some time, so has reluctantly lobbed all administrative tasks my way. He still of course has a pointy figure hovering over the keyboard most hours of the day to fire off a bullet-like reminder should any delegated task fall in to the overdue category.

My approach this year had been to further convolute the whole process by sub-delegating further down the value chain. This year RTA picked up route-planning duties, shouldering the full burden once Moley had thrown the metaphoric towel into the Gaudeix corner.

JT arrived the night before to settle into Hotel Mariposa and to busy himself ready for our arrival next morning, where, his welcoming party preparation of sundry nibbles, iced towels, freshly pressed mango juice and 6 flutes of chilled Champaign could be seen exactly nowhere.

Quietly bikes were built and readied.

I don’t with to appear overly-critical at this early stage, however I feel it is important to highlight areas where improvement could be made.

My first area of improvement relates to a mathematical ratio.

13.2 is an acceptable ratio.

60 is a completely unacceptable ratio.

Back in the day when I rode motorcycles for my thrill-seeking pleasure, the most expensive item of an accessory nature was the helmet. An oft quoted saying was ‘If you’ve got a £10 head, get a £10 helmet’.

I valued my head at considerable more than £10 and hence why I could be seen peacocking about the place in the latest stealth MotoGP inspired bonce-protecting loveliness from Arai, makers of the very best.

And the same is true of bikes and their bags.

If you’ve got a ratty old Trek which you equally be happy to see as landfill as opposed to nestled between your legs, then by all means bag it with a carrier from Tesco.

If on the other hand you have a carbonfibre creation, with composite wheels, electronic shifting and less weight than a fat sparrow, then for fucks sake, buy a proper bag.

Is there a correlation between 2 visits to a bike shop for fixing 2 bikes hurled into fifty quid bags?

Answers on a postcard…

Next year we are going to be introducing the video referee to dish out ‘after the event’ fines and tickets to offences against cycling such as this little atrocity.

Anyway, peleton delayers aside, we had quite a good tour from a reliability perspective.

No flats at all in 3 days of riding.

Not bad going considering the excess baggage about 50% of the peloton where wheeling about the place.

It can be a harsh life travelling with a pack of cyclists. As a group, we are generally slow to acknowledge quality but lightening-fast to highlight weakness.

This year’s theme was most definitely fatness.

It all started when Dripping decided to relax on day one and let his guard down.

The relief a fat Victorian lady must feel when at the end of a day grazing on mutton, savory puddings and broiled swan, she releases the strings on her corset, was probably how Dripping felt as he gently supped an ale whilst not ‘tensed’ or ‘sucking it in for dear life’ sitting quietly in the sun.

It was harsh and cruel for Mac to take a picture of Dripping at rest in such an unguarded state. The resulting snap caused almost immediate physiological damage, which was then added to by verbal slappery of the worst kind from almost all.

Macca’s boobs got a much lower level of attention than would otherwise have been.

But the real crime in the whole torrid ‘fatgate’ affair, was a quietly outed photo from Colchester Mac which showed what looked like a Michelin Man ballooned around a struggling Cannondale, legs bouncing hard off an impressive midriff as the owner snuffled and puffed his sorry arse up a hill.

That night James in a moment of shocking and completely unexpected kindness said to me ‘You’ve put on a bit of timber this year’…..

It’s about as nice as he’s ever been to me in the 15 years of friendship we have shared.

Ever.

Meanwhile, back in the Peloton, Whatsapp was on fire as fat Michelin man took a breather from cycling, sat down, drank a beer, guzzled food and then promptly took a micro-nap to allow his body to digest this latest onslaught of calories.

The peloton…. They can be mighty cruel to those built for comfort.

Anyway…let’s move on. Let’s talk compliments….

‘Love the tattoos’

‘You’re girlfriend is very pretty. The plastic she has had inserted in the chest area is both proportionally perfect and pleasing to the eye’

‘Nice denim’

‘Wow.. impressive steed’.

All of the above are probably good ways to make a hells angel feel special.

Alternatively, you could surprise the life out of him by slapping him on the arse as you cycle past at 15 mph…. showing shock and dismay on your face and general surprise that he hadn’t apparently heard your tinckly bike-bell.

I arrived at a stationary Peloton to find Macca being verbally abused by a very angry biker who was busy calling us all arseholes……. I mean he was right…. Must have been a lucky guess.

This was another visible demonstration of Macca’s intolerance to a good swathe of human kind.

On the flight out, Moley’s seat on the plane had been taken by a Turkish lady of more senior years and built like I will be if I don’t stop eating constantly.

She was resting up from the exertion of having had to climb the stairs at the rear of the bus and drag her cabin bag the 6 yards to her seat. The bag was then occupying Macca’s seat whilst she appeared to be cuddling it.

This was clearly a cue for some helpful soul to then lift it into one of the overhead lockers and help her out.

Macca, ignoring this cue like the plague, barked at her. He informed the startled greek lady that he owned the seat, not her bag, and would she kindly get a shift on and move it.

The plane went awkwardly quiet.

Trembling, the lady dressed in black wobbled to her feet and with oscilating bingo wings hoisted the bag upward. There was a moment or 2 when none of us could be sure the bag was going to make it. Like an Olympic weightlifter going for a PB, there was a pause, a grunt and then a final push… the bag was in.

Macca looked on in bland indifference.

She sat down, glazed with a sheen of garlic and thyme perspiration.

I think secretly Macca was hoping for an engine issue, a wayward turbofan blade and the exiting of the Greek weightlifter from the above-wing window seat.

He fumed quietly for most of the flight.

I suppose I should at some point talk about the cycling.

As with all these tours there is a lot to cover. But, as with most years, I generally can’t be arsed doing so and instead revert to the well-established highlights list.

So, here goes for G18, Malaga;

• Dripping confessing to having voted tactically in previous tours when it came to the yellow cap. Berlusconi-esque in its political nefariousness • C&N orange camo base layer • Mrs RTA’s contribution to the tour…. Can’t name it for legal reasons, but it went down exceptionally well • RTA’s ghost-like completion on date realisation • General higher standard of dress quality (although I still feel the shame and hurt from the explicit savaging I got from Dripping on the yellow cap voting paper… he went into enough detail to require and appendix FFS…) • Damo’s use of the back pen on photos • Whilst he did fuck all in his season of pink, Damo did at least sort out everyone elses mechanical catastrafucks whilst on tour • RTA’s route planning. Magestic. Simply nailed it to the floor. The pink was going one way only after 3 days of beautiful scenery • I hate losing. I especially hate losing to Dripping. I especially especially hate losing to Dripping twice. First time I made an error of timing. After having nearly lost a lung hunting down my prey I should have tailed his sorry ass for half a K before nailing the finish. I didn’t and paid heavily. Day 3’s mechanical was akin to running out of petrol 50 yards short of the finish line. I was running in the red and Drip snuck in and nicked my lunch. Absolute bastard. • Col Mac’s ‘Spam’ top • Macca’s deep-seated suspicion of foreign restaurants… he had me convinced that the preparers of our final meal where going to triple the bill, hack our phones, empty our accounts, spit in our food and quite possibly steal our children. What they actually ended up doing was serving us food which was simply sensational and probably the best meal I’ve eaten in the last 12 months, and then go on to charge us very modestly for it too. • Strange fact number 1. Everything edible in Malaga is cooked in beef fat. • Strange fact number 2. There is nothing wrong with 7 over 40 year olds drinking pink gin with berries in the glass. Completely hetrosexual and in keeping with the modern men we are. (On reflection, I think Colchester Mac way have swerved the gin actually) • If I have to hear one more bloody time about how good wahoo is…… you didn’t invent the fucking thing for the love of sweet baby Jesus… • Shit Garmins • The descent on day 3…on day one going up it I nearly died…. On day 3 coming down I could have cried…. Probably the best descent this peloton has tasted. • This year’s tour caps…. Top quality. • A vintage year that saw our first triple-cap…. ! Yes, my (well deserved) orange nailed a hat trick of caps (although only 2 physical caps probably maketh the point moot). • Desire takes many forms. But few have the strength and longing that have been displayed with the force of a Dripping wanting yellow. He may have ‘bought’ the cap, but god it was worth it to see his little face!! • Murdering 9 oranges to make 1 drink

And finally, whilst we have our highlights list, we also have a lowlights list. This one is my own personal list…. Only 2 entries… and neither of them spotted or witnessed by the Peloton;

1. On unpacking my bike and reassembling, somehow my fat fucking fingers and squinty eyesight have managed to crush the Di2 cable that runs the front mech…. FFS… bike now on turbo in just the little ring…. Horrible humble and apologetic call to Damo/Amy coming shortly. I can actually feel Damo’s eyebrows raise as he reads this…. (and can actually here him say ‘well you’re a fucking idiot aren’t you’…..) 2. Do you know what Raybans hitting tarmac at 20 mph sound like? No? It took me a while to figure it out too…. Well, 10 miles worth of fast riding to be precise…. And then I sulked quietly for 20 mins when I realised that day 2 would be the last time I went our armed with more than one pair of sunnies…… I kepy it quiet because Trusler would have definitely shit himself laughing at that one…..

So there we have it. Drip and Mac need new bike bags if they are to show their cycling faces ever again, Macca needs to take a tolerance pill twice daily, Damo needs to tut in my general direction, JT needs to not mention sunnies to me ever again, Moley needs to get his shit together in readiness for G19 and RTA needs to take a well deserved bow to a round of applause from the Peloton.

Malaga, G18…. Magic.

Hoppo

#PelotonNews

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mattsammonsez · 4 years

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Brass Tacts: It’s Not Getting Knocked Down, It’s How You Get Back Up That Matters

Oh man...

A few weeks ago I wrote in Brass Tacts on how we’re witnessing a live lesson in marketing with the Popeyes vs. Chick-fil-a (and other restaurants) battle with the southern-style chicken sandwich. Popeyes won’t sell as many chicken sandwiches as Chick-fil-a, but now they control the conversation through smart social media usage and limited advertising. Now we’re witnessing another live marketing lesson at the other end of the spectrum: how NOT to do an ad campaign, and most importantly how NOT to respond to the fallout from a faulty ad campaign. Of course, I’m talking about the now-infamous Peloton commercial than has been skewered and lampooned since being released in late November.

Like a gift-wrapped Peloton, there is sooooo much to unwrap here. And ironically, the one person who will come out of this better is “Peloton woman”, and it’s not because she pedaled her way to happiness on an overpriced exercise bike. And as always, content creators and broadcasters have something to learn from all of this.

Where to begin? Well let’s start with my general thought of Peloton and similar “personal trainer” systems-- it’s a bunch of hooey. At more than $2,200 for the bike and a $39 monthly membership, if you want a Peloton it will cost you about $2,700 for a year’s usage. Depending on the state you live in and how much you pay in taxes, that amounts to about one full paycheck of net income if you make $100,000 annually. Suffice to say, roughly 80% of the population in the United States can’t afford one of these things, so in my opinion any commercial for this belongs in the “Lexus December to Remember” fantasy department. Yes, you too can have a pricey exercise bike featuring someone in a studio yelling at you to pedal harder if you haven’t emptied your bank account on the Lexus with leather seats (or the two GMC trucks you and your spouse gifted to yourselves, or the Buick SUV you treated yourself to). Most people in their right mind aren’t putting a big bow on a $60,000 vehicle in front of their fortress-size home for Christmas like they do on the TV.

I am also a big believer that if you do want to lose weight, or stay fit and trim, or enjoy the energy and confidence boost that exercising can provide you, I suggest from my own experience that you eat less crap and get up and move around more. I lost 40 pounds over the last 10 or 12 years by not eating fast food and limiting fried foods, virtually eliminating my soda intake as well as drastically cutting back on how much beer I drank, and by pushing myself to exercise for 60 minutes 3 times a week. Want a bike? They sell them at Goodwill for $40. There, I just got you a bike for the cost of one month of a Peloton membership, and you don’t have your “personal trainer” Vinny screaming from a sound stage to sweat a little more for him.

Ok, so personal thoughts on Peloton and exercise aside, let’s move on to what’s happening at Peloton right about now. The company is having trouble (surprise!) convincing people not in a six-figure household to buy one of these things, and a weaker-than-expected IPO on NASDAQ in September isn’t helping issues. So the holiday sales time, a key time for anyone in the physical fitness/personal wellness industries, was a must-hit for Peloton. As you know, they released the infamous ad on November 21st, right before you feel guilty about the 8 or 9 pounds of food you’re going to eat at Thanksgiving. At first the ad seems like the usual sappy/fantasy commercial-- much like the husband surprising his wife with a luxury car, here’s the husband surprising his wife with this expensive exercise bike. And like every other Peloton (or similar item) commercial, she pedals away in the spare room of her really large house and ends up in a good mood at the end of the commercial.

But over time came the now well-known backlash. Why is this already attractive and thin woman forcing herself on to the exercise bike? Why is her husband buying this for her, she clearly doesn’t need this? And the cringe-worthy finish: after a year of documenting her Peloton use, she shows off the compilation to her husband who grins and projects this aura of “well I kept her thin and hot for another year!” While the supposed message was empowering women to do great achievements (albeit on an expensive exercise bike), the various messages received by viewers was “fat is bad”, “exercise ‘til you drop”, and “stay sexy ladies or he’ll kick you and that royal lifestyle to the curb”. The reaction to the whole fiasco BY ALL parties is more fascinating to me.

“Now YOU get on that bike you smug little...”

Peloton got clobbered on Wall Street, losing upwards of $1.6 billion of its valuation after the ad became viral (although shares have recovered somewhat). Rather than admit that they were off the mark with the ad, Peloton is shifting the blame to the viewers, shocked that so many people “misinterpreted” what they were trying to sell (Hot tip: NEVER blame the audience for not getting your message. More on that later). Peloton’s CEO, John Foley, is suggesting this is old news (Hot tip: It’s not). And Peloton’s marketing partner, Mekanism, is very quiet on the whole thing, which is normally not a good sign. But these are all people behind the scenes. What about the people playing the roles of the misguided husband and wife?

This is the Brass Tacts lesson-- how you respond to being pulled into something you didn’t plan on being the center of attention on. And I’ll pull my own experience to the middle, as I was featured in a national ad campaign for H&R Block in the winter of 2013. Thankfully there was no controversy with that campaign, but even though I was used to broadcasting to thousands of people during my “day job” as the game day host of the Tampa Bay Lightning radio broadcasts, having my face pop up on TV screens and web ads across the nation for a solid two months was odd. And while the feedback from friends and strangers who saw the ad was all positive, it was still an adjustment for me to deal with the sudden notoriety I had. But after a few days I took it all in stride, and I still think back to that time 9 years ago when I was selected, filmed, and had a spot starring me delivered to the masses. It was a fun experience, but admittedly a little overwhelming. So if someone who is a professional broadcaster can be shaken a bit by a positive commercial experience, let’s see how our Peloton actors are doing.

Sean Hunter, a.k.a. “Peloton Husband”, was the first to speak out. Naturally, the guy who appeared in about 5 seconds of the ad, is playing the role of the victim. In TV and print interviews shortly after the public backlash, Hunter was stunned by the negative feedback that implemented him as a demanding and care-less husband. He was worried that this ad would stunt his day job as an elementary school teacher as well as his burgeoning acting career. But apparently he was so worried about this turn of events, he continued to give interviews and even changed his Instagram account name to “pelotonhusband”. I sure hope he survives to see his imminent stint on Dancing With the Stars.

But what about “Peloton Woman”? Her name is Monica Ruiz, and after laying low she released a statement through her agency on Saturday, also noting she was surprised by the backlash from the ad. But rather than play the victim, which in many ways she is if you see her character as an attractive young mother who has to pedal to nowhere and fast to keep her hot looks to keep her jackass husband happy, Ruiz ends up being the victor in this whole mess. As described in this New York Times article, actor Ryan Reynolds came to Ruiz’s rescue with one of the best response ads I have ever seen in my life. With Ruiz playing the role of a woman who has clearly been through A LOT lately, we find her at a local bar with her girl friends staring into space before chugging down a martini glass filled with Aviation Gin, Reynolds’ own gin product. As any good friends would do in a time of crisis, the friends reassure Ruiz that everything will be great and go ahead and throw back another. And by the way, one of the friends says to Ruiz, “you look great!”

Our hero Monica (center) in the ultimate clap back ad. I’ll drink to that.

As detailed in the Times article, Reynolds’ had to act fast to make the spot happen, and his timing couldn’t have been better with the public outcry at full pitch. Since the spot was filmed and produced by his own production company, the turnaround was quick and the spot debuted this past Saturday. In the end Ruiz’s character, who was supposed to be the damsel in distress who needed to ride this damn bike in her living room at all hours of the day to make her doofus husband happy in a bizarre way considering she was already an attractive young mother living a heavenly life in this beautiful home with a beautiful daughter, turns out to be the heroine. She didn’t need an expensive exercise bike to feel good about herself (and thus her husband somehow feels satisfied), she just needed a stiff drink with good friends away from home.

And in real life, Ruiz is the undisputed champion here, with a primary assist to Reynolds for getting her into the response ad so quickly. Ruiz comes out on top, shows the world that she cannot only take the heat, but she’ll spin it around and make a nice cool drink out of it. The sympathy for the awful Peloton ad, followed by the smart comeback in the Aviation Gin ad, likely means she’ll have more companies knocking on her door as a spokesperson. Meanwhile Sean Hunter looks like a sniveling idiot, CEO John Foley is likely throwing things in his office and blaming someone else, and Mekanism is probably wondering if they’ve lost the Peloton account for good.

I’m not much of a gin drinker, but I’ll be honest in saying while buying whiskey for my wife’s world-famous Irish Cream this past weekend, I glanced over at the Aviation Gin display. Mission accomplished, and I hope Monica Ruiz makes a mint off of every acting gig she gets.

So what do broadcasters and content creators learn from this mess?

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: You need to know who you’re talking to, and how you’re conveying that message. While Foley is trying to pretend like this fiasco is old news, even he acknowledges that the Peloton message needs to be clarified. If you think a certain segment of the population needs to be convinced that buying your product empowers them to do great things, then you need to find a smart and delicate way of conveying that message. Having an already attractive young woman playing the role of a married mother living in a gorgeous house needing to ride an exercise bike her husband mysteriously gifts her to apparently stay young and fit and attractive and snuggled nicely into this rich guy’s house in so many ways looks down at that woman-- and any woman watching the ad. How Peloton, or the ad agency Mekanism, thought this was a good idea or continued to green light it to completion is mind-boggling.

Don’t just “know” through demographic stats and information who your target audience is. KNOW your audience by putting their thoughts and feelings in to the equation. I’m willing to bet my weight in Aviation Gin that during the entire concept and execution of this campaign, there weren’t a lot of (or any) married upper middle-class women with children in on the process. That includes at Peloton, Mekanism, or any test audience for the ad. This wasn’t someone knowing the intended audience, it was someone thinking they knew who needed to see this.

Don’t blame the audience: Maybe the audience did misunderstand the intended message, but don’t EVER publicly suggest that they did. By doing so, you’re implying the audience (including your target audience) is too stupid to understand your high-brow style of communication. The fact is, if a large segment of the population throws back your content, then maybe (no definitely) you’re way off with your target.

I recall back in 2011 when the Tampa Bay Lightning unveiled a brand new logo and color scheme, the one thing that fans were very vocal about was the lack of black in the new uniform design. Black had been part of the team’s identity since its inception in 1992, why did it totally have to go away? Likewise fans demanded that the Lightning’s unique lightning bolt pants, also a staple of the uniform since 1992, be part of the new concept. Rather than try to explain to the fans that they misunderstood what the team was trying to do, then-CEO Tod Leiweke said the team was going back to the drawing board. Not only was black reintroduced to accent the predominantly blue and white uniform, the pants had the lightning bolt down the side. In this situation, the customer is always right, even if they’re wrong for not seeing what you were trying to do.

Don’t get caught up, when you get caught up: Sometimes you get stuck in the middle when something goes awry, even if it isn’t your fault. Sean Hunter didn’t go into the audition process for the ad desiring to be seen as this idiot husband demeaning his wife by suggesting the already rail-thin woman needed to exercise more. And while most reasonable people don’t see Sean Hunter the actor as a real-life embodiment of the husband, understandably some people just connected dots and thought Hunter and the husband were one in the same. But Hunter should have laid low, let the controversy pass (because it eventually will), and let Peloton or the agency take the heat. Instead he was one of the first to speak out, coming off like a whiny victim, and despite this “career-threatening” moment he is still getting paid. And if it’s an ASCAP deal for him, when the ad stops running he’ll still have $10,000-$15,000 in his pocket for being in the ad. That’s hardly a negative game-changer.

Compare that to Ruiz who stayed out of the fire, and was treated to a sympathetic audience not only because of the unfortunate thrust in to being a face of gender inequality but also for being put in a similar position as Hunter. Rather than book every interview and complain about how her life was ruined, Reynolds came along and was able to recast her in a much lighter role that gave he personality the redeeming qualities of humility (”I can’t believe I was in that ad?”) and humor (”I think I’ll suck down another glass of gin with my friends.”). Eventually this will all blow over, but Ruiz will be remembered for looking calmer and wiser than Hunter, and her acting career may last longer than Peloton.

When the waters get choppy around you from a storm that is out of your control, often the best thing to do is put your head down and keep rowing for land.

Matt Sammon has been in broadcasting and content creation for 24 years, and was most recently the Director of Broadcasting & Programming for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Learn more about him and what he can do for you at SammonSez.com.

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gaudeixcc · 7 years

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Peloton News – G17 tour – Halfway between the Sun and the Moon.

At least once a year for the last 6 years, we have been away on a cycling tour.

It all started with JT and I and a trip to Majorca.

Here’s a fact for you, long brushed under the carpet of time. I actually arranged most of the riding and routes on the first trip. Yep.. I did.

I Google-Earthed each route to make sure it was an actual road and not some farmer’s track. I mapped them, Garmin’d them and then sent them to JT.

All was well.

Some of the iconic long-time favourites were first born here. Col De Sa Batalla, the decent into Soller.

There were also a couple of howlers in there too. The strip in Magaluf… not my finest cartographical moment. JT trying his best to hide his ‘WTF-face’ as we glided down the main strip on a casual Saturday afternoon. Since this point, his patience his shortened considerably and his control-freakery at all things planning has well and truly taken a Japanese knott-weed grip on the roster.

I didn’t mind handing the planning gauntlet back in all honesty. It’s easy enough to do, but the absolute merciless hammering you get from the baying Peloton should you as much as put a wheel wrong takes what little shine there is off the whole process. That and the constant squeaky-wheel that is our diminutive friend, always asking for a progress update. He would see it as delegation…. But that would assume that some level of responsibility had passed to allow minor decision making…

‘Big assumption’ the little man would no doubt counter.

At times I’ve felt very much the beaten-wife…” I just do it to keep him happy… you know… for a quiet life and all that”

I say all that though… but I know that deep down… every member of the Peleton loves his ruthless efficiency at planning and organising. For most of the team, all that is required of you is to follow a list of instruction on what to pack (I mean, it’s like a professionally guided tour, it really is) and then turn up at an airport on the time written in the e-mail (plus numerous reminders).

Turn up, go where told, cycle, arrive home. Bosh. That’s it But, as long as Gaudeix are going on tour, JT will plan it and sanction the decisions, I’ll sort the caps and the shirts (for the Grande Tours) and then completely exaggerate everything via the printed word and everyone else will turn up and contribute to making these trips what they are… a great experience. Each and every one.

This edition of Peloton news will take a slight departure from the usual recounting of tour heroics.

Yes, I will be covering some of the big moments as we work through the following process…. however I feel a slight shift in format is required to keep things a little fresh.

‘Feedback… it’s the breakfast of champions’…well, so sayeth an old Peloton laggard…. a man who hasn’t edged his cycling beak out of the comfort of his nest (meringue?) for some time.

I couldn’t agree more.

In my stationary cupboard team (I’m proud of each and every one of them), we have deep and intensive feedback sessions…. Not so much your classical 360 degree feedback (i.e. the ‘to me, to you’ type session so favoured by many a progression management guru). No, I like to call mine the 180 sessions… I tell ‘em what I think… if they know what’s good for ‘em, they listen. Easy.

And so my little Peletonistas…. The price of a tour ticket is a seat at the 180 degree listening post. Pin ‘em back please, I feel wisdom a coming…

Dripping

Pros

· Excellent preparation this year.

· Did the most miles

· Talked up his ‘yellow cap’ chances (more to follow on that subject)

· Didn’t bonk

· Looked like a giant in some photos

· Has invented a new shade of pink (Dripink)

· Didn’t crash

· Shouted extra rides

Cons

· ‘Yellow cap’ effort…. A little like that old Morecombe and Wise sketch… all the right clothes… just in the wrong order…

· Still surging (although much enhanced ability means he now troubles those ahead as opposed to those behind)

· Still saying a ‘hail Mary’ on every landing. “I always say it and we always land safely”… difficult to argue with… I’ll let Macca stew over the best way to explain correlation

· Animal cruelty or butchering a pair of beautiful white leather Rapha shoes…. Which is the most morally disturbing?.. … answers stapled to a cat to the usual address please

Pros

· Got yellow (just).

· Solid riding

· Down-hill ability in marginally sketchy conditions was excellent. I watched whilst tailing him. Unusual.. but in mixed conditions, he’s too fast for me.

· Booked the flights… did all the initial ride prep a couple of years back when he was in one of his awkward ‘between jobs’ situations…. You know the ones…. where he gets rumbled for extracting cash from a large corporate, then somehow manages to get even more cash from said corporate and then lands a promotion with another corporate… who export him to solve a problem (but still give him cash)… realise he ain’t letting go… and then…(it’s a strange noise if you’ve ever heard it)… the corporate just sighs… JT rubs one dry hand against t’other…. And the family moves on. (As an aside, I’m running a book on JT retiring at 50, golden handshake, golf handicap down to single figures, member of an exclusive club…. 3/1. I’m hedging that with an outside bet with the local bookies that sees him busted for snorting coke of the arse of a transsexual rent-person…8/1). Still… he asked for and took no credit for any of the planning this year…. but he deserved it. Well done sunshine.

Cons

· He still likes to gently wake me at 3am by drinking 2 pints of water in a way you would imagine a parched elephant with a heavy cold might attack a half empty bath…. Seriously… I thought internal organs were going to felch from his nose…

· People-tolerance levels still only marginally warmer than sub-zero

Damo

Pros

· Every year we see a little bit more of the true cyclist. Crushingly consistent at the top of the pack

· Nearly aced yellow as well as pink

· Aced pink (not just a wrong righted from the year of JT’s catastrophic ‘we’re leaving the Euro’-type pronouncement either… )

· Shoes

· Bike

· Cannondale

· Bike

· For Damo.. was surprisingly un-grumpy…and… rode back more than once for a straggler.

· Bought me breakfast a few days later

· Relentless replaying of the ‘red nose’ gag on Moley. It was a narrow bandwidth of attack, but it was superbly executed.

· Cyclist mentality

Cons

· Has a habit of being dismissive of exceptionally difficult rides. I remember Paris Roubaix… My Comment: “Fuck that was tough eh Damo… I ain’t doin that again…ever”……reply: “was alright.. I’d like to do the full route. It’s only as hard as you make it”.

· A quiet Mr Sock this year

Macca

Pros

· Well kitted out… as per…

· New shit on his bike (it’s like a ‘where’s Wally’ game with Macca… we all know he’s got new shit going on…. But who can spot it?).

· Consistent riding from the Robot

· Bought me lunch and talked soothingly to me at the airport. Thank you Macca.

· How the fuck can a man have that much time off work, not cycle and lose weight… I mean what the fuck…. If I had had a quarter of the ‘leisure time’ that our flying man has had… I would be the size of a house… even our old chum Amesy… he has to work 14 hour days just to keep his biscuit habit the right side of obsessive.

I genuinely think Mark is half-man, half-machine. I’m going to have a chat with his roomy, Damo. I have a theory that when he goes to bed, he secretly plugs himself in to charge. You can bet your he’s got an Apple lightening connector…. Perish the thought that he would have something as vulgar as a kindle re-charging point.

A little like his over-sized iPhone charging case, Macca has additional spare batter capacity. We saw it a few years ago when he dressed all in white and revealed his penis to the world. (I say penis, on reflection I think we’ve found his charging point.)

Cons

· Less tolerance than Trump (or should that be fewer, Mark?)

· Has perfected the withering look (closely followed by the sarcastic smile). This little beauty is normally reserved for Dripping and I when we have the temerity to propose some sort of cycling knowledge… I mean… the very thought….

· One of 2 people who constantly correct my grammatical meanderings. (In my view apostrophe’s should be used gushingly and with abandon)

Colchester Mac

Pros

· Enthusiasm

· Dug deep and rode consistently

· Nearly witnessed our joint demise atop Stelvio… who’d have thunk it… both nearly killed by a motorcycle falling from the sky

Cons

· Shouting 2 words and 2 words only at Italians (‘Bon journo’… I can still hear it at night when I listen to the wind on cold evenings)

· Descending as if riding a tandem. Why have the safety of distance when you can have the knife-edge of proximity!

RTA

Pros

· Very very nearly got Pink.

· Very strong riding

· Modest

· Sacrificed the most difficult climb… one he would have aced.. to support Drip… top effort RTA and it didn’t go unnoticed.

Cons

· Only one thing here to see folks…. The fake home-made Rapha shoe.

Moley

Pros

· Took the stick from Damo with broad shoulders

· Always smiling…

· The seminal tour moment for me goes to Moley. Day 3 had me looking deep into my soul… I’ve never crested a more difficult combination than Mortirollo followed immediately by Gavia. I genuinely think it took me near to my cycling edge of pain. But Moley… he laughed in the face of my anguish and he went deeper…. I’ve never seen a man so wracked by the utter effort and ensuing exhaustion… the day Moley crashed through the saloon doors atop Gavia, cowboy-style, slumped down in his seat…. Tears in his eyes, will live with me a long time….a truly heroic effort. No one worked harder that day.

· Best bike bag by some margin

Cons

· Starts talking about his chances of winning pink a good 6 months in advance

· He has publically confused the sun with the moon. Tricky heavenly bodies to differentiate, admittedly. One a sphere of hot plasma, about 300,000 times the mass of the earth, accounting for 99.86% of the total mass of the solar system…. The other a debris strewn dead lifeless satellite with a reflectance marginally greater than asphalt…. I mean it’s a tough spot even with a sharp eye….

And finally….. me

Pros

· Didn’t fuck up the planning

Cons

· Nowhere near enough mileage

· Didn’t make nearly enough of the Moley ‘moon/sun-confusion’ moment

· Nearly killed a man in a wheel chair along with the pensioner pushing him

…and there we have it. Another one is under the belt and locked into the memories

My final reflection takes me back to Damo’s comment in the Alps a couple of years back….

‘Wherever you are, be there’..

When I ride in the mountains and I look up…I am always, always there. Always. The high mountains…..my favourite riding.

Tour selection for G18 will start shortly.

Ride safely my little fuckerettes….

Hoppo

#PelotonNews

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