I was the topic of a lunch conversation over the weekend, and despite the flurry of back handed insults, I couldn't help smiling.
The gist of the conversation went around a statement I'd made after this year's Argus. I'd finished 5 minutes behind my brother in 3:08, and I said, evenly: "Look, it wasn't a bad performance given that I am 15 kg heavier than my boet, and I only trained a bit in the last 6 weeks."
Alex countered this argument both effectively, and unexpectedly. He said: "Ja but I beat YOU by over 20 minutes."
He went on to say this: "We might be cycling with a group in Johannesburg and if you told them your Argus time, they'd be like: 'Wow, not bad. This guy's a half decent cyclist.' But I know you a lot better than that. I remember your standards. You used to be better than me, now look at you? So sure, not a bad performance based on all your excuses, but based on you; based on who you are - or who you were - it's shocking."
How the topic came up was I was basically whining about being told I was 'fat', arguing: "Aren't you just comparing me to me a few years ago?" The reason I smiled was I realised they were right. I'd allowed my own standards to slip, and they were reminding me of this. The question we need to ask is:
Do you remember your standards? (And if not, why have you allowed them to slip, and what are you going to DO about it.)
So get ready for a hardcore surge - Springbok style - at getting back into decent shape, and some form of ascendancy. There, I've said it. Now let me go and do it.
2 comments:
I agree with regard to "what you were" in terms of dicipline in training and the shape you were in...if I may say. It's good to be reminded of one's standard, whether it is regarding training or in other fasets of life. Good luck with shaping up!!
And it's good to be reminded by you as well. ;-)
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