A Sad Day For American Cycling

AP Photo By Peter Dejong, File

Hello from San Francisco! We in San Francisco moving our son into his college dorm room and get ready for freshman year. Although this is our second child to head off to school, my wife and I are melancholy about another one leaving the nest.

On our way back to the hotel tonight, the news alert popped up on the screen of my iPhone. First, that Lance had decided to not defend himself against the USADA. Shortly thereafter, another news alert that USADA had banned Lance for life and were stripping him of his seven tour titles.

Lance has done a lot to boost the popularity of cycling in the US and, to his defense, he has brought a huge amount of attention and support to cancer research. So, when I heard the news tonight, my reaction was mixed.

See, I first met Lance in 1989 when he was a very brash 17 year junior, taking the cycling scene with talent last seen from Greg Lemond. He had swagger and produced the results to back it up. It was hard to like the guy but you couldn't argue with his results. He talked the talk and walked the walk.

I don't know if Lance is guilty or innocent. However, his willingness to just give up really made me wonder if there is more truth behind the USADA allegations than we want to believe. For a guy who I've seen fight everything he encountered for over 20 years to just give up the fight doesn't make sense. Why quit unless...

No, I'm not going to speculate that Lance doped. I'll leave that to the experts and others with access to proof. But, this is a sad day for american cycling. Lance quit the fight, gave up on something he has vehemently denied ever doing.

Don't let this ruin your enthusiasm for cycling. The sport is a lot cleaner and there are many up and coming talented riders that will take the sport into the next decade.

But there is a lesson in here for all of us. As Jim Valvano said in his waning days of fighting cancer, "Don't give up, don't ever give up." And, from my younger days, a quote I remember: "Winners never quit and quitters never win."

Hope you all have a great week! As always, let me know if I can help you.

10 Ways To Guarantee Better Results

Do you want better results in business and/or on your bike? Sure, who wouldn't Mark! If you are like a lot of others around you, you might not be sure what to do in order to get better results.

Maybe you’re confused and frustrated by things happening to you, some of which may be out of your control. Maybe everything you are trying doesn't seem to work, making you even more frustrated.

Well, don't give up. We all have days and weeks like that. Here are 10 things you can do that will help bring you better results.

1. You'll get better results when you try harder. My cycling results are proof of this!
2. You'll get better results when you stop making excuses. Just do it!
3. You'll get better results when you ask for help. Nobody achieved success without the help of others.
4. You'll get better results when you create a better plan.
5. You'll get better results when you fight through the pain (as long as it is good pain, not the kind that is actually causing damage or harm).
6. You'll get better results when you aren't afraid of failure. Thomas Edison failed something like 10,000 times in his quest to create the light bulb.
7. You'll get better results when you can control what is going on in your head. Negative thoughts bring negative results.
8. You'll get better results when you try one more time (see #6 above).
9. You'll get better results when you say "thank you" more. Show gratitude and appreciate what you have.
10. You'll get better results when you believe what you are doing is worth it.

Try one or a few. You'll be amazed at the positive impact on your business and cycling efforts.
The secret to getting better results is simply to do whatever it takes to improve. Adapt, learn, grow and try a little bit harder each day.

And while that doesn’t come easily, the results you’ll get are worth the struggle. What’s stopping you from getting better results?

How Are You Progressing Towards Achieving Your Goals

First week back from an awesome family vacation on Maui. Hot, windy weather but still enjoyed the time on my bike and with my family. The next to last full day on Maui I rode to the top of Haleakala on Maui, stopping only once to fill my water bottle at the 15 mile mark). My wife took the above picture as I was reaching the summit of the climb. So what does this photo have to do with the subject of this week's post? Read on and you will find out.

To succeed in life, you have to have a clear picture of where you are going. Clear goals will give you purpose and direction, and they keep you focused.

Just like an airplane pilot must know their destination and have a flight plan to get there, you need to have your own destination (goal) and road map to get there. Not only does the pilot have his flight plan which is entered into the computer, there are also in-flight adjustments made along the way to ensure the plane stays on course and arrives at the correct destination.

Whether in business or in cycling, those who set goals (the destination) are fare more likely to achieve success than those who do not. But just stating a goal is not enough. You also need to have a plan to achieve that goal and periodically review that plan to see how you are progressing. Maybe your goal wasn't realistic and it is time to make some changes in order to accomplish your goals.

So, back to the why I have a picture of me finishing a climb to Haleakala? The climb is a 34 miles long, rising from sea level to 10,000 ft (all uphill). Not a ride for the faint of heart or someone who hasn't been training. For me, riding to the Haleakala summit was a goal to do this year (the last time I did it was over 20 years ago when I was many pounds lighter and in better fighting shape!). However, I knew what I had to do to prepare for the ride and I knew in my mind how I needed to do the ride if I expected to make it to the top.

Clear goals will give you purpose and direction, and they keep you focused and on target. With your goal clearly in mind, it is easy to make the adjustments needed to make along the way.

So, how are you doing on your 2012 goals? What adjustments do you need to make in order to achieve them? Or do you need to start over and make your goals more realistic?

If you found value in this article, please comment below and/or share with your friends. And, as always, please do not hesitate to let me know how I can help you!