How To Win Kona Before The End Of The World

Thanks for reading and writing in. I am racing AG 30-34 this coming season, and will stay AG until I no longer belong and a bigger challenge presents itself. My greatest fear is reaching the top of anything, so if I start winning my AG, the next step will be to take on something new and humbling, like turning into a shitty pro and slowly working my way into respectability. That’s the honest plan. But of course, I have some SERIOUS work to do before I feel comfortable putting myself anywhere near those ranks.

19 and entering your 3rd year! You’re a pup!! That’s quite impressive. This is officially my 2nd year in triathlon (first was a long, meandering one), so maybe you should be the one giving me advice. Here’s the deal - triathlon is about toughness in your body, but then especially in your mind. No matter how invincible we all think we are when we’re 19, the truth is — we are not. Look at the last two Ironman champs - Macca and Crowie, both in the back end of their 30’s when crowned the best in the world. Maturity plays a HUGE role in this game. Even if your aim isn’t the longer course, my point is this - you can make leaps on your competitors by doing the work, not skipping workouts, and by making sure that the work you do is QUALITY. I didn’t miss workouts when I was 19, but most 19 year olds will, especially when it’s cold or hard. Do the work. Learn to listen to what’s happening in your mind and body - train SMART while learning to push your comfort zones. When the time comes to push, aim to be TOUGHER than your competitors. Feel the moment when 99% would dial it back and call it a day. If you want to be great, that’s the moment your day begins. It also starts 5-50 minutes AFTER when you thought it was. I didn’t know that.

Trust a 30 year old, especially in this game. I trust my elders.

Question Sunday!

First off, thank you for saying you love my class. I love teaching when people love taking, so keep on doing what you’re doing. Since I moved to LA, I’ve been a window washer, a food runner, a film PA, writer and co-director of a horrible television pilot, a server, and a bartender. Being a spin teacher has been by far the best of the lot. These days, I teach 1 class on sunday, 2 on tuesday, 3 on wednesday and 2 on friday - and I can support myself on that, but that only happened within the last year or so, and only because I teach at Revolution Fitness in Santa Monica where you get paid per person attending. There are studios out there that pay 3.50-5.00 per head - upwards of 50 bikes. With a sellout class, do the math - it’s a nice way to spend an hour of work. Sounds amazing, right? It is.

But not every class is a sellout. Most are nowhere near sellouts. AND when you find these studios, and you’re new, you’ll likely get the 6 am slots (if you’re lucky) and will be told to, “Build it.” The reality when you’re starting is that you’ll need another source of income or a willingness to share a 1 bedroom apartment with 3 other people to get by on spinning alone. Most spin teachers are also personal trainers, which seems a good fit as LA is arguably the fitness capitol of the world. So the end of this story goes a little something like every worthwhile story goes - if you’re gonna do it, you gotta love it. If you don’t love it, you won’t last. If you don’t love it, you either won’t get hired or people won’t come back to your class.

When I first started, I was a bit of a mess. Hell, there are plenty who would tell you I still am! But I had a handful of people who believed in me from the start - and they told other people to give me a shot. Even if someone didn’t like my class, I always told myself I’d never let them leave thinking I didn’t care, or that I didn’t bring every drop I had. It has served me well.

If you come to my class often, you know how much I ramble about the importance of never being daunted by failure, or biting off more than you can chew, or ambition exceeding talent. So do it. Whatever taking it to the next level means, take that path. You got nothing to lose.