Warrior Wisdom

Warrior Wisdom - from Dr. Yurij

Warrior Wisdom

Dr. Yurij provides weekly coaching messages to help you live out your God given purpose.

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    Haute Route Ventoux: What I Learned

    Discipline is Freedom October 25, 2017 Enhancing Human Performance
    Filed Under:
    Warrior Wisdom
    Haute Route Ventoux is a three day cycling stage race with each day having a summit finish on Mont Ventoux in Provence, France. There are so many amazing and valuable lessons that I learned from the experience of training for and racing in the Haute Route Ventoux.

    1. You need friends that are crazy enough to suggest epic challenges. Thanks Mark! Is it not true that you end up being like the people you hang out with? If everyone around you is going for it and trying new things and looking at life as a grand adventure, then you will end up doing the same thing! Hang out in Warrior long enough and you will end up running, swimming, biking, hiking, training, kite sailing etc. You start taking risks and changing how you work and practice. You re-prioritize you time to focus on what God's purpose is for your life.

    2. Sometimes you just have to say yes without thinking about it too much. If I would have laid out the pros and cons logically, the race and subsequent adventure through parts of France and Italy would never have happened. 

    3. Set things in your calendar a year in advance. If you want to do something epic you need to plan for it. Do your vision time, dream big, and then plan on doing the dream. The Venoux trip and race was planned close to a year in advance.

    4. Pick something epic to train for to stay disciplined. I had a short training cycle for Ventoux. My last IronMan was two years earlier and the past 24 months had been committed to strength training as my goal was to do the Crossfit Open Rx in my age group which I achieved in February of 2017. This was wonderful but not great for a three day mountainous stage race in the Alps. Not great because my aerobic training was down and my muscle mass was up by 15 pounds. The climbers in cycling are known for not lifting anything, it's all about power to body weight ratios. Big heart and small muscles makes for easy climbing. 

    If it wasn't for the race I would never have put in the training (4000 km of riding including a few Everest's worth of climbing) that it took to complete the race or ride daily afterwards through the mountainous and iconic terrain in southern France and Tuscany.  
    If it wasn't for the race, Marie and I wouldn't have learned how to make fresh pasta from a local lady in a 400 year old stone farmhouse with good friends, float in the salty waters of the Mediterranean, or hike between the hilltop towns in the Cinque Terre.    

    I suppose it all boils down to the fact that you have to risk trying something that seems impossible. Sign up for something that scares you and then put in the training.
    It doesn't have to be a physical endeavour.  Sign up to learn a new language, play an instrument, audition for a play. Just get out of your comfort zone.

    If that intimidates you then ponder this quote from CS Lewis.   "You all know that security is mortal's greatest enemy."
    While you try to avoid risk and seek comfort and security you are losing your life. It is passing you by as you sit and watch TV or excessively check on your social media. Get off your butt and do something.  Anything.

    Live your life without regrets.

    Coach Yurij



    Comment

    On Monday, November 27, 2017, Coach Yurij said:

    Dmitri, that would definitely be outside of my comfort zone. We shall see.

     

    On Monday, November 27, 2017, Dmitri said:

    Hey Yurij, I just reread it, again! I am challenging you to learn kiteboarding! Ultimate sport! When you tied it once you will never be as excited about sport as kiteboarding.

     

    On Thursday, November 23, 2017, Dr. Julie Donoso said:

    "you have to risk trying something that seems impossible" -- ok, let's do this and see what God is up too! :) Thanks for always encouraging us to play and live FULL OUT.

     

    On Tuesday, October 31, 2017, Brad P. said:

    Awesome post! Truly words to live by. It’s why I love hanging out with Warriors.

     

    On Monday, October 30, 2017, Angela Barrow said:

    This Warrior Wisdom was so inspiring to dig deeper into my heart and remember the excitement and adventure of what has been put there. I was encouraged to spend more time dreaming and taking the next step toward an epic adventure!

     

    On Sunday, October 29, 2017, Lynn F said:

    I love it! Congratulations. I can attest to that fact that if you hang out with Warriors long enough you are bound for adventure. You continue to inspire me to live full out...more to come.

     

    On Friday, October 27, 2017, Lisa Pickering said:

    Congratulations Yurij and Mark! Love the blog! I’m currently searching for the next epic adventure and this has inspired me to be more aggressive in finding it!

     

    On Friday, October 27, 2017, Mark Tomlin said:

    Amazing Yurij! Congrats! You know, 20 years ago when I was in my mid thirties I thought when I hit the "freedom 55 club" I would be playing golf 5 times a week and then hitting the beach with my beer belly hanging out. That's not for me! Thank-you to you and Dr. Ed for giving me a greater purpose!

     

    On Friday, October 27, 2017, Coach Yurij said:

    Mark, the big heart applies but I wouldn't say you are a wispy climber. More like a big German domestique.

     

    On Thursday, October 26, 2017, Mark said:

    Big heart... small muscles?? OUCH!! That hurts Yurij :( But EPIC adventure for sure!!

     

    On Thursday, October 26, 2017, David Cameron said:

    Thanks for the encouragement Yurij! And thanks to all my crazy friends, past and present Warriors, who challenged and encouraged me to be someone greater, and to say ‘YES!’ to the adventure.

     

    On Wednesday, October 25, 2017, Yves said:

    Inspiring! Thanks Yurij!

     

    On Wednesday, October 25, 2017, David Covey said:

    Thank you Warriors for allowing me to hang out with really amazing people, and the encouragement to try some epic things!

     

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