Team Effort

Vern Gambetta's blog (Functional Path Training) is one of the first sites I check every morning. Almost daily, he posts a gem of wisdom that is applicable to all athletes, regardless of your specific sport. I have dozens of his posts bookmarked that I often look back on.

Today's post really drives home the importance of a support system. As I said in my Phoenix Marathon recap, I was successful in that race mainly because of the team I had around me - Andrea, Dad, and Mom right on the front lines of battle with me - and lots of friends/family rooting me on from wherever they were.

Here's a little of what Vern wrote:

...Success is not about me, it is about we, it is about collaboration, working together with other people to achieve a shared goal. You can’t do it alone. You need a support team. That support team can be as big or as small as you need it to be. For me my support team consists of friends, professional colleagues, mentors, and above all family.  

Make sure your team is not composed of ‘yes men” people who always agree. Dissent is healthy in fact it is productive. Otherwise you have intellectual incest where the same ideas are continually passed around and no progress is made. Successful people have colleagues or affiliations, it very tough to go it alone. Build your team to be the best you can be.

The part about "dissent being healthy" is very true. Andrea and I do not always agree on training and racing plans. But our disagreements force us to think cricitcally about what we are doing. We question and break down everything. What's left, after these discussions, is usually a plan that will lead to success.

I'd highly recommend you subscribe to Functional Path Training.