A
New
Velocity
Often, out of sheer necessity, we pay attention to the speed and the direction of the air molecules that surround us.
We begin to understand the phenomena of the Earth's atmosphere though the fury of a hurricane’s gale, or a sudden, violent squall. Pilots navigate jet streams, kite surfers master knots.
Other times, out of delightful chance, a reflex, a ritual we witness with wonder, the playful puff of clouds, anticipate the melting warmth of a spring chinook or listen as autumn rustles and gusts, touching a soulful chord somewhere deep within us.
Pilots navigate jet streams, kite surfers master knots.
Wind comes up as a subject of conversation daily at Life Time,
as a company that’s extremely enthused about cycling. Some of us race and compete, many simply love how good it makes us feel.
But this last year presented winds that were different than ever before. As quickly as the air made its presence known, we suddenly found ourselves riding into a constant, unending headwind.
Our speed slowed dramatically.
And, we had to push harder,
in what became an uphill battle with no peak in sight.
It is soul crushing when you control what you can, but you still can’t change direction.
When you ride into a headwind, stoplights and tree limbs sway, objects fly, danger can feel eminent. Your balance may be compromised, and with really big winds, there is the possibility of blowing into traffic or off the road. It’s different than a long climb where you can see the summit, know where to turn, and basically, calculate how long you will have to suffer. Not so with this headwind. It’s been tougher than any of the hills, races, and rides we’ve all ever ridden – combined.
It’s different than a long climb where you can see the summit.
But we knew what we had to do, and as a company, we applied the rules required to tackle these newfound headwinds to ride through 2020.
We worked with it.
As a team, we made the decision to look at the wind as our friend and take it as an opportunity to improve our power, skills and thinking. We created a new belief system in ourselves by adapting to the elements and as a company improved our coordination, focus and alignment as we continuously moved forward.
We formed our packs.
Drafting is a concept of sitting behind another rider and letting them shelter you from the worst of the wind by reducing your resistance. The rider in the front uses significantly more energy than those behind. Our teams created an amazing paceline, with each rider bearing the headwind at times, then sliding back as needed. By sharing the burden, we not only overcame resistance, but created a stronger sense of belonging – a pack unified around one common objective.
We streamlined.
We got as aerodynamic as possible, tucking low to give the wind less surface, which alleviated demands on our power. We made several tough decisions, mostly around finances, that allowed us to just hunker down and punch through. We placed our hands to the drops, got horizontal, limited what could touch us, streamlining to increase our efficiency.
We shifted gears.
Half of the battle when you’re faced with a long stretch of headwind is in your head. It can be disheartening to be riding twice as hard yet going twice as slowly. Since we couldn’t move with the speed we’re used to, we kept our cadence brisk. This created a positive energy that affected our psyche, and the thought of getting off or turning back never crossed our mind.
We planned.
This is where we must laugh, a point where the metaphor of cycling fails us. Usually, you can check the forecast. If the wind is due to drop, you can delay your ride, or choose a route that will block it out; woods, cornfields, walls. If you’re riding a loop, you might decide to ride into it, then enjoy the easy push on the way home. There was no forecast, no crystal ball, no warning, and a very ambiguous finish line. So, we rode the worst of it out, day by day, pedal stroke by stroke. And looked to the future.
Today, the wind is shifting.
We’ve made the turn and found our tailwind. Our persistent forward motion has paid off.
We are full of eager anticipation as we return to the clubs we love, our members feeling inspired and energized in the communities that support and motivate. We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Life Time Digital – the app that will continue to enhance our omnichannel member experience, delivering the company’s premier programs, performers and content to members, wherever they are, whenever they want.
And it’s an exciting new path that expands our presence in the world, giving our members new ways to connect and lead a healthy way of life, with the best-in-class content and variety only Life Time can deliver.
In the same way the rhythm of two spinning wheels picks up, our anticipation is surging. There’s a new course before us, with it, the opportunity for a new personal best. With the power we have gained from the challenges we have faced, we are ready to ascend to great new heights, with a mighty tailwind pushing us forward.
