Wellness, Wealth & Mindset Weekly (#021)
Personal Lessons and Experiences From The Past Week
Health
This week, I had the pleasure of participating in the Ride London 100, a closed-road event in the beautiful Essex countryside, starting and finishing in the iconic city of London. This was my third time taking part in the event and my second consecutive year. Previously, I had completed the 46-mile route of the old course, which took us through Surry Hills and included the famous Box Hill.
However, in 2020, the event was cancelled due to COVID-19 after I secured a place for the 100-mile route around Surry, which also involved tackling Box Hill. When the opportunity arose to enter the event without going through a ballot process, my cycling buddies and I eagerly jumped at the chance to ride in 2022. Although there were fewer participants this year, the opportunity to ride a 100-mile closed-road event in our own neighbourhood was too good to pass up. Plus, sharing with my friends is always a great day out.
The day started early, at 3:30 am to be precise. This allowed me enough time to have a decent breakfast before reaching the starting line at 5:45 am. Despite the forecast of a warm day, at that early hour, I still needed an undershirt to ward off the chill. We all took our time getting started as the waves of riders were more spaced out this year, prioritizing the safety of every participant on the roads.
Once we began, we joined a fairly large group that maintained an average speed of 21 mph, which suited me just fine. I aimed to match my time from last year while ensuring a safe ride, as I had experienced a few close calls with other riders in previous events. We stuck with this group until the halfway point when we stopped to refuel and take a short rest.
By then, the sun was shining, and it felt good to bask in its warmth while taking a moment to appreciate the day. Sometimes, we can get too caught up in the event, focusing solely on our performance rather than enjoying the experience itself. That's why we cycle in the first place.
After resuming our ride, my goal was to catch up with another group and draft behind them. However, it turned out that I was inadvertently leading the pack and doing most of the work. While I failed to catch up with a faster group ahead, we did pass other riders who were not maintaining our pace. Before we knew it, we reached the 70-mile marker, which meant I had been leading for over an hour, and the strain was starting to show.
My hips and thighs began to tire, but after some encouragement, someone took the lead to give me a much-needed break. Following a short rest, which wasn't really substantial, we only had 10 miles left to go. As we neared the finish line, our group started to disperse, but not long after, we crossed the famous Tower Bridge and completed the Ride London 100 in 4 hours and 36 minutes, a minute and a half faster than last year.
Overall, I was very pleased with my performance. After six months of training for this event and with The Dragon Ride just a few weeks away, I felt comfortable throughout most of the ride. Even after leading the group for a significant period, I didn't feel excessively fatigued by the end and believed I still had more to give if necessary. My nutrition and pacing were well-controlled, and most importantly, all of my friends and I completed the ride safely, which is always the primary goal. We all performed as well as we did the previous year and had a delightful day out.
Now, I'm looking forward to The Dragon Ride, which will present a whole new set of challenges. Stay tuned for updates on that!
Wealth
For the past few weeks, I've been dealing with a tenant who hasn't paid rent for six months. While I don't know the full story, I am aware that he has been struggling with mental health issues, rendering him unable to work and resulting in missed rental payments. Despite my patience and attempts to assist him, I ultimately had to take him to court to evict him and establish a payment plan to recover the outstanding debt.
What surprised me about this situation is the leniency of the system towards tenants who fail to pay. When signing the lease, tenants acknowledge their obligation to pay rent on time, and if they are late, interest is typically charged after 14 days. However, the judge ruled that the additional interest couldn't be enforced due to the tenant's financial hardship. Personally, I didn't expect to receive the extra interest, and I'm content with recovering what is owed to me.
Nevertheless, if this were a credit card company or a bank pursuing interest on an overdrawn account, I doubt they would have the same lenient view. They would likely insist on the payment of accrued interest along with the outstanding debt. So why is this situation treated differently?
I personally feel that landlords are often seen as greedy, and unfortunately, there are individuals who give the industry a bad name. However, for small landlords like myself, these properties are investments that support our future during retirement. Yet, we often find ourselves being penalized by a system that offers little support to hard-working members of society like myself.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you believe the UK government adequately supports independent businesses and entrepreneurs, or do you think more can be done? I would love to hear your perspective. Feel free to share your thoughts on Instagram
Mindset
When was the last time you engaged in an activity that made you slightly nervous, caused butterflies in your stomach, or made you uncomfortable? I'm asking because I recently had a conversation with clients while conducting health assessments for a business here in London.
One of the clients had previously taken time off work due to stress and was now back but undergoing therapy and exploring different ways to improve their mental health. During our discussion, I mentioned the topic of cold therapy and how regular exposure to cold temperatures can enhance stress resilience and boost dopamine levels (the "feel-good" hormone) for up to six hours afterwards.
Check out Andrew Huberman's "The Science & Use of Cold Exposure for Health & Performance" to get the full rundown on how it benefits and practical applications to get started.
After explaining the protocol for incorporating this into their daily routine, they expressed their concerns about the difficulty and challenges they anticipated. In response, I emphasized that this is precisely why they need to commit to it and do it consistently.
As humans, we tend to avoid discomfort and shy away from anything that presents a challenge or makes us feel uneasy. Consequently, we become less capable of handling stress in our lives, whether it originates from external sources or the thoughts in our own minds. By avoiding discomfort, we inadvertently make our lives more uncomfortable.
Consider how often you find yourself in a state or situation where you feel uncomfortable throughout the day. I would venture to guess that it's rarely, if ever. Over time, what was once uncomfortable becomes more comfortable, and as a result, we gain the skills and experience to cope with situations that previously caused us discomfort. However, this can also lead to complacency. We fail to recognize the value in our current circumstances and become overly confident. Unless we actively seek ways to progress in life, it can become stagnant.
Approaching discomfort as an opportunity for growth, both physically and mentally, is crucial if you desire to improve your life and better manage stress in the future. This is why, even after three years of daily exposure, my cold shower still makes me uncomfortable, and I still encounter resistance when stepping in. However, by pushing through the discomfort, I believe I have developed a greater tolerance for stress, both mentally and physically. I carry the lessons I learn each morning into my day, which helps me manage stress more effectively.
Therefore, if you are currently facing challenges with stress, I encourage you to explore cold therapy as a means to build resistance and enhance your ability to cope with it.
If you want to learn more and need assistance getting started, I provide support to my clients through our coaching program. You can even try it for free during the first 14 days. Click the link below to begin your journey.
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