Tuesday is the last day in the Pyrenees, with a Category One (more difficult) and an Out of Category (HC) climb (most difficult). After today, the Tour de France says goodbye to the peaks that border between France and Spain. It is now that we see the physiological differences between the riders. After 17 days, the weak riders are cracking and peeling off. The field of 189 now stands at 158. Even Monday’s rest day cannot help 31 riders who have blown out.

Yet, the strong riders are getting stronger. Their lungs are fuller, muscles grown larger, their hearts are pumping more blood than the first day down the ramp at the opening time trial.

And I thought about teams, teams at work, your teams at work. Here is what I see. Most teams, under pressure, prolonged pressure, begin to crack and peel away, burnt out. Yet, a few teams get stronger.

And I began to ponder, “What’s the difference?” What are the elements of a team that doesn’t get burnt out, that goes the distance and emerges stronger than when they started? Think about teams you are a member of. What is the critical element that makes that team strong?

I have a book, The Power of Attitude, autographed by the author, Mac Anderson, for the best post. See you tomorrow after Stage 16. -TF

Lance saw the rider ahead and became fixed on the target. Jan Ullrich had started :60 seconds ahead in the individual time trial, a race against the clock. As Lance approached, Jan might as well have been standing still. It was an awesome display of fitness. There is much ballyhoo about whose bike weighs the least, or the most precise aerodynamic position, but this race was about fitness.

Back at the office.
As managers, we look at our team members in several dimensions, product knowledge, technical skill, technique and attitude. Yet, often, success is determined by fitness, both physical and mental fitness. Team members pull ahead in their performance because they can. Others drop away or drag across the finish line.

Serious as a heart attack.
Do you have conversations with your team members about their physical health, nutrition, work-out routines and mental focus? One dimension of performance depends on fitness. As a manager, what do you demand from your team? What kind of example do you set? -TF

When I woke up, I knew I was in trouble. I had promised Henrik a 100 mile ride today and I was not in the right condition. The weather had been poor the previous week, so I had trained short. I was in sleep deficit by six hours over the past four days. I had slacked off my diet, eating bon-bons and fried calamari. Today would require peak performance and I was nowhere near my peak.

The warmup was easy, straight downwind with a 16mph tail. Holding an even 20mph pace was effortless. Fifteen miles into the ride, we made a u-turn at Las Olas and turned north, directly into the wind. A pace of 18mph into a wind of 16mph was a 34mph gentle breeze in the face. Hunkering into a compact profile, hiding between the condo towers swirling the blustery weather, we made our way mile by mile. It was just head down, holding cadence until mile 46.

That’s when my knee began a dull throb. I call it tennis elbow, but point to my knee. The pain makes you want to stop, but when you slack the pressure, the pain becomes worse, and we will had 54 miles to go. Our turn into the nose of the wind would last until mile 62.

I was looking forward to the West Palm Beach inlet turnaround. The wind, which had been our foe, would now become our friend. The 18mph pace had been slow and grueling. One mile short, Henrik spotted a pair of riders already traveling south. A week earlier, they had pulled Henrik up to Jupiter inlet. “If we can make the turn and come back to catch them, they can help us,” Henrik shouted to me. He was hammer down and I, behind, had no choice but to grit my teeth and go with.

We caught the pair, but they were on a Saturday recovery ride and in no mood to pick up the pace. Our efforts had moved us down the road, but we were on our own again and 40 miles from home. My legs hurt, my butt hurt, my knee hurt. It did not matter, I was still 40 miles from home.

At mile 85, the blustery skies opened up and it started pouring rain. Our agreement to seek shelter in the event of a storm was abandoned. We were too far along and only 15 miles to go. My glasses were spattered with rain drops and mud. The road grime on my jersey was melting away, the rear wheel throwing water and debris up from the backside. One hundred miles came none too soon. All I could think of was getting a hot shower.

Being a manager, often, the going gets tough. You have decisions to make, problems to work through, material shortages, work delays. Fitness, in my mind, is one of the six dimensions of performance. It has an impact on how well you perform, as a manager. How is your nutrition, how well do you sleep, how consistent is your training (yes, managers need to train)? When the going gets tough and peak performance is required, how close are you to your peak? -TF