Douglas Gastich
Mach Chicken is a term for ‘really fast’.
When you are flying down a trail on a mountain bike at ‘mach chicken’, on the very edge of control, things have a way of getting simple and clear. Action and reaction merge. The best line down the track reveals itself. Sometimes you catch the line you want, other times you muff it, adjust and recover. The bike is stable, you are locked in. At that moment, despite the speed and the risk, everything is good.
But the edge is always near. You may wash out. Catch a root. Tuck a wheel. So many threats known and unknown, lurk just beyond the flow state. I’ve been a mountain biker for just over 30 years. I’ve been a business technologist for just under 30 years. There are many lessons that apply equally to the trail and the conference room…
“The hill isn’t over until ten feet down the other side”
“Pre-ride, re-ride freeride”
“Fast doesn’t always feel fast”
“Its all about the stoke”
My favorite is about trail vision: “Don’t look at the rock”. More precisely, see the rock, but look where you want to go.
A big rock, right in the middle of the trail and coming up fast demands awareness. You have to see it, make a plan, choose a line. Then you must look past the rock. Look where you wish to go. Resist the urge to check if the rock is still there (it is, but it doesn’t matter). If you keep looking at the rock, you will ride right into it. And that's when bad things happen to good days.
The ‘trail’ for small businesses has gotten a bit rocky lately. Uncertainty and lack of confidence is everywhere. Some days feel as though everyone is just holding their breath and waiting for someone else to breathe.
There are real concerns and smart business owners can see the risks. They can see the rocks. And then they look past them.
No one knows what is around the next corner. But the way to get to the next corner is not to stop and give up. Not to go so slow that you tip over (you know, in the business sense). The way through is to see the rocks, and look past them, carry your speed.
And, of course, enjoy the ride.
Pictured: The author all dressed up and locked in for a corner at the Timberline Day Dream Benefit Enduro.