Most people try to avoid the hard days.
But Gabby Douglas built her career on them, becoming the 2012 Olympic all-around gold medalist in London. That moment didn’t come from perfect days. It came from the tough ones, the ones that tested whether she’d keep showing up.
That’s what makes her quote worth paying attention to this week.
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There is no substitute for showing up. No secret. No supplement. No hack. Progress begins when you arrive and give yourself a chance to work.
You do not need perfect conditions. You do not need elite motivation. You need a system that gets you started, especially on the days you feel flat or distracted. Action creates momentum, not the other way around.
Build habits that reduce friction. Find accountability that keeps you honest. Show up long enough and often enough, and improvement will follow.
Show up! Put in the work! Regroup! Put in the work! Don't quit! Believe in yourself! Develop your skills! Process > outcome! Be okay with uncomfortable! Compete!
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The photoshoot was this weekend, and it almost didn’t happen the way we planned. The photographer I had lined up, the one I really wanted to work with because he understands both the technical side and what it actually feels like to be out on the bike, his wife went into labor the night before. Second child. So that plan changed pretty quickly. Fortunately, my neighbor stepped in and jumped behind the camera, and that kind of set the tone for the whole day.
We shot something like 3,800 photos in about three hours, moving from spot to spot and trying to stay ahead of the weather. For the most part we did, but by the end there was just enough moisture in the air to remind us we weren’t totally in control of anything. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real. There were definitely a few shots I had in my head that didn’t quite come off the way I pictured them, but then there were others that hit right away, the kind where you don’t need to second guess it.
The biggest thing for me though wasn’t any one photo. It was seeing everything from a distance for the first time. Up until now, this has mostly been in pieces. On a screen, in my hands, on me in the mirror, even out on the road, but always from the inside looking out. This was the first time I just stood there and watched it come toward me. Different riders, different builds, different kits all moving together, and that’s where a few things really clicked.
When you’re working through final designs and colors, especially trying to get multiple jerseys and bibs to all work together, you never fully know how it’s going to translate. You get close, but there are always a few question marks. Even the studio shots don’t completely answer it. But seeing someone ride past you, from a distance and then up close, that’s different. A couple combinations I wasn’t sure about ended up looking better than I expected, and just listening to the riders talk through what they liked afterward told me more than anything else.
I’m working through all of those images now. There’s a lot there. Some great, some not exactly what I had in mind, but more than enough to get us to where we need to go. At the same time I’m rebuilding the site so everything is ready when this goes live, and we’re about 7 to 10 days out. Close enough to feel real, but still enough left to keep you on edge a little. I’ll start sharing some of this over the next week. Not all at once, just pieces of it.
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Cooking for me started out as a pretty selfish thing. I was picky, and I figured if I was the one making the food, I could make sure it was something I actually wanted to eat.
Somewhere along the way, it turned into something else. My main love languages are gifts and acts of service, and cooking kind of sits right in the middle of both. So now I find myself constantly looking for recipes with specific people in mind.
Lately, that’s been my teenage son. He’s gotten really into Japanese culture. It started with boba tea, then anime, and now ramen.
I grew up eating ramen too, but not like this. We’d cook the noodles in a skillet with just enough water to soften them, dump in the seasoning packet, and let them cook down until they started sticking to the pan. It was more like a lo mein dish than a soup. So the brothy version has never really been my thing.
Last week I tried a homemade version that checked a couple boxes. It made my wife happy because it’s not the cheap packaged stuff loaded with ingredients you can’t pronounce, and it made my son happy because, well… ramen.
And honestly, it worked for me too.
The biggest surprise was the pork. Letting it actually sit and develop a crust instead of constantly moving it made a huge difference. The broth comes together quickly, but has a lot more depth than you’d expect.
It’s simple, full of flavor, and you can dial the heat up as much as you want.
If you’ve got a ramen fan in your house, this one’s worth trying.
Ingredients
For the Broth:
2 tbsp neutral oil (or pork fat)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1–2 tbsp chili paste (gochujang or sambal)
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups chicken broth
1 can (13–14 oz) full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1–2 tsp rice vinegar or lime juice
For the Pork:
1 lb ground pork
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger
Black pepper
Optional chili paste
For the Bowl:
10–12 oz ramen noodles
Green onions
Soft boiled eggs (optional)
Chili oil (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the pork with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Cook it in a hot pan in loose mounds and let it sit so it develops a crust before flipping. Remove and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with a splash of water or broth and save those browned bits.
- In a pot, cook garlic and ginger in oil, then add chili paste and tomato paste and let that cook for a minute or two. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Let it simmer for about 10–15 minutes, then finish with vinegar or lime juice to balance it out .
- Cook the noodles separately and keep them just slightly underdone.
Build your bowl with noodles, broth, and the crispy pork. Finish with green onions, and add a soft boiled egg or chili oil if you want to take it up a notch.
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What in the world is this guy doing?
Skis on.
Parachute overhead.
Flying about 3 feet off the ground at what looks like highway speed.
Is this skiing? Paragliding? Something in between?
No idea.
All I know is it looks incredibly cool… and also like something I’d never try in a million years.
But seriously, how does someone even get into this?
Anyway, worth a watch. It’s from Red Bull featuring Valentin Delluc… just for the “what the hell is that guy doing?” factor.
👉 Watch it her (The video will not automatically start. You have to click “Watch Now” on the left-hand side of the screen.)
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