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jonace-dicker

Marginal Gains



"You almost become wrapped in cotton wool, too fragile to do anything. It's quite a selfish existence when you're a professional sportsman at that level. You're somehow encouraged to become an arsehole". Bradley Wiggins


It's 04.30am UK time and I'm watching the early count in the US Presidential Election.


The first of seven marginal or 'swing' states has just been forecast by the BBC.


North Carolina is going to Donald Trump.


How is it even possible that this particular 'arsehole' appears to be going back to the White House?


Well it seems the Republicans have faired best in those states where the competition is historically very close.


Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin.


In 2020 Biden won six of these states, but it doesn't look so promising this time for Kamala Harris.


There's a phrase the analysts are using to explain why someone who so widely polarises opinion and so frequently says odious and odd things can become President of the United States.


'People vote for what affects them not what offends them'.


Inflation and immigration, this time, seem to have been more significant issues to the electorate than the decency of the two parties' respective candidates.


It's not over yet...but it seems the 'Commander in Cheat' is, once again, going to be President.




Marginal gains.


Bradley Wiggins was a benefactor of the Sky Team's strategy. The theory? Small incremental improvements in all elements of preparation, when added together, amount to significant improvement in performance.


Bradley got his historic Tour De France win (2012), a knighthood (2013), and a drugs doping accusation (2018) as a result of the extent to which marginal gains were used in the pursuit of success.


The 'arsehole' self-reflection? Apparently Mrs Wiggins had to do all the heavy lifting at home so that he didn't pull a muscle putting suitcases in and out of the boot of the car.


Wiggins later said of MG "A lot of people made a lot of money out of it. But I always thought it was a load of rubbish. Sometimes in life or in sport, whatever, you're either good at something or your not."


Now whether he 'crossed an ethical line' or not, huge respect to Sir Wiggo, for all his Olympic and Tour De France success.


But it won't surprise readers of previous blogs that I take issue with his 'you're either naturally gifted at something or not' perspective.


I think that, through hard work, experience, reflection and conceptualisation, you can improve existing skills and acquire new ones. Experiential learning.


Personally, I'm going through a bit of a 'stack and tilt' phase.



Striving for a fuller swing I am about to embark on some experimentation with a Justin Rose tip I recently found on the interweb.





Something to work on over the winter on those range sessions with Monty.


And a new putter is finally going to be on trial too. With so many shots taking place on the greens it's an obvious place to seek those marginal gains.


Not for a week or two though.


A 'stack and tilt' incident whilst trimming a tree last week resulted in a fall from a ladder and a gashed shin.


Four days of not following medical advice has left it infected.


An enforced week of sitting still, 'wrapped in cotton wool and too fragile to do anything' , is an inconvenience.


But it gives me plenty of time to reflect.


Going forward, whether it's gardening101 or golf101, I'm looking for improved technique to bring those marginal gains...or at the very least keep me out of casualty.












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