Give no credit, assign no blame.

That headwind could be a tailwind if you were going a different direction.

Cyclists love talking about the weather, and I hate it.

To be fair, the weather has undeniable significance in the cycling experience. Rain is wet. Sun is hot. Ice is slippery. Humidity can put you in the hospital (it did so to me once).

And the wind? The wind is our nemesis. Second perhaps only to sailors and base jumpers, cyclists consider the wind in every aspect of our sport and strategy. Aero is everything.

The affects of weather are real, but our obsession with it is obnoxious and unhelpful. Focus on weather takes us out of the moment. Weather is an easy excuse. It gives permission to complain, to become moody, disgruntled or even angry when things get hard. As if we deserve comfort while choosing to do an intrinsically uncomfortable thing like exercise.

Weather isn’t good or bad. Weather just is. Weather is part of the environment we live in and part of the world we step out into. Acknowledge it. Prepare for it. Adjust course to deal with it, or use it to your advantage.

If you have a tailwind, celebrate! You’re fast today. If you have a headwind, put your head into it and pedal harder. Rain can be refreshing. Sun can warm you. Accept and choose it all. The Velominati’s Rule #5 says “HTFU”. The Norwegian’s say Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær!

This approach to accept the natural environment we operate in — quietly, without comment or obsession — can also be applied to work and life. What headwinds of industry do you allow to slow you down? What heat of your environment is making you sweat? What demotivational rains keep you indoors waiting for the perfect day?

In regards to weather — in cycling or in life — give no credit, assign no blame. Let’s stop talking about it and get to work.