Notes of a Soigneur

An Ongoing Education

I recently read a brilliant piece by Daniel Coyle, award winning author of many books, including the riveting Secret Race.

In his latest blog post, Coyle delves into the true meaning of terms like "work ethic" and "character", concluding that often a person simply needs to be willing to learn in order to progress in a chosen sphere of their life. He masterfully uses the example of a particular professional baseball player as somebody who, whilst initially lowly-ranked within the NBL, is now one of the league's most exciting prospects. Whilst the aforementioned terms such as "work ethic" and "character" are certainly noble traits, attributes like inquisitiveness and adaptiveness are central to this theme of progression. Coyle calls this combination a person's Learning Quotient.

Another excellent piece of writing is Gordo Byrn's ebook, a simple masterpiece where he intertwines life experience with practical advice. Gordo writes on a weekly basis sharing his thoughts and experience on all things fitness, family and financial providing a great source of information, which is in turn very motivating for my own sideline pursuits. Towards the end of his ebook, Gordo shares various lists as a form of summary. A few points in a particular list stuck out for me, namely:

• don't network, but rather build on existing friendships/relationships where the relationship is its own reward.
• get ready for rejection.

I can certainly relate both of these respective pieces, even more so in times of late. With my fledgling side career in cycling team support (read: soigneur) and now massage, I'm constantly reminded of the need to keep an open mind, ask questions and learn from others i.e., my Learning Quotient. In turn, my experiences this year have also highlighted Gordo's points above. There have indeed been a few instances of rejection but not in so much as to leave me despondent. On the contrary, these bumps have left me more motivated and in search of solutions/alternatives. Conversely, there have also been some great opportunities that have arisen due to these very friendships/relationships that I value and have built up over the years.

Towards the end of last year, I was excited at the prospect of working for a European professional mountain bike team at a prestigious stage race during the early part of 2013. Everything seemed set and I relished the thought of a over a week of working with a few foreigners. In early January I got the call that they would in fact not be needing me, deciding instead to keep the work in-house due to unforeseen factors. Whilst obviously disappointed, I resolved to make an alternative arrangement managing to get work with another team.

Sure enough, another opportunity arose. Whilst initially relieved at my good fortune, I knew that this new arrangement was going to be a challenging one, far more challenging than the previous prospect. As it turned out, this experience exceeded all of these expectations and more. Less eloquently put, the week of working for these guys could best be described as "sink or swim" - a true test of patience, resolve and multi-tasking.

Working as soigneur is unglamorous but rewarding in the sense that you get to be part of a cycling team that is intent on winning, sharing the ups and downs along the way. It is all about the journey, something which I've grown to appreciate more and more over the years.

Needless to say that I was rather exhausted once reaching the end of this particular week. Many people would no doubt dwell on the negatives namely, lack of sleep, lack of food, busy 24/7 etc. But I knew about all of these things prior to signing up for the job - it wasn't like I was expecting an all-expenses paid holiday. I certainly knew what I was letting myself in for. Instead, my eight days of extension could be best described as an intensive course in all things soigneur and quite possibly an education in the craft like no other. This is certainly the case when you have four people to look after for an extended period. From dealing with their respective ailments to adjusting to their unique personality traits and shopping requirements, the learning curve was indeed steep. More importantly, the reward was an incalculable experience and that is what I took from my "week in the trenches" - a true enhancement of my own Learning Quotient.

Some selected positive spinoffs from this trip:

• learning a new sports massage sequence.
• learning how to prepare food vegan-style.
• realizing that lentils are a great tasting form of nourishment.
• learning how to use a juicer (it took while, but I digress).
• driving a camper van.
• mastering the art of erecting large gazebos solo (and in the rain).
• meeting and helping fellow soigneurs/massage therapists.
• having those same folk help me out.

Not what you would expect in the curriculum of a conventional course but more akin to an internship of sorts.

Many years ago, a friend of mine shared similar experiences with me about his time working towards his qualification as an ambulance worker. He spent nearly every weekend working for an EMS that would guarantee him proper hands-on experience, thereby increasing the quality of his required hours logged. They would take calls throughout the greater Cape Town area, most often than not responding to emergencies within the local townships and the Cape Flats and he passes his exams with flying colors. The experience gained from these sorties has benefited him tremendously to this very day.

As I type this several months after this intensive - yet unofficial - course in all things soigneur, I'm looking towards similar educational experiences towards the end of this year. On the agenda is an unexpected chance to work as part of a 20-person massage/physio team at another week-long mountain bike stage race. Whilst this capacity will differ slightly in terms of job description, it will be no less challenging or educational. Seven days of seven massages, three-quarters-of-an-hour each, will certainly be hard work, but the experience gained will be invaluable. Add in the prospects of seeing another part of the country, meeting other people and learning new techniques and this promises to be another trip to remember.