74 I’m a “work hard, play hard” kind of person and, fortunately, I work for a company that very much embraces this ethos. In fact, our company motto is “Work hard, play hard, eat well and amaze the customer!” My colleagues and I truly embrace this approach to life and work. We are dedicated to serving our customers and partners with best-in-class storage solutions to protect their important data — no matter what. And we also showcase an impressive commitment to our after-hours talents and hobbies, from deep-sea photography and competing in endurance triathlons to racing for great causes and much more. For me, it’s all about biking. Not only is it my primary commute method, but it’s also one of my passions. I love challenging myself with new types of races and events. It’s thrilling to see how fast and far I can go while putting my physical and mental resources to test. 220 miles of mud, sweat and tears My latest challenge? Taking on the GravelMan, a high-intensity mountain bike race founded by a former elite cyclist with a love of adventure. What sets the GravelMan race series apart from other, similar events is that there’s no assistance — power, repairs, support vehicles — allowed. You’re on your own in these self-supported races — it’s just you, your bike and the course. The terrain is often rough. One GravelMan event I previously signed up to ride was 220 miles (350 kilometers) across the southeast of France, near the base of the Pyrenees. For comparison, that’s the equivalent of running four or five marathons in a row. Whether you decide to sleep or not is up to you; the clock starts once you start and ends when you cross the finish line; there are no scheduled pauses or stops. The officials give you a GPS device and a tracker to follow and you’re on your own. Braving the elements on no sleep I didn’t want to lose precious time, so I decided I wouldn’t sleep during this race; rather, I’d just take a couple of short naps. That decision helped reduce the amount of gear I’d have to carry — no tent needed, which meant I’d be lighter and able to go faster. But it’s a bit of a gamble because if you can’t finish the race in one go, you have to sleep in less-than-ideal conditions or hope you can find a nearby hotel (often impossible). The course itself is beautiful, running through remote and isolated terrain at times. If it rains, you get wet; you’ve got no choice but to keep cycling on. I’ve done races before where by the time I reached the finish line, I was soaked and freezing. And that can really make you appreciate the true gift that is basic comfort. Though this race could last several days, it only took me 19 hours, including a couple of very short rest periods. And my planning and training paid off. I took second place. Just finishing this type of race feels like a reward. It’s exhilarating. Racing with Scality There are parallels between my cycling life and the work I do at Scality. Both scenarios require flexibility and resilience, whether it’s riding through mud or helping customers solve their greatest data challenges. Being able to adapt to whatever conditions confront you is key. You have to be fast — but not too fast. I’ve learned from past races where I tried to go too fast too quickly. When you do that, it quickly exhausts you, and you end up getting slower. You might avoid stopping to eat or sleep to make up the time, and that can backfire. You have to be respectful of what helps you go forward, which is your body and your equipment. It’s the same in business, too. Being mindful and respectful of your resources is a must. Going faster is desirable in theory, but in practice it can come at a cost. And unlike my solo athletic pursuits, business is a team sport. It’s about creating win-wins for everyone involved. My experiences on and off the saddle have taught me many lessons about finding strength and hope in what can feel like impossible circumstances. You have to learn to focus on the basics and just keep going. When I was shivering in the middle of nowhere with no food, I had to just keep at it. Instead of thinking about all things that could happen or feeding the voice in my head that suggested giving up, I just did what I had to do. In this case, it was simple. Just. Keep. Pedaling. For me, this is also true in business. Sometimes you get into a difficult situation, and everything seems to crumble all around you. When that happens, you just focus on what you can do, focus on your basics and continue to execute. Sometimes during a hard race, you may decide to quit, so you shut down your tracker and stop. But the rule here is: Don’t quit during your darkest hour. Wait for sunlight. Sometimes the situation looks brighter in the light of day, and you find that you actually can keep going. It’s the same in business. Don’t quit when you are negotiating a deal and it seems everything is lost. Just give it some time, and the situation may improve. A lot can change overnight. Wait for that first sign of daylight to bring back hope that your hard work and dedication will pay off. A holistic approach to life and work Performing well in a race takes wisdom and strategy. So does achieving business goals. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to exercise those traits, along with flexibility and resilience, in one arena (recreation) and then be able to use them in another (work life). I’m grateful to Scality for its wellness program that supports various aspects of well-being, from physical activity to mental health, including sponsorship of employees in sports competitions like GravelMan. I’m already looking for my next race and the challenges and rewards it will bring!
