I have to confess, I did not go to the 2009 Heart Zones™ Master Trainer conference to partake in the blatant doping and mad consumption of performance enhancers that went on there. I just went to secure my Master Trainer certification and make sure I’m well equipped to train others how to teach the Heart Zones™ system for training indoor cycling. WOW, was I in for a surprise.

Instead I felt this surge of adrenaline and inspiration like it was shot right into my heart. Speakers who have “been there” in both athletics and business were passing their drugs around like they weren’t even controlled substances. Check out the goodies I got to sample:

CIH2 - Courage In Honesty:
This drug took an interesting path from the mind to the heart. By being honest with yourself, it turns out you stop trying to be that person everyone else wants you to be, and you start becoming that person you were meant to be. To stop playing that game however, takes a lot of courage. Sometimes it means leaving some old stinkin’ thinking’ behind. Other times it means leaving friends that keep dragging you down, and in some cases, it even means leaving a long standing job and striking out on your own.

DM.iB – Details Matter in Branding:
This drug isn’t very portable, but it is reproducible anywhere I go. It turns out that our experience when we encounter our training facilities is quite sensory. Our senses are taking in everything before we even begin our workout. How the place smells, the sounds we experience before, during and after our rides, the visuals we see and feel on the walls, and even the conversations – even casual ones with any staff member – all produce “who we are” – our brand.

UCAx – Unfair Competitive Advantage:
This is the drug that really made us give into temptation, and begin doping. We want that uniqueness that no one else has – that unfair advantage that sets us apart. The challenge is finding what it is, clearly identifying it, and then attacking the climbs ahead with it. This drug required direct injection – it needed to flow through every vein in our bodies.

MbtM – Meaning Beyond The Money:
Ironically, this drug is not actually a controlled substance. It turns out that every one of us at the conference had already been on this drug before turning up at “camp”. I think though, that it is only a matter of time before this will be outlawed, as it almost immediately gives every person an unfair advantage. While we made it clear that we should establish a fair monetary value for our time and expertise, if that was what made us wake up every day and turn the cranks, we were probably going to get dropped in one of the early stages. To sustain the long multi-stage race of building a business in our industry, you need the desire to truly help people – achieve their goals, become healthier, achieve what they never thought possible – in short, change lives in one way or another.

BdH – Bonding With The Heart Zones™ Family:
This was the actual “bonding agent” that kept all these drugs working together towards the finish line. I never would have imagined having the opportunity to improve my own performance through others in the room, and they through me. The aforementioned drug UCAx works differently in each person’s such that we are able to play off each other, and work like a finely tuned team in an opening time trial.

SEf3 - Sally Edwards Factor:
This probably comes as no surprise, but this always seems to be the catalyst that gets all these drugs working in the first place. Sally may hold older world records in multiple sports, but she is still pulling off new victories in inspiration and dedication. Without this catalyst, we would be stuck in the middle of the peleton, working hard, doing our best to avoid crashes, but not really leading the charge. With Sally as our captain, we see constant progress. She is constantly reinventing herself, constantly attacking every climb, constantly making herself and Heart Zones™ relevant to today’s athletes. In a decimated and fragmented industry, she is undaunted by crazy break away attempts, and has a quiet confidence that we will pull them all back before the end of the race. In short, the rest of the team is inspired to pull longer, train harder and embracing the sacrifices needed to win.

Even though I’ve brought a good supply of drugs back from the conference, I’m sure I’ll need to go to the annual conference in October to restock. In the meantime, it’s off to train for the Giretto, and see how these drugs can enhance my performance!