As a culture, we tend to be obsessed over the next step. But how often do we hear people talking about the current one?

My guess is not a lot, even though we have to take the current step before taking the next one. So let me tell you a story.

I used to ride my bicycle a lot on roads in the American West. I was obsessed, and I was even pretty decent at it. My friends and I used to do a long race from Logan, Utah, over three mountain passes to Jackson, Wyo. It was just over 200 miles, and we used to do it in 10 to 12 hours.

One year, the night before the race, I got wretchedly sick and was throwing up all night. By morning, it was clear I could not ride the whole way. But the thing about these races is that they’re team events. One of the ways you can help the team is simply ride in the front of your pack and bear the brunt of the wind so your teammates can draft off you and save energy.