Conclusion: Bumblebees are not capable of flight. Fortunately, no one told the bumblebee!

I've spent the last week and a half with an annoying "man-flu" sort of thing, and consequently my physical activity has been limited to my ill fated Xterra off road triathlon. Consequently, my ironman training has involved intake of carbs...cheers ;) ... and reading!

I've been reading The Triathlete's Training Bible by Joe Friel and Be Iron Fit by Don Fink.

The main purpose of reading these books has been to see whether I believe I can successfully develop my own training program to get me through IM Melbourne or whether I'll need help to get a training program sorted ... anyhow, that's another blog entry for another day.

Today I read a story in Joe Friel's book, which I want to share. So here's a summary...

Several years ago, as the story goes, scientists at NASA developed an interest in the bumblebee. The lab folk reckoned that the little insect held some secrets of flight that might provide answers to questions about operating in space. After all, they asked, how could such small wings produce efficient lift for a relatively large and hairy torso? And how could a round body, and a flight position that violated so many principles of aerodynamics, move so effectively through the air? Indeed, there was so much to learn from the little hummer.

So the scientists set about studying the bumblebee to discover its flying secrets. After weeks of study they came to one conclusion: Bumblebees are not capable of flight!

Fortunately, no one told the bumblebee. The silly insect goes right on believing that flight is normal for them, despite what the best minds in the scientific world knew as fact.

We can learn a lot from the bumblebee. The single most critical piece of the multisport puzzle is believing in yourself and your capability to succeed. "If you think you can or you think you can't" Henry Ford said, "you're actually right." The bumblebee thinks it can fly. Actually, the thought of anything else never crosses its tiny mind. It just keeps on flying...

Why the relevance...

Well, here's me...(December 1974) as a two year old bumblebee...

DREAM ... BELIEVE ... SUCCEED