Glory to the Highest

Some in the book trade are calling today 'Super Thursday': nearly 800 titles will be published and many of them are contenders to be in the Christmas top 10.

One of those is cyclist Bradley Wiggins' autobiography 'In Pursuit of Glory'. The blurb states 'he first competed at twelve and immediately knew that this was what he wanted to do for his career.'

To put that into perspective, he made the decision when most of his peer group would not have been trusted selecting subjects for their G.C.S.E.s.

His focus and determination received the ultimate accolade eight years later when he won gold at the Athens Olympics for the 4km Individual Pursuit. As he details in the book, it was a triumph that nearly knocked him off track, 'my bender lasted a good eight or nine months and I wasn't quite right for about a year.'

For a while, he found himself 'outside the local' everyday. After waiting for the pub to open he 'wouldn't move for the next six or seven hours as [he] sipped through 12 or 13 pints.' Although he was able to return home and cook a meal for his wife, he would also raid his cellar for Belgian beer. It was a new hobby and he was determined to have all of the available brands.

As he puts it, 'I have mad passionate moods discovering something and have to become the world expert on that interest', which is fine when the passion wins him a medal in the Individual Pursuit, but not so fine when it causes him to down Duvel.

But is it ok in either case?

Both drinking to excess and goal setting can be forms of pain avoidance. Some, with more than a vested interest in the idea, feel that those are excessively driven by goals are suffering from 'Spiritual Deficit Disorder'.

Although these labels are often suggested by ex hell-raisers born again as self-appointed saviours, the concept of SDD makes rational sense.

To reach a goal takes effort. As the goals become more and more challenging, more and time is required. Soon, there is less and less time for human relationships which, for those avoiding pain, is probably the point.

Devotees of SSD claim that if you follow your intuition every day, without setting goals, you will automatically reach your true, personal goal. Although that may be the case most of the time, and a cartload of happy punters claim it is, can you really 'dream scrape' your way to an Olympic Gold?

Doesn't that level of achievement take the kind of relationship shredding commitment that ultimately contributed to Bradley Wiggins' descent into Belgian beer?

The birth of his son Ben, eventually offered Bradley a much needed rope ladder: 'Suddenly everything made sense' and the athlete was able to go onto greater success at Beijing.

However, apart from his guitars, he doesn't have a hinterland away from career and family. His book will be read by people that do.

They will probably be the people who struggled with their G.C.S.E. options because everything seemed interesting.

They probably have limited experience of nine month benders and would struggle to name five Belgian beers.

They probably have no pursuit of glory; but they may ultimately have a more rewarding ride.