Step 1- Denial.
This step is key. Before you can admit to mediocrity it's important to deny there was a failure. Whether it's a sub-par performance or a DNF our first approach is usually to brush a bad race off like it's not a big deal. Maybe it hasn't quite hit home yet or maybe it's too bitter to accept at this point. It's unacceptable to be sad when you're friends are setting pr's and having great races so the best thing to do is pretend like you're unaffected. Deep down you may know you're disappointed but it hasn't really set in yet. You have to make a good appearance and there are too many logistics to handle with picking up your stuff, showering, packing and traveling home to worry about how much you hate sucking. That comes next.
Step 2- Deep, dark depression.
Unfortunately that pretense of apathy was all a lie. This stage is where you find yourself removed from the race, from all the goings on and it hits you- you suck. It's a terrible feeling and tough to shake. That feeling of hopelessness, that maybe you just aren't very good or can never get better hits everyone at some point in their athletic career. I highly recommend a pre-determined time to wallow in self pity. Many athletes I've talked to have a "24 hour" or "48 hour" rule where they can feel sorry for themselves for that permitted time. It's ok to be disappointed when you have a disappointing day. Go ahead an enter that cave of depression. Just remember you can only stay there for 24 hours and no chainring self-mutilation allowed.
Step 3- Resolve.
This is where you begin climbing out of the black abyss and determine that you are worth more than dirt. That inner fire is re-kindled and it's time to do something about it. You won't let such an embarrassment happen again and you WILL give it another shot. Take that disappointment from a poor performance and channel it towards a renewed since of determination and set a new goal.
Step 4- A Plan.
I'm a firm believer that there is usually a reason why someone has a bad race. Whether it was an obvious reason- (Ate bad seafood the night before, not enough sleep during the week, an injury, etc.) or a less apparent underlying factor- (Training plan design, lifestyle management, a few too many missed workouts), I think there is usually a cause. Now that you have renewed determination and resolve it's important to design a plan to address the reason for your poor result. If you got injured then WHY did the injury occur? Have you been injured before? Is there a variable you aren't controlling that can be controlled? If it's training plan design then do you have a good coach? Did you follow your coaches instructions? How often did you miss or have to re-arrance key workouts? All those little things add up and can contribute to a poor result. The best results I've seen from my athletes come from those who put in week after week and month after month of consistent, balanced training. They make slow but steady progress because they don't miss very many days and they get the work done. You may have more than one issue that needs to be addressed. Find it and fix it.
Step 5- Execution
Now comes the fun/hard/scary part. Executing your new plan and approaching that start line again with no fear of failure. I wrote a blog about "approaching the line with confidence" last fall that talks about this same idea. Don't be afraid to attack your goal with everything you have. The worst you can do is fail.
"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure… then to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt
No comments:
Post a Comment