Celebrating the Losses
We are a driven bunch. We pour our blood, sweat, and tears into training, meticulously planning every interval session and nutrition strategy. We sacrifice family time and social engagements for extra saddle hours. And we do it all chasing that elusive dream of the perfect race day when everything clicks.
But even the greatest champions have races that don't go as planned. Legs that inexplicably feel heavy and flat. Mechanical issues that upend our strategy. Nutrition misfires that leave us bonking. No matter how well we prepare, sometimes the winds don't blow in our favour on race day.
When those disappointments happen, it's easy to be hard on ourselves. To ignore all the smart training decisions and hard work that got us to the startling line. To hyperfocus on that poor performance as evidence that we aren't good enough cyclists.
But I'm here to celebrate the losses. Bad race days are some of the most valuable learning opportunities we have as athletes. Think about it…
They humble us and protect us from the pitfalls of arrogance and complacency that come when success starts coming too quickly.
They shine a light on the cracks in our strategy, training, equipment, etc. - giving us areas to improve.
They force us to be resilient, to pick ourselves up, and try again with renewed determination.
They make the eventual victories all the sweeter when we finally taste them.
Every loss provides lessons that ultimately make us more challenging, wiser, and better athletes. The trick is having the perspective to celebrate each lousy day as a chance to level up.
So, whatever disappointing race memories are haunting you, reframe them as critical learning experiences. Dissect where things went wrong and what you can improve without beating yourself up. And then, get back on the bike, adjust, and prepare to achieve your subsequent great success.
The journey to be a cyclist is not a straight line. It's a winding road with ups and downs, and even if it is a straight line, it’s probably into a headwind.
Celebrate the losses along with the wins because they're what make crossing future finish lines so rewarding.
