Unexpected race day outcomes

Races sometimes - don’t go as we planned. We hope to always have a good day. But there are certainly bad ones, and it can be even more frustrating when you’ve traveled somewhere far/incredible or put a lot of energy into it for months.

Whether it was preparation, weather, injury, GI issues, mechanical/technical issues, or, just flat out having a bad day out there, it’s rough.

How do you deal?

Give yourself 24- 48 to grieve the race. Don’t write about it (unless there are a couple key notes you may forget), don’t post about it, don’t give everyone the run down. Yes, it’s ok to even tell your coach you need a day before you recap!

Focus on your recovery right after and find something non-race related that will fill your cup. If you’re out of town, go enjoy the rest of the trip! Seek out family & friends and find something low pressure to do.

After you’ve given it time, write some notes. Determine what you could have controlled and what you couldn’t. You can always control your mindset- so think through ways you could manage a similar situation in the future, differently.

Then, take some time before choosing your next race. Try to avoid an immediate hard left into a rebound race. It’s ok to want to do another one, but sit with that desire for a week before signing up.

If you can, take a social media diet for a week or so, too. Scrolling everyone’s highlight reels isn’t always helpful.

Learn from it, and lean into the failure as a way to strengthen your race plan for the next time. When it DOES come time to choose your next race, pick something you can get excited about! Give yourself time to have fun with the sport again before you put the pressure back on.