Managing failure
Podcast by Matt Dixon
This week’s podcast addresses managing failure, while the final message from us is to manage your expectations when you succeed! Both ends of the spectrum, but the outcome in both cases needs to be controlled.
Firstly, everyone “fails” at some point, it is an important part of development and growth. Fails can be minor little things, like forgetting to take your drinks bottle on a ride, through to “bonking” in a race because of bad effort control (self-inflicted) or adverse conditions (areas out of your control).
Failing is NOT a bad thing:
F – first
A – attempt
I – in
L – learning
Something worth remembering; there is never a perfect training session or race.
The important thing to realise is that these moments are a time to learn and progress, not a time to doubt your efforts. Learn to look at all your training and racing through an objective, neutral and unemotional lens. This will highlight constructive positives and points to address.
We encourage you to communicate with us regularly and have the “post-race review” template in Dropbox; both are for this very reason – to help you achieve your potential by being able to decide what you need to do next. You don’t have to try to figure out your route to success on your own!
So, have a listen and remember, failing is an opportunity to progress, NOT a time to question your direction or quit!
Finally, a mini message about dealing with success. The exact opposite of failing is having breakthrough moments – completing a tough session, feeling good in your rehabilitation journey, setting a PB in a race, etc. This is a great moment in your journey, but one to be wary of in terms of future expectations and approach to training. This breakthrough performance may have been largely down to your development (being stronger and fitter), but some external factors may have assisted you! As you have heard us same many times, there are many variables in triathlon that can aid or hinder you (stress levels, rest, currents, temperature, wind, flat route, etc).
Simply be patient and objective with your development, learn from you mistakes and don’t raise your expectations too high or too soon after success. If you allow it, you will be strongest when you fail, while being at your most vulnerable when at your peak!
