Easier said than done

Riding the emotional rollercoaster of quitting a race

Hello,

Thanks to everyone who responded to my recent ultra-distance advice bonanza, especially those who shared their own suggestions. I’ll include these (along with some more tips from me) at the end of this email.

Sharing this picture of my favourite beach for no other reason than that it makes me feel serene and peaceful, and I think we could all do with a bit of that

But first I have a response to someone who’s asked my advice on a perpetually knotty aspect of ultra-distance events: quitting. And I’d be interested to know if anyone else has any wisdom for this fellow cyclist, because it’s not an easy question to answer.

Do you have any advice on how to manage the emotional rollercoaster that comes after bailing on a long-anticipated ride? I decided to quit on the second day of a two-day event and I'm still sad & disappointed in myself. ALL the questions and what ifs are still buzzing around my head: what if I'd started earlier on day 2? Was I really that tired? Did my knee hurt that much, really? What if I'd just eaten more? Why did I faff so much? The second part wasn't technical, why didn't I just continue? etc etc! And not to mention feeling like you've been left out of the after party when the event's social media is full of buzzing finishers sharing their joy. I can't shift my negative mental response (clearly social media is bad for this!), and need to draw a line and appreciate what I did manage, but boy I'm finding it hard not to ruminate!