I faced some headwind this weekend. Whether the number of training hours catching up with me or a just an off weekend, I hit some obstacles.

Sunday Example. 5-hour hike/run

Challenges:

– Body/mind tired from Saturday 4 hour training
– Backpack weight was too heavy to start and couldn’t dump my water weight
– My directions were not detailed enough. I was trying to mimic a North Face race course

These type of things happen in every race. So instead of stewing on it with negative statements, I asked myself a better question.

What’s the upside?

– Adaptability is key to finishing these races
– Better to make mistakes in practice so you can fix for race day
– I’ve got lost on course before. Patience and calm in the storm help you dig out. It was an opportunity to reset and reframe.

Now if I step back and look at some overall intentions of a tough training weekend they were:

To get set hours and mileage in
To problem solve, overcome obstacles and mentally grow
To get some suffering in
To have a little to a lot of fun

This weekend number 4 was less than usual but I still had a little fun!

Mission accomplished.

Colin