Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog. Now let's get started by talking about how failing to reach the finish line can actually motivate you to try harder, become better, and set bigger goals for yourself.
But first let's discuss three letters no runner ever wants to see, say, hear or write. Three letters than can make or break a runner depending on what they do in response to having them posted next to their race results... DNF. The dreaded letters that stand for Did Not Finish. But guess what? As bad as those letters may be, they aren't nearly as bad as DNS. Because a Did Not Start means you didn't even try. And that is a far greater tragedy. With that in mind, let's look at four reasons you should celebrate a DNF and how some local runners dealt with the disappointment of not being able to reach the finish line.
1. The training. Face it. Before you ever stepped up to the start line of your race, you already logged countless hours, days and miles of training. You probably even trained in all kinds of weather and battled chafing, black toenails and blisters. But you kept getting out there anyway! That means you were a ROCKSTAR before you even put your race bib on!! No DNF can ever change that! So celebrate the training you did regardless of how it played out on the racecourse. How many other people do you know set a goal and attempted to reach it? Celebrate what you were able to do!
2. Second chances. Do you know what one of the great things about running is? You can sign up for the same race and give it a another go. One failed attempt doesn't mean it's over! It just means what you did didn't work or that it just wasn't your day. Use your DNF as a motivator to really look at everything that contributed to it and change those things you can. Was the weather bad? What can you do to be better prepared for it next time? Did you get blisters? What can you do to change that? Did you flood your mind with negativity? What will you do to keep your joy when that happens again? And remember, there are always going to be things that are totally out of your control. Grant yourself some grace and forgiveness over those things and move on. Sign up for the race you weren't able to finish and use it as your motivation to get back into the saddle. Heck, why wait that long? Find another race right now and give it another shot! Celebrate that you're going to try again!
3. You had the courage to start. And I'm not just talking about starting the race. Celebrate the fact that you had the quality of mind and spirit that enabled you to face the difficulties, pain and uncertainties of starting the training. Whether it was a half marathon, a full, or even an ultra that you were training for, celebrate the fact that you stepped out of your comfort zone to embark on something you knew would be hard! Pat yourself on the back for being "that crazy running person" people love to talk about but secretly wished they were. That's right. Celebrate that you inspired others to even remotely consider taking up running.
4. You're left with grit... that is if decide to use your DNF as a stepping stone on the way to your next race rather than a stumbling block that causes you to give up. Do you think Rocky got the eye of the tiger overnight? Do you think he got it from winning? Heck no! Rocky got the eye of the tiger from getting knocked down in the ring and in life over and over again. He got it from looking up at his opponent and making the determination to rise again and again to face that opponent. You see, it's the DNF's in life that give you staying power, resilience and the determination to try as many times as you have to until you finally beat your opponent and claim the prize. Gaining the eye of the tiger is a definite reason to celebrate. You can even play the song as you head back out to the trail to start training again!!
So here we go with the story of Jody Rhoads. This girl has a smile that can light up a room and is the person you always want to run with because of her joyful spirit and constant encouragement. And having joined her on a couple of training runs leading up to her 100 mile race, I knew how bad she wanted to reach that finish line and claim the buckle. Sadly though, Jody received a DNF on her first attempt last weekend. And this is what she posted immediately afterwards "My legs literally stopped working at 46 miles. My husband said, what is wrong with you?!? It's a good thing I was near our crew tent, because it took me 40 mins of tears to walk 300 meters and he finally sent for the car... Finally!?! My partner in crime, Ed Green, went out for another loop! #respect! Non-stop rain for 12 hours made the blister struggle real! Even though I changed socks and relubed after the first loop, it still wasn't enough - #somuchmud! Massive hill climb at the beginning. I've never been so sad and happy at the same time.... First official DNF. (Did Not Finish) We did the first 46 miles in 12 hours (that includes my stellar walk at the end,) so we made pretty good time until the wheels literally did fall off.
" But get this, just 48 hours later, this is what Jody said when I asked her how she felt, "How do I feel today??? Robbed.. I'm sure it's Satan kicking me while I'm down... Did I learn a lot - yes!!. I'm just looking at it as everything is a stepping stone to where I need to be. We can do everything right and it still might not end how we want it to.. My mantra... Everything is a stepping stone to where we need to be!" So there we go my friends... everything is a stepping stone to where we need to be.
Next, check out this comeback story my friend Gary Shaw shared about his first DNF...
"My first DNF was Prairie Spirit Trail 100. I made it 84 miles in when I got swept for missing the time hack. I was severely depressed but forced a fake smile for a couple of weeks. As soon as registration opened up for the next year's race, I signed up. I thought about that DNF for a solid year. I went back and finished and put on the ugliest cry face in the history of ultrarunning history at the finish line."
And this is what Cindy Rieckhoff said about her recent DNF...
"The conflicting thoughts that keep going through my head after ending up with a 50K at a race that was "supposed" to be my first 100 mile attempt are interesting. The first thought that filtered through the disappointment that everything didn't come together this time was: "Everything really felt good for getting that 100 going into it, if only..." Then shortly after comes this one: "What the heck Cindy, how many folks really look at 50K as being such a "weak" distance, really is this what is in your head right now?" I don't go into races with a competitive mindset, it's all about the full experience, so a DNF does not feel like a failure to me, but rather just a run that ended where it was meant to end on that given day. It does make me want to come back to chase the "end goal" of finishing the distance, but not with any regrets for not getting it done the first or second or third try."
But get this, it's not just those big DNF's that can motivate us to become better and press on, sometimes it's the day to day ones as Rachel Bowers explains....
"My story is not a DNF for a race, but a DNF on a casual run that changed my life. I have been running since middle school but in 2007, I found myself at 170lbs, about 30% body fat, and in the midst of depression after having my second miscarriage. I stopped caring and exercising. I did just enough to remain in the Army. I had a Major who took me out for a 3 mile run (to get me back in shape). I couldn't even complete 2 of the 3 miles, I was mentally and physically done. She walked and talked with me the rest of the way. I was embarrassed and disappointed in myself. I used my upcoming deployment as a time to get myself both mentally and physically in shape. I use this story to encourage other Soldiers who tend to struggle with weight."
My friends, isn't it amazing what a DNF can do if you don't let it keep you from trying again and again? It not only changes you and motivates you to press on with a passion that you probably never knew existed but it has the power to inspire those people that are watching you. So choose to view your failures as stepping stones today. Choose to celebrate every start no matter the outcome. But most of all, choose to step out and try things that may end in failure; things like running a half marathon, a marathon or even an ultra marathon. Then determine in your heart that you will choose to continue trying until those dreams become reality.
Happy Running!!!
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