I want to thank everybody who empathized with my disappointment for not finishing my Lost Soul Ultra race last weekend. I truly appreciate your kind words. Those who know me personally know I am not the type of person who usually shows what I’m feeling. Right now I feel slightly silly about all my dramatics with all the crying. Now that my tears have dried, I have had time to gain perspective. I can see the humour in the situation, which basically means I am on the road to a clear head.
My team of doctors have determined that I did not do any serious damage. My knee is in good shape. I was given some exercises to strengthen the areas surrounding my knee. I was told not to do lunges. (No problem there. I don’t like lunges) It looks like the source of all my woes might have been fatigue or something else weird that may have caused my knee to buckle. It could been a million things.
Good news is that I will be back running in no time. (Tomorrow?)
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So over the last few days, I thought about my DNF. It was hard not to when I was reading about everyone’s races on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I absolutely love reading about their race experiences. I actually got a little weepy again in some cases. Seeing the race photos and seeing the love simply strengthened my sense of trail community.
I also realized that I’m not alone. Most (some? all?) runners do not finish a race. It’s funny because at the time I thought I was the first person ever to not complete a race that started. It’s crazy but at the time, it made complete sense. So with that in mind, I offer some thoughts/tips on how to handle a DNF so you do not embarrass yourself or lose your running mates.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Just like Chicago sang – “you are not alone, pick up the phone.” Once I made the decision to drop, I called my running pal Rachel to talk my crazy down. Friends, especially your running ones, have been there. They get it. Complain. Bitch. Whine. Cry. They have your back. Need a hug? Find a volunteer and hold tight. That’s why they are there.
TAME THE SOCIAL MEDIA WHINING
Gosh it is so tempting, especially if you are like me and love to share everything on Twitter. It’s not pretty. In fact I particularly remember one particular Twitter spat circa 2009. (Yup there’s been a few deletes over the years.) I get it you’re upset. It happens but there is only so much that your besties on Twitter can do. Above all you don’t want to say something that you regret like complaining about the course or the race directors.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH
It really isn’t the end of the world. Honest. REM did not write It’s The End of The World about or for you. There will always be another race. I’m sorry you had to pull out. I hope it’s not serious. There will always be another race unless there isn’t.
DON’T MAKE EXCUSES
Remember when I said not to say something negative about the race? The same goes with excuses. Do not make them. Example: It was really smoky in Lethbridge this past weekend. The smoke got into my eyes, which caused me to run blindly into the coulees where I tripped on a rattlesnake and my knee buckled. Sounds ridiculous, right?
GET OVER IT
Writing three blog posts, a newspaper article and tweeting pictures of my DNF tile really helped me work through my emotions. I encourage you to do the same. Also tell everyone, especially your non-running colleagues, about your DNF. Shed some tears for impact.
Seriously I haven’t spent this much time dwelling on something that did not work out.
Sometimes as runners we challenge ourselves in races. I say this because not every runner does races. Those who do spend a lot of time training. We alter our lives for weeks, months, even years for this one big moment. We envision a perfect day and a perfect race. But it rarely happens. I don’t know any runners that have had a perfect race. (If you are one of them, please let me know about it in the comments below.)
I truly believe there are lessons and opportunities of growth in every success or failure. Stuff happens and it is the way we deal with it that really sets us apart.
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