“

You train with the faith that you are doing the right things given your unique situation. Because of this things can go wrong and you don’t always know why. Or perhaps you do. Regardless, when “luck” seems to turn against you and you have a “bad” race a common reaction is to look for the next race you can do, hopefully very soon, so you can prove to yourself that you’re ok after all. These are called “redemption” races. You’re seeking salvation for your shortcomings with the hope of making your world right again.

This is seldom the best course of action. What I usually see happen at redemption races is the athlete is too tired, too sore or too tapered to race well again right away. This often results in a second “bad” race which brings not salvation but rather eternal damnation. Athletes then sink into a morass of mental self-abuse so deep that it causes some to quit the sport or at least come to the conclusion that they are indeed worthless when it comes racing. I’ve even seen athletes who come to believe they are not even “good” people because of a poor race performance. Sometimes we tie too much baggage onto race performances. You are not your last race.

”

“Time you enjoyed wasting was not wasted.”

“That’s the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as he sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end. The fog is like a cage without a key.”

“We all have problems. The way we solve them is what makes us different.”