"Excuses Don't Get Results"

It was a cold, rainy Sunday and I'd just arrived at the high-school track with Dan, a lifelong best friend to the point where we regard each other as a brother. The purpose of venturing out into the abysmal weather was for Dan to time me on some 400-yard repeats as I prepared for a PR in the mile during Track season.

We'd thought to bring along my family's three dogs to get them some fresh, if not overly moist, air. We didn't exercise much forsight, however, as we had to tie them up to a nearby fence. Though it was in their best interest- they'd invariably exhaust themselves in an attempt to join me on each interval - I still felt guilty with each plaintive bark I heard as they objected to their confinement.

After a short warm-up I ran the first 400. I was on goal time, but was wholly unmotivated. The rain was coming down at a steep angle... I was cold, wet ... the dogs were barking and I had the added guilt of making Dan endure the same conditions. Jogging over during what should have been a 100-yard recovery jaunt before the next interval, I told him I just wasn't feeling it, and relayed the aforementioned reasons that I was disinclined to continue.

Dan just looked at me, and said, "Excuses don't get results."

Just that statement, that was enough to flip that internal switch to 'on,' and after giving some quick attention to the dogs I set about completing the workout. I later went on to obtain that elusive PR in my target race, but the lesson I learned that day was much more important.

It's a simple truth. Excuses don't get results. There are reasons for a bad race, and then there are excuses. The difference is that one can learn from the former.

I had a bad race at an open water swim in Seattle a few years back. There was practically nothing to sight off of- that could be an excuse for my uncharacteristically poor showing. But in actuality, it was a universal factor that affected everyone and allowed those who'd refined their sighting, ability to swim straight, and prepared with goggles lined with anti-fog and confirmed not to leak (note: always bring a spare) to literally separate themselves from the pack.  Rather than writing it off as a 'poorly designed course,' I learned from my mistakes and am a better open water swimmer as a result.

Avoiding the temptation to make excuses is not only an admirable quality, it allows us to learn from our mistakes and improve ourselves as a result. I'm not perfect in implementing the perspective, but I am trying.

Another bad race was at a Thanksgiving 10km, and potential excuses for my slow time abounded, from the steep hills to congestion from those walking the event. Ultimately, my extended stay out on the course was principally due to an unexpected resurfacing of my pain in my knee. An excuse? Or, is it a simple lesson in the rules of engagement. If you're recovering from an overuse injury and have only been running on trails, don't sign up for a 10km on asphalt. Take away lessons- increase rehabilitative efforts, incorporate running on roads into training if an upcoming race is on cement, add technique drills to improve biomechanical efficiency, and skip the traditional post-Thanksgiving dinner marrionberry cobbler a la mode to get lighter to ease the strain on joints while running on less forgiving surfaces. I'm very happy to say that I have, to varying degrees for different amounts of time, implemented each of those, and am running better as a result.

I'm not, as Dan will quickly tell you, anything near perfect at implementing this perspective, however. But the wise words he uttered that day have at least resurfaced frequently enough throughout the last decade to help keep me on track.

Final note- if you can't, learn how to change a flat tire quickly. I have embraced the perspective that any cyclist, unless detached from bike wrenching because their soigneur has the team mechanic take care of it, should be able to change a flat in just a couple minutes at most. A flat tire, though a very unfortunate event, is never an excuse, and if anything, is just an involuntary time to rest so you can ride faster and run harder.