Was it
inadequate training that forced them to quit? Or lack of resilience? Or both?
The term ‘resilience’
can be defined in many contexts: In ecology, the capacity of an ecosystem
to recover from climate change; in engineering and construction, the ability of buildings and infrastructure to absorb assaults without
suffering complete failure; and in psychology, an individual's ability to adapt
in the face of adverse conditions. In endurance sports there are two aspects to
resilience: physical and mental. Is our body capable of withstanding prolonged stress
and is our mind strong enough to keep us pushing through it?
When I was in school, we were given
a handout in a chemistry class that had sketches of laboratory equipment on one
side and motivational text on the other. I hung that sheet of paper with the
text on it over my desk at home, brought it with me to college and still have
it today. Those words have guided me and inspired me throughout my life. Here’s
what it says:
Press On
Nothing in
the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is
almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated
derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
So, if we believe in the truth of
being rewarded by persistence and determination, and we add to that the definition
above for resilience, then we can see that success has little to do with
physical condition, environment, nor money, but rather is wholly reliant on
one’s mental focus.

This topic of resilience will be
discussed next week in a forum called the Eckert Talkrunde where I have been
invited to be on the panel along with other experts in sports therapy,
training, coaching and even an Olympic medallist.
I’m curious to see what the others
believe… and if I’ll get some insight as to why even some of the most hopeful endurance
athletes only rarely cross the finish line.
*Of course I've documented all the gory details of the entire race in nearly 30 pages of text which are just waiting for the right time and place to air them ;)
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