From DNF to Ironwoman! : Lessons in Resilience

It’s the scenario a lot of us fear, you’ve been training for months for a big event and you don’t make the cut-off.

It happened to Rachel and Becca, of 10 Ironwomen

They trained for Ironman Barcelona in 2023 and after a tough swim didn’t make the bike cut-offs. I chatted with them about how they felt on a podcast episode which you can listen to here

If you’ve been in the same situation these are some of the things that you might feel:

• Disappointment: You will probably feel disappointed, especially after dedicating many months to training for the big day. You could feel a sense of loss for things not turning out the way that you planned.
• Frustration: You may feel frustrated, especially if the DNF was due to factors beyond your control, such as weather, an injury, or a technical issue. You might even feel angry or upset that something unexpected disrupted the hard work that you put in.
• Self-Doubt: A DNF can lead to questions about your ability, readiness, or fitness level. You may start doubting yourself, wondering if you did something wrong in your preparation or if you’re cut out for the sport.
• Embarrassment: You could feel embarrassed, especially if you shared your goals publicly. You might worry about how others see you and you could feel like you let people down.
• Relief: Sometimes, especially if you were physically or mentally exhausted, you may feel a sense of relief knowing you made the safe decision to stop. This can be particularly true if you were injured or struggling with extreme fatigue.

When you have sat with your emotions for a few days you should be able to see things a bit more clearly and move on, DNFs are a part of endurance sports and you can reframe  it as a valuable experience that helped you develop mental resilience, which is just as important as physical endurance.

A DNF becomes an opportunity for self-reflection. Athletes can analyse what went wrong, learn valuable lessons, and make adjustments in their training or race strategy to avoid similar setbacks in the future

Many athletes turn a DNF into motivation. After processing the disappointment, you may feel a renewed determination to train harder, correct mistakes, and come back stronger.

You can read about one of my DNF’s here

I have helped many athletes come to terms with DNF’s and can help you too!

If you’d like to book a call just send me an email at celia@ltrcoaching.co.uk