I've experienced two DNF's. The first was the Miami Marathon on January 28th, 2007. The reason why I remember that date is because it was my very first blog post. I find it so ironic that I decided to start my blog right after my first DNF. The second DNF was actually a DNS (did not start) when I fainted on race day morning at the 2017 Ironman World Championship in Chattanooga, TN.
Karel has had one DNF to his name. It was Ironman Lake Placid in 2015. Karel tore his plantar during a run workout a few weeks before the race and while he was tempted to run on it in order to finish the race, he made the smart decision to only swim and bike. It was really hard to give up his timing chip in T2 but it was the right decision to not further impact his recovery.
Although we have only experienced three DNF's, I can't list the number of Ironman races that we have wanted to quit while racing. At one point during every one of my 16 Ironmans, I have contemplated the thought of quitting as whatever I was struggling with didn't feel "worth it." I've had GI issues, I've been severely undertrained on the run due to a previous injury, I've had biomechanical issues and of course, the typical very low-moment thoughts of "why am I doing this to myself, this sport is stupid."
Karel had three near-quitting experiences. In 2017 Ironman Lake Placid, when he had the flu the week before the race and still under the weather on race day. He ended up in the med tent as he was severely dehydrated after the race. Then at the 2018 Ironman World Championship when his Di2 malfunctioned, he had to complete most of the 112 bike course in one small gear which taxed his legs before the marathon. Then, two weeks later, at Ironman Florida (in Haines City), he was struggling emotionally and physically from the first step of the run and he wanted to quit so badly as he had nothing in his body. I wouldn't let him quit. He ended up in the med tent again due to exhaustion.
Whether you are running in a 10K or in a marathon, participating in a sprint distance or full distance triathlon, there's no guarantee that just because you trained for a race that you will finish the race that you start. Racing is hard, especially long-distance, endurance racing. Therefore, on race day, no matter what is thrown your way and no matter how badly your ego is bruised, I encourage you to do everything in your abilities to try to reach the finish line. Although your health should never be severely compromised just to reach the finish line, many DNF situations involve giving up before exhausting all possible options. For example, you may be in a bad condition, struggling to move one step forward. But with 2 or 10+ hours left in the race, you still have time to stop and take care of yourself.
A DNF can cause major regret and it can crush you emotionally. But it can also serve as a big motivator to prepare better (or to make better choices) in order to finish your next race. Sometimes a DNF is inevitable from the start but for all other situations, here are some tips to deal with a DNF:
- No regrets - Regret leads to feelings of sadness, shame, guilt or remorse. Sure, you may be disappointed or sad, but spending the next few weeks with great emotional distress over your decision is not good for your soul. Life is full of experiences and sport is no different. Every setback or disappointment is a new learning opportunity. Move on with acceptance. Even the most experienced athletes make mistakes or poor "game time" decisions. And even when everything is dialed in - from nutrition to gear - some elements out of your control.
- Allow yourself to grieve - It's not just about the medal. It's about the time that went into training, the finish line experience and so much more. Before you quickly register for another redemption race, give yourself time to feel your emotions. Express your thoughts and feelings with your coach and close family/friends, both of which can help you sort through the cluster of thoughts between your ears. Ultimately, time will allow you to heal and move on. Your emotions are valid. Sometimes it's good to get yourself back out there but other times, it's good to give yourself a break.
- Be proud of yourself - You may be dwelling over what didn't go well, but there were things that went right. You prepared yourself for the race, you made it to the start line and up until the decision to stop racing, you hade the skills, fitness and abilities to move yourself forward. In the days after the event, give yourself space. Avoid looking at other competitor's results or browsing social media forums and posts from the race. Remind yourself that your experience is unique to you. If you are in need of help, consult a professional - not social media for "expert" advise of what you could have done a better job of.
- Learn lessons - Some DNF situations are brought on by something that is completely out of your control. Extreme weather, injury during a race, crash, equipment/gear malfunction, etc. As much as you try to problem solve and troubleshoot, some situations just suck. But if the DNF happened because of a situation within your control, what can you do differently in the future? What can you learn from this experience? Here are some commons reasons for a DNF:
-GI issues (diarrhea, sloshy stomach, abdominal cramping)
-Overfueling/overhydrating
-Underfueling/dehydration
-Nausea/vomiting
-Cramping/side stitches
-Ongoing injury
-Not heat acclimated
-Poor choice of clothing
-Outdated, poorly maintained or poorly designed gear/equipment
-Blisters, hot spots
-Pain
-Fatigue
-Exhaustion
-Illness
-Menstruation/PMS (females)
-Improper pacing
-Poor terrain management
-Poor pre race fueling/taper
-Inadequately trained/underprepared/overtrained
-Unable to meet a cut-off time - Check your ego at the door - It's easy to assume that a DNF means that you are not cutout for the race distance/event. It's also easy to give up when you are not meeting your race goals. When it comes to racing, a lot can happen. No athlete is "too good" for mishaps. You can't learn much if you give up every time something goes wrong. Long distance racing is an adventure. You are on a personal journey from start to finish. It's important to not adopt an race day attitude of pass or fail based on metrics, age group placing or finishing time. That is not what racing is all about. As I mentioned earlier, Karel and myself have struggled through many long distance triathlons. Many of which we have felt like we were in exceptional fitness going into the race - but unfortunately, we had to overcome obstacles during the race, which didn't validate our fitness level. One of the reasons why we have made it to countless finish lines (despites setbacks occurring) is making a commitment to always finish what we start. A finish line isn't about showing how fast you are as an athlete, but who you are as a person. It's about finding meaning for continuing, beyond a finishing time or place. When you show up to a start line, you are putting yourself out there. Racing means vulnerability. Giving up when things don't go your way sends the message that a race is only worth finishing when a specific result/goal is achieved.
- Accept that it will be hard - I love full distance triathlon racing. 140.6 miles - just me, my mind and my body. But no matter how well I prepare, I know that race day will be hard. Inevitably, no matter how good the day is going, things will get tough. Things will go wrong. Once you let frustration, doubt and defeat creep into the mind, it can be really difficult to make good decisions and bounce back. Instead of being stubborn with a purpose, the rest of the race feels like a waste and eventually, "it" all becomes too much to handle. Surrendering to negative thoughts, quitting feels like the only good option. Rarely will you have a race where dropping out won't cross your mind at least once. If you will exacerbate an injury or a health issue, quitting may be justifiable. But if a DNF happens because a goal was missed, the race feels too hard or you are not happy with the outcome, remind yourself that any result is better than no result. Even if you have to sit on the side of the road for an hour to figure out your issue or walk until you are pulled off the course, you can only learn if you keep on trying.
To avoid a DNF in your near future, here are a few tips: - Avoid expectations or an all-or-nothing mentality. Race with processed driven goals, not outcome goals.
- Race for something/someone bigger than yourself.
- Work with a professional on areas that you are not an expert in. Sport psychology, sport nutrition, training, racing....don't let race day by the day when you hope everything works out for the best.
- Expose yourself to different challenges and scenarios - in training and in future races.
- Don't wait until race day to test/practice gear, equipment or sport nutrition.
- Remind yourself "Finished is always better than did not finish. And did not finish is better than did not start."
- Don't chase results. Remind yourself that racing is about feeling challenged and overcoming obstacles.
- You gain strength every time you persevere through something difficult.