As you may or may not know, the Trimarni blog started in 2007. Well before 'blogging' was a thing, I needed an outlet to express my feelings after my first DNF. You can read about it here.
In the case of an injury, health issue, current fitness or long term goals, a DNF is often the right decision. This past weekend we had an athlete registered for IMFL. She recently qualified for the Ironman World Championship (2023) at Ironman Chattanooga. Originally IMLP and IMFL was on her schedule, but after learning about the extra Women for Tri slots after she competed at Ironman Lake Placid, we decided to make Chattanooga the priority. But instead of skipping IMFL, we thought it would be a very valuable training day for her. This athlete often struggles with nerves (due to expectations and pressure) which often result in stomach issues throughout the race. We also felt like our athlete was playing it safe in fear of the marathon and has the capability to go faster on the swim and bike. Because completed a third Ironman in three months was not ideal for this almost 60-year old athlete, she went into the race with the intention of not finishing after 6 miles of running. She made the most of her registration by swimming and biking harder than normal and surprising herself by feeling good running off the bike. And the best part - no nutrition issues from a nervous belly. She learned so much about herself by racing without pressure - had she skipped the race, she would not have had this incredible experience. But had she ignored our advice and ran the extra 20 miles to the finish line, she could have been at risk for long-term health issues.
In this case, the DNF decision was made in advance as a "racing" athlete brain does not always think clearly and can make decisions from emotions instead of out of logic.
When it comes to a planned DNF, athletes may feel ashamed or embarassed. There may be a feeling of letting down family and friends or worrying about what others may think and say. Remind yourself that you don't owe anyone a reason for your decisions but if you feel the need to respond, let others know that the decision to DNF was part of your plan. Whereas you may think of a DNF as a failed race result, you can use this opportunity to inspire others. There are many athletes who refuse to DNF, ultimately sabotaging health in order to cross the finish line. And the next day, when emotions are gone, the reality sinks in that now they have to deal with the consequences. Even if you know you can't finish the race, there is still so much to gain on race day before the DNF occurs. From practicing your pre-race and race day nutrition to perfecting your pre-race warm-up or race week taper or working a bit harder on the swim and the bike, you can still gain so much from the race without risking your long-term health. The important thing to remember is that you must think about your short and long term goals instead of short-term satisfaction and that you stay true to your decision to DNF because you have your health and long term goals in mind.
Having said this, if health is not compromised, fight for the finish line. Long distance racing takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. When you are alone with your thoughts, you are forced to make decisions on what risks to take and how much suffering you can tolerate. Then, when the going gets tough, it takes a tremendous amount of willpower to keep yourself going.
Because every athlete will experience that moment where quitting feels like the best option, it's important to remind yourself that racing is not pleasant. It hurts. It's uncomfortable. It crushes dreams. It's not fair. But that's why you race. To put yourself into challenging situations and to figure out how to get through them. When you can work through a problem and keep yourself moving, that makes you feel accomplished. While you may not have conquered your time or placement goal, getting yourself to the finish line when the odds were against you is worth celebrating.
Wanting to quit is completely normal during an endurance event. We can all find that perfect reason to give ourselves permission to quit. The day is long. The body gets tired, sore and very uncomfortable. Things don't go as planned. You may find yourself stuck in a bad situation. Stopping and quitting may feel like the only way to stop what you are experiencing.
I can only recal one Ironman where I didn't want to quit. 18 Ironmans and I wanted to quit everyone of them during the race. Why? Because racing for 140.6 miles is very very hard. During an Ironman, it's expected that you will have tremendous struggles, hardships, setbacks and very low moments. That's racing. Pushing yourself through discomfort takes a lot of effort and will. Even though quitting will stop the hurt that you are experiencing (and may feel like the best decision at the time), it rarely feels good the next day. Almost every athlete who quits a race will look back and regret making that decision. It's not the quitting that they necessarily regret but not trying more options to keep on going. But you better believe that quitting makes you stronger for the next time because you will address what didn't work and make sure it doesn't happen again.
The Ironman/140.6 mile distance is a beast of a race. It's incredibly tough - mentally and physically. There are plenty of obstacles to overcome that no amount of training can prepare you for. Every race is different. You may have a plan but there's a good chance that you'll need to deviate from that plan. Troubleshooting is a critical part of Ironman racing. Long distance racing requires a lot of skill and focus. The next time you find yourself in a challenging race day scenario, take a moment to understand the problem. Then remove emotion from the situation. Then try everything you can think of (at least 10 different strategies) to try to troubleshoot the situation. Working through a problem takes tremendous focus and skill. Giving up is easy and provides immediate relief but it doesn't teach you anything. When health isn't compromised, fight for that finish line.