Tenacity and Acknowledgement

MUSINGS FROM A COACH - 24 JUNE '25

When athletes commit to something, it often requires a great deal of grit, resolve and sometimes pure willpower. I like to use the word, tenacity.

It's what gets athletes up early in the dark to start a trainer ride or get to the pool. It's required when they put on both the run shoes and the jacket because it's raining outside. And it's accessed when an athlete is deep into a 20min threshold test.

It's this tenacity that drives the athlete forward, and with it often the expectations of perfect execution. When this perfection doesn't occur, it's a gut check and can really feel deflating."I've been working hard, so I should have been able to nail this workout."

"I've had a great training block last week, why was my ride this week so terrible?"

"My long run just felt terrible, and I had to cut it short. I should have done much better."

This "tenacious" attitude that is required breeds this pursuit of perfection. But perfection, of course, is impossible (at least based on how an athlete defines perfection). So what can an athlete do?

See the entire picture, not just the disappointments.

If an athlete can find and acknowledge the "good things" they've done, it will highlight the positives and counteract the negative perceptions.  

"I've been working hard, so I should have been able to nail this workout. But Ive did a great job of making adjustments and completing the session when I had very little motivation.""I've had a great training block last week, why was my ride this week so terrible? Oh yea, I forgot that I skipped dinner and sleep poorly all last night. I'm surprised I even got on the bike."

"My long run just felt terrible, and I had to cut it short. I should have done much better. But looking at the big picture, I'm proud that I was able to make the adjustment and stay healthy and ready for a better day."Sometimes our greatest performances in both training and racing come from the balance of tenacious drive and acknowledgment of successes. They really do go hand in hand. So next time you get down on yourself because of a missed metric, poor training session or an underwhelming performance, look deeper and find not just the "why", but also how you handled it. That's when you'll find those successes amongst perceived failures. Then acknowledge them and pat yourself on the back.

Gratefully, Mark

CEO Team MPI