Chainbuster The Gobbler 3 hour MTB race
Hannah Stacey | Published on 2/5/2022
I could have come up with a million excuses of why NOT to race. I had to force myself to want to do what I had already committed to do. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I KNEW it was going to be an opportunity to practice mental toughness and mental fortitude.
The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us but those who win battles we never see them fight. For me, I do best to keep my troubles in proper perspective without losing sight of what I need to accomplish.
Today was an ABSOLUTE mental toughness Day!!! My brain is always going. They say it’s estimated we say 300-1,000 words to ourself per minute. Those words NEED to be positive.
Today, the ChainBuster Gobbler race start was 27° F. The coldest race start I’ve ever seen! Winds at 25-30 mph. I was having the worst menstrual craps, had a horrid nights sleep, and was experiencing a crazy battlefield of the mind for SUREEE!!
I will definitely let you in on a secret: todays goal was simply complete 3 laps. That’s it, and that’s ok! Sometimes, we don’t show up our “best selves” and that’s ok!! (I give HUGE props to my 6 hour peeps… y’all are crazy amazing!!!)
If change is truly the only constant, then flexibility and adaptability are among the most important traits we can develop. That’s why I didn’t let myself “skip this one”as many times as my subconscious mind kept trying to tempt me, I HAD to replace those thoughts with “Remember who you ARE, #HMPS!!!”
Maintaining resilience in the face of negative pressures by developing a capacity to deal with stressful situations is SOOO important to me. Imagine what lessons I WOULDN’T have learned if I decided not to show today? Why pass up an opportunity to practice adapting to difficulties?
I am so proud of myself. I was FREEZING. I didn’t have my normal bubbly excited mood for racing which usually has me so pumped. My body hurtssss. Like A LOT. But despite it all, I stuck it out and completed the task at hand. I didn’t quit (but trust me, the thought definitely entered my mind 1,000 times!!) And I ended up on the PODIUM!
We’re all human. Acceptance of this fact and not thinking we’re supposed to be “perfect” is such a breath of fresh air. Sometimes we need to do our best with what we’ve got today without getting in a comparison trap to our personal best.
I hope that you read this and remember how important it is to be ok with being uncomfortable. It is such great character development. It makes you stronger. We are capable of soooo much more than what we tell ourselves.
I hope you find a challenge tomorrow and take it HEAD ON.