Challenge Accepted- History Made
When things look and feel bleak,
you just have to find ‘your carrot’
It is easy to get down on yourself, feel deflated, or start to question your ‘why’ when things do not go according to plan or feel out of your control. There might be a lot of that going on right now. I am here to tell you- that is okay, but it is not okay to let yourself hang out there though too long.
I’d like to share a quick story about the first ever annual FROYO mile, and you can check out a quick video if you want to experience it for yourself:
Before the global pandemic swept across the world,
a group of brave athletes were at AP RACING CAMP
in Chula Vista to TAKE ON THE 1st EVER FROYO MILE.
The day, as I remember it, was a roller coaster.
Why- it started off with a swim in torrential downpours and then heavy rains that delayed our bike/run ‘race day’ by 3+ hours. On this day, the plan was to race around one of the nicest bike crit courses in the world, filled with tunnels, bridges, and great up’s and downs, then hop off our bikes and run on the track. We do this 3-4 times in small groups where the intensity is high and the fun factor is off the roof. Well, with the day being delayed, folks spirits were a bit low but we rallied once the rain cleared and everyone was pumped again. We saw the delay as an opportunity to rest up for a big effort.
As the intensity cranked up a notch, two of our AP Racing elite athletes and team leaders went down HARD on the bike course. What followed was a lot of really nervous energy, ambulances, and a lot of trepidation. The day could have been over right here as spirits were low, people were unsure how to act, and myself and one of our athletes were off to the hospital. Did it? That is an affirmative ‘no’. Our AP Racing staff and campers rallied, again, and completed the first ever, world record setting Froyo Mile. What ensued was a complete reversal of the overall spirit of the group and a truly epic experience. Was everyone still worried about our injured athletes- absolutely. Did we still make the best of what was a terrible situation and day? Yes.
For that, I am most proud of our athletes and our staff. Because no matter the situation you are in, and whether there is a global pandemic, an injury, or even something as silly as a flat tire or a dropped water bottle, we are always in control of our Attitude & Effort.
Situations don’t define us, we define situations. On that day, we defined our situation by redefining what our ‘carrot was’. It started off with performance goals and to ‘rip it up’ on the race course and turned into how to have the most fun possible.
For you, you have to find your carrot each day and what that carrot might be can change daily, weekly or monthly.
Next week, I am going to share an email that my training partner sent to me a week ago that talks about challenges, finding new ‘carrots’ to chase, and what that might means for you.
Until then, get out there, make the most of whatever situation you have and make it your own.