I recently pulled the plug (hours before my flight left) on my first 70.3 after the swim was cancelled. Decision made easier by an ongoing injury that put an end to an excellent 4 months of training. Feeling quite sorry for myself and then I saw a Dylan Johnson FB post about a broken-bone crash as he was prepping for Unbound.
So, I know in the grand scheme of things my disappointment is minor AND that it can be cathartic to share and to hear other’s experiences… What are your greatest disappointments? How did things shake out? What did you learn?
Probably a shattered/displaced kneecap injury back in late 2017 just as I was getting pretty decent on the MTB and in really good shape with big race plans for 2018. Took me a couple years to really get back from that, but the only really trying/depressing time was between the wreck and when I able to start rehab after surgury. Once I started rehab, it was basically training/recovery mode and the incremental progress was enough to keep my spirits high. Injuries just suck though. Broke my hand early season last year that put me about a month behind in my training, but bounced back nicely and never got too bummed about it (was able to keep my sanity riding on the trainer pretty quick after the injury).
Covid year was also disappointing since I was finally back from the injury and in really good early season shape with big race plans in 2020. With the world getting shut down about 2 weeks prior to my first big race of the year, it sucked, but I wasn’t that bummed out on the cycling front given the bigger perspective of what was going on in the world.
This spring has been pretty disappointing. Built best fitness I’ve ever had during winter and also built a new road bike. Just when summer starts I get some weird bug that has been on/off for 3 weeks.
Was already feeling fine and started training for few days and I think I caught the bug back from my girlfriend.
Now starting to train again carefully I hope I don’t get it back 3rd time. Probably lost a lot of top end power.