Notes to Self - Doubt the Doubt

We've all been there—a day where everything seems to go wrong. In my case it was a disastrous training day. Whether it's gear malfunctions, an unexpected injury, or just feeling off, the spiral of frustration can be tough to escape. On my day my sled broke, my gear didn’t cooperate, and it felt like the universe had conspired against me. It was the kind of day where the idea of progress felt laughable. I started to build a story around how all the work I was putting in was ineffective, even trying to attempt the Yukon Montane Artic Ultra of 700 kms was a pipe dream, who was I to think I could do this.  I was kidding myself.

But here's a thought: Why do we let bad training days carry so much weight? When we have a great training day, we rarely think life is now perfect, I have mastered my craft. Yet on those "bad" days we tend to fuel them with more energy and a strong commitment to certainty of our shortcomings.  We tend to ruminate on them more.  They are the harder ones to let go of. It’s worth asking why.

Breaking the Cycle

Bad training days can teach us resilience, but they can also trick us into believing they define our journey. Here's how I’ve learned to reframe these moments:

1. Accept and Move On A bad day is just that—a single day. The past cannot be changed, so why dwell on it. Tomorrow is another chance to improve. As the saying goes, "This too shall pass." Recognizing this, we have the power to break out of unhelpful patterns.
2. Decompress and Deconstruct When things go wrong, reflect on why. Were there gear issues? Did you neglect recovery? Or was it simply an off day? Understanding what happened helps you learn without assigning blame. Learning is the key word here, become curious not blame ridden.  What would you adjust, what would you do differently next time. 
3. Celebrate Consistency A bad day doesn't negate your progress. It’s the accumulation of all your training—not a single session—that determines success. When the bad days come, remember that persistence wins.

Endurance training and life share this truth: it’s not about one victory or defeat but relentless forward progress. On good days, celebrate and keep moving. On bad days, acknowledge the setback but stay the course.

Gear breaks. Sleds fail. We hit walls, figuratively and literally. But every stumble is a step toward growth if we let it be. Let the bad days teach you grit, and let the good days remind you of your potential.

So, next time you're caught in the loop of a bad day, take a breath and let it go. The past is the past, but your deliberate, focused future is yours to shape.