Adversity Breaks Many Athletes — Not You

Let’s talk about adversity, how you react to adversities and unexpected events, and how to thrive when they arrive. Let’s begin with some familiar inner monologues. Ever heard these during a tough race or long training session?

• “It’s the coldest (or hottest, or windiest) it’s ever been on this course. This just isn’t my year.”
• “There it is again — the old injury is back. There’s no way I can handle the climbs ahead.”
• “If I miss the next cut-off, I’m done. Why keep pushing?”
• “I’m risking injury that’ll ruin my whole season.”
• “I screwed up my nutrition. I’m bloated and nauseous. I won’t bounce back from this.”
• “I can’t stay awake. A nap is the only option.”
• “Why did I think this race mattered? This was a dumb idea.”

There Will Be Discomfort

This type of mental chatter is normal — part of the territory in endurance racing and epic challenges. Things will go wrong. Weather, gear, injuries, body lows — they all show up. And how you respond to them will shape your race outcome. It’s one thing to know adversity is part of the deal. It’s another to remember that truth in the heat of the moment — and respond like the version of yourself you admire most. Let’s build that response system now.

Learning from Pilots

Pilots train to handle emergencies calmly and precisely — because they have to. A few years ago, I was in a small jet that had to make an emergency landing on one engine. I watched as the pilots worked through the problem with zero drama, following their checklist and landing safely. When I went through flight school, we trained for emergencies on every flight — and talked through the most likely ones before takeoff. Loss of power? Nose down, best glide speed, look for a place to land. Drill it until it’s automatic. Endurance athletes benefit from the same discipline. Create checklists for what can go wrong on race day — and train those scenarios. Worried about bad weather? Add it to your checklist. Then train in it. I’ve coached runners who feared snow — so we built a snow protocol and got them training in it. Same with heat, gear issues, stomach trouble, and more.

The Checklist Approach

Pilots	Takeaways for Endurance Athletes
1. Use checklists for all standard procedures (pre-flight, taxi, takeoff, landing).	1. Create race-day checklists for gear, nutrition, pacing cues, and visualization rituals.
2. Train emergency scenarios and use checklists to respond with precision.	2. Build “adversity playbooks” for weather, injury, GI issues, and energy crashes.
3. Debrief and update protocols based on real-world experience.	3. Reflect after races. Evolve your plans and sharpen your resilience toolkit.

Investing time here pays off when things go sideways. Practice visualizing adversity — then watch your checklist unfold step by step in your mind. Make that response automatic. The more you rehearse, the calmer you’ll be. Race day will still test you — but with the calm and confidence of a seasoned pilot, you’ll navigate the storm and write a finish-line story you’re proud of. Train hard. Stay sharp. And enjoy the ride! — Coach Jeff Grant