Falling Short

We all fail. It's bound to happen at one point, and when it does, what matters most is how it affects us, and our outlook.

It has happened to me quite a lot of times, and in the past few months, there have been races where I felt very disappointed with my performance. In the past, I dare not voice it out for the fear of coming across as impudent and snooty. But what the heck. I'm sure its happened to you too.

During the XRC Criterium last December 2008
Photo courtesy of Vince Corpus

I keep a log of races I join. Post-race, I jot down several things, like what went well, what went wrong, and possible points of improvement. More important than what went well, is actually what went wrong. There's just so much to learn from shortcomings and failures.

Last Sunday's Condura Half-Marathon was a clear example. I set quite a hefty yet somewhat achievable goal for the race, and fell flat. I bonked with more than 5km left. No excuses. I truly lived up to my URL - Positive Split.

However, inspite of it all, I was extremely happy that by running, I was not only able to contribute to saving the whale sharks, but also support the iamninoy movement.

The shirt says it all...
Photo courtesy of Rapa Lopa

Leo Babauta, author of the Zen Habits blog, beautifully narrates in this article how we should celebrate our mistakes. Disappointment can be a great motivation. For me, it's a huge kick in the arse. Looking on the brighter side, perhaps falling short is a gift.

With Hannah, who, for all intents and purposes - made her target
Photo courtesy of Mark Parco

'The winner takes it all
The loser has to fall
Its simple and its plain
Why should I complain?'
-ABBA


P.S. - For those interested in joining the iamninoy runners, register here.