Today I failed a session. I've been tired the last few days, it's been hot, and I probably didn't eat enough after my swim this morning. None of that's an excuse, it's just what was actually going on.
I was supposed to do a four-hour outdoor ride. The weather killed that, so I adapted it to three hours indoors, which turned into two. An hour of endurance, then an attempt at fifteen VO2 max intervals — I don't think I completed a single one properly. Technically, I failed the session. But I gave it a go.
Adapting isn't failure
Instead of sitting on the sofa feeling sorry for myself, I got out and did the run anyway. And I'm proud of that. That's not failure, that's adapting. Resilience. Getting on with it despite how you feel.
A friend of mine was meant to ride 130k today. He did 80, hit obstacles — literal and otherwise — and got the train back. That's not failure either. That's the same thing: showing up, adjusting, still trying.
So if you ever feel like you're failing because you modified a session, cut it short, or couldn't do all of it — don't. 80% is good. 50% is good. 20% is better than the version of you who didn't get out of bed at all. Be proud. Adapting and being resilient isn't the same as failing.