CYCLING
Don ’ t ( Never ) Give Up
Carbo-loading and going over the race plan with Charlie
There are many athletes who think that quitting a race or challenge is tantamount to failure , but as I realised a few months ago , just after starting the five-day Munga mountain biking race , there are times when the head needs to prevail over the heart , and good sense must win the day . – BY STEFANO MIGLIORE
Keep going . Persevere . Don ’ t quit . These are mantras that have been inculcated into our upbringing , flashed consistently throughout our formative and adult years , aimed to instil certain values : Work ethic , determination , resilience , and commitment . I know that I , too , am an evangelist of them , often injecting them into our family discussions , or to friends when they flirt with the thought of quitting a relationship , a game , or a race . And mostly to myself .
Meanwhile , we tease each other about the dreaded “ DNF ” ( did not finish ), even years after its occurrence . Whilst some of it may be light-hearted teasing , it is also a reflection of how deep quitting stains in our culture . We glorify perseverance , hustle and grit , and our failures to meet these traits riddles us with guilt , shame , and often a dangerous refusal
Stef ’ s bike proudly adorned with a new Munga number
Packed and ready to roll to move on , even when circumstances dictate that we should .
The overriding message that emanates from success stories , and backed up by researchers that study them , is that successful people never give up . They don ’ t quit when the odds are stacked against them , or when confronted with insurmountable challenges . They push on , regardless , in pursuit of their dream .
There ’ s no doubt that these qualities do enable success , but the stories that promote them are often skewed by survivor bias . We mostly hear about those who didn ’ t quit and won , and not necessarily about those who spent their last cent on an impossible dream and are now destitute in a gutter somewhere . We overlook that on the ingredient list of success there is also a fair amount of luck , timing , ingenuity , innovation and creativity .
Even though quitting can be framed both positively and negatively , we almost exclusively associate it with a negative outcome . Positive quitting involves a considered evaluation of the situation , the anticipated effects of carrying on or stopping , and a conscious , reasoned , decision-making process . Still , quitting is not an easy thing to do . Even Winston Churchill famously exalted to “ never , never , ever quit !” But last December , I had to make that tough decision to quit .
Braving the Karoo
The Munga is touted as “ The toughest race on earth ,” and whilst there may be some hyperbole involved , there ’ s no doubt that it is a tough event . It is a mountain bike race that starts in Bloemfontein , at midday , in the middle of summer , and then takes participants through the dusty , rutted and corrugated roads of the Karoo , all the way to Wellington , near Cape Town . That ’ s 1100-and-some-change kilometres
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