Ok, this is mental

[racaille]

On my last two outings I have had utter disasters: fell off at the logs and got utterly lost on the mountain. Despite the getting lost business I somehow managed to be placed third. It's official, it's there in black and white on the FFE site. WTF?

So how bad were the three other competitors beneath me??? The mind boggles.

And so, here's the REALLY bonkers bit: I have now accumulated enough points to have qualified for the French national championships. I am currently ranked 46th in France. I cannot stop chuckling, it's too insane. I have never ridden so badly or mucked up the orienteering so comprehensively ... I think it only shows that not that many people are competing at TREC.

Ah well. One good thing though is that I am getting over my nerves about competing. I could not have embarrassed myself more totally than in the last two weeks and yet the world has not ended. Unfortunately the French do not 'do' heroic failures - I think that is a wonderfully British thing - but I shall keep on getting out there to test myself.

And one day soon (or not, whenever) I shall be on a new horse. Whatever it is ....

[brigadier]

And one day soon (or not, whenever) I shall be on a new horse. Whatever it is ....


And then you have to start again....

Well done on qualifying- that's a tremendous achievement. I think as always you are far too hard on yourself. Gosh I've just had this talk with my son, why am I surrounded by people who don't see that for anything to be worth something it has to have its ups and downs and the only way you learn and become great is by having "whoopsies" along the way and overcoming them! (sorry to compare to a 10 year old but its more about the mentality of perfectionists than the age) I'm glad I'm mundane...the pressure...the pressure!!

[racaille]

I wish I'd had someone like you as my mum, Brig (if that doesn't sound too weird ). I don't know about being a perfectionist - I do know your boy is though! - I think I just grew up in an atmosphere that I was never good enough.

An example: when I got my first job on what was Fleet Street (top 1% of the profession) my mother could only lament that it wasn't the BBC. "Now there's a job with real prestige ..."

I can rationalise it all day long but I've always believed that I was just muddling through life and one day I would be found out

[haffyfan]

That's utterly fantastic! maybe now you will stop being so hard on yourself and just go with it and see what happens. I assume you will do the championships?

[brigadier]

Ahh Rac your mother was of a different time and despite you seeming to be good at everything she taught you to think you were good at nothing. Takes some skill that!!

[racaille]

Mar 16, 2016 9:37:06 GMT brigadier said:

I'm glad I'm mundane...the pressure...the pressure!!

Ahhh, get away with your woman! You are anything but mundane!

[pboy]

Wow well done! I think it goes to show that you are competing at a very high level, with multiple skills required across the various aspects of trec. It's very hard to get them all right on the same day but you're clearly doing well enough in most of them to get good placings. Keep at it!

[racaille]

Mar 16, 2016 10:25:11 GMT haffyfan said:

That's utterly fantastic! maybe now you will stop being so hard on yourself and just go with it and see what happens. I assume you will do the championships?

I don't know Haff. It depends on whether the T qualifies: I'm not sure it would be worth going on my own. If she does I might but I'd need some more practice first I think!