Seek the Suck.

Exposing weaknesses, cultivating a growth mindset and seeking valuable challenges.

Mantra: Seek the Suck

Last weekend, I lined up for the Huffmaster Hopper—the second event in the legendary Grasshopper Adventure Series. These early-season races promise fun, adventure, challenge, and a great fitness test to guide my training. More than that, competing against the men in these mass-start events gives me a chance to work on weaknesses and focus on the inner game without too much pressure on an outer goal.

Unlike many of the other hoppers, Huffmaster is at least half pavement and starts on 40 miles of tactical, rolling pavement that plays out more like a road race. Add in the fact that we started alongside the pro men, and you have my perfect recipe for discomfort. From the gun, I was out of my element—navigating a chaotic bunch, sprinting to stay upright through deep, muddy gravel sections. Tight quarters, limited visibility, an unpredictable pace, and the feeling of not being fully in control. As a mountain biker, group dynamics have always been a challenge for me—somewhere I’ve historically wasted a lot of energy simply trying to hold position and react to the unpredictable movements around me. To be honest, I kind of hated it. My thoughts spiraled: Why am I doing this? What if I crash? Is this even a good workout?

And then, I realized: The reason I hated this was exactly why I needed to be here. I wasn’t uncomfortable because something was wrong —I was uncomfortable because I lacked experience and was exposing a weakness. That shift in perspective changed everything. Instead of just enduring the group dynamics, I started engaging with them. I paid attention to how the other riders moved, where the strongest athletes positioned themselves and how they reacted to changes in terrain. I focused on taking deep breaths, relaxing and saving mental energy wherever I could. What had felt overwhelming turned into an opportunity to lean in and learn.

This lesson applies far beyond racing. When something is uncomfortable, our instinct is to pull back, to protect ourselves. But often, that feeling of struggle is actually pointing us toward our biggest opportunity for growth. And isn’t that what we’re all chasing?

If it’s hard, you are probably doing it right.

Message: walk through the fire…

“Why waste time proving over and over how great you are, when you could be getting better? Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them? Why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow? And why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you? The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.“

- Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Musing: what if you try?

What’s something you instinctively avoid because it feels uncomfortable? What might change if you leaned into the challenge?