I wrote the note below to a fellow racer/friend that sent me a really tough race report. Thought some of you might find it useful:

The battle of a warrior is not always against a mental (or written) goal, rather against elements that cause discouragement. If you are discouraged because you battled elements and still finished, then I suppose you consider yourself a failure. If, however, you consider yourself successful because you waged a worthy battle, then, you are a winner.