When Quitting Becomes a Pivot

When the Goal Changes

At what point does perseverance become stubbornness? That’s a question endurance athletes don’t always want to answer. We’re taught to keep going, push through, and never quit. But what happens when the goal you’re chasing no longer fits the person you are today? Jeff Seckendorf has spent decades figuring that out. At 71, Jeff is a competitive cyclist, coach, and record-setting athlete. He’s also worked in filmmaking and scuba education. Reinvention isn’t exactly new territory for him. But a recent shoulder injury presented a different challenge.

The Bike Changed. The Athlete Didn’t.

Jeff tore his rotator cuff, making his familiar time trial position impractical. Suddenly, the bike he’d spent years optimizing wasn’t an option for his next race. Rather than abandon cycling, he began exploring recumbent racing. New equipment. Different muscles. Unfamiliar aerodynamics. And just five weeks to prepare for a six-hour time trial. Would he be competitive? He didn’t know. Would he show up? That was the plan.

Quitting Isn’t Always Failure

One of the most interesting parts of our Fireside Chat was Jeff’s willingness to question the language surrounding quitting. He’d previously spent years pursuing an hour cycling record. As faster performances pushed the target farther away, he reconsidered what he wanted from competition. He eventually shifted toward longer-distance cycling records that better suited his strengths.

Who Gets to Define Success?

Why should anybody else care whether Jeff races for one hour or six? He’s still training. Still challenging himself. Still finding something worth pursuing. And that’s where this conversation moves beyond cycling. Maybe you’re reconsidering a marathon because running has stopped being enjoyable. Maybe an injury has changed your season or you’re discovering that the goal you set three years ago doesn’t fit your life anymore. Does changing direction erase everything you’ve accomplished? Of course not.

Every Year Is Another Upgrade

Jeff has another way of reframing expectations. Instead of saying he’s 71, he calls himself version 7.1. Each year brings another upgrade, with occasional bug fixes. It’s funny, but there’s something meaningful underneath the joke. We aren’t obligated to remain the athletes we used to be. The next version might pursue a different distance, learn a new sport, or simply enjoy moving without chasing a personal record. The question isn’t whether you quit the original goal. It’s whether you’re still choosing a life that matters to you. Listen to Jeff’s full conversation on The Fireside Chat, then tell us: Have you ever changed a goal and discovered something better?

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Pivoting Is Not Quitting

Five years chasing one cycling goal. Four world records after changing direction. Jeff Seckendorf joins Jason to talk about aging, ambition, injury, and knowing when changing the goal isn’t the same as giving up.

Listen to the Episode on Substack →

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