“What Now?” – Updating the Feedback Loop Before Your Next Goal
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So here we are again. The stillness that lingers post-event, pre-next-goal. The kit’s packed away, the medal’s in a drawer. You’ve taken some rest, hopefully some time off too, you’ve read the last three Substacks by The Active Edge, and now…the questions start to bubble up:
What’s next?
Do I really want to go through that again?
Why did I do it in the first place?
Most of us probably don’t even get past question 1 and we choose to race back into another challenge. Others might find ourselves at question 2 or 3, offering ourselves a pause, a chance to engage our feedback loop.
Hopefully for you, that loop is not just about numbers or splits, not just about outcomes. For all of us, it’s about learning from what just happened - your behaviour under pressure, your motivation in the final phase of training, the character that came out when things got uncomfortable.
Before we jump the next hurdle, this is the time to go deeper. “What do I want to do next?” becomes - why do I want to do it?
Updating the Feedback Loop
When Shane first conceputalised Active Edge, it was super important to look at performance as a holistic concept, even though this still felt niche. One company that leads the way and has given us a lot of inspiration is Hintsa. Hintsa’s influence in F1 was groundbreaking at the time, but to us, it just made sense: treat the human, not just the performer.
Hintsa’s model begins with three simple questions that we’d also advocate spending a little time on in this moment:
Who am I?
What do I want?
Am I in control of my life?
‘Simple’ but not that easy to answer! However, these questions are worth revisiting before you jump into a new training cycle. Goals that don’t align very strongly with your identity tend to fray when things get hard - and they will get hard, we all know that. Spending that little bit of time making sure you know whether these challenges you’re committing to actually contribute towards what you’re trying to become, can be the difference between success and failure.
In that sense, sport psychology backs the importance of updating our feedback loops as central to improvement. They help us self-regulate, stay motivated, and refine the skills we’re working to master - super important for skill acquisition and performance development. Every training session, every race, every recovery day gives us data - we’re constantly getting feedback from our bodies and minds. We’ve then just got to pay attention.
Running is particularly rich in live feedback. You feel the session. You know if you’re holding back or flowing. You sense when things are clicking or when you're forcing it. You learn about your pacing, your effort regulation, your emotional response to discomfort.
And feedback isn’t only internal. A coach’s external perspective helps build the bridge between what you felt and what actually happened. We can spot patterns, contextualise your response, and highlight progress that might not be visible from inside your own head. It’s not about judgement - it’s about calibration. Where are you now, and where are you headed?
This is why updating your feedback loop post-event matters. It’s not just to learn from what went well or badly - it’s to reset so your next challenge aligns with who you're becoming, not who you were when you set the last one. Part of that is also evaluating what is worth collecting and measuring, and how we can start to analyse it and learn from it. Development is a constant if we choose it….
Here are a few truths worth sitting with before you plan your next big move:
Not all goals are created equal. Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s right for you right now.
Your post-event emotions are data. Did you feel proud? Relieved? Empty? That response can guide you.
Motivation is a luxury. Identity is a lever.When you train from a place of who you are and who you want to be, you don’t need perfect conditions.
Trends vs Transitions
Now, let’s be honest - Hyrox, marathons, triathlons…they’re trending. And that’s brilliant! We’re in a much more active landscape than we were five years ago. You see people challenging themselves in new ways, embracing discomfort, showing up for something. So much healthier and on a personal level I’m so happy that more people will benefit from the effects of running and structured training. It’s been the guiding light in my life.
But, (and it’s a big but), that doesn’t mean every challenge is for everyone. Marathons are brutal. Hyrox is a grind. They’ll show you things about yourself and really test your mettle - but you want to be ready to see those things, and to handle what they bring out of you.
Done right, these events are really acting as transitions. They pull you towards better habits, more consistency, a deeper understanding of self. But that only happens if you’ve got the right reasons in place. Because when the going gets tough, Billy Ocean or Boyzone won’t be there to help you.
So then Ron, ‘what’ now?
I’m glad I’ve piqued your interest, everyone. In coaching, I find this phase so exciting because it really brings out some raw feelings that show how deep passions go, and also how creative clients can get! It’s the part that encourages agency, and allows me to promote longevity. Here’s a short framework to help re-establish your feedback loop before your next goal:
Be honest with yourself
What parts of training lit you up? Did these surprise you?
What felt like a proper chore? Was it supposed to?
What did you learn about yourself in the last training block?
Check in with your identity
Who am I right now?
What do I really want in this stage of life?
Where do I feel in control - or not?
Choose a goal based on alignment, not aesthetics
A sub-4 marathon looks cool on paper. But does it serve who you’re becoming and is the training worth it for you (and your closest support)?
Remember your feedback loop
Schedule some mini-reviews to make sure this is the still the right choice
Am I still aligned with my reason for doing this?
Am I building the kind of person I want to be?
The moments between events are easy to rush through. But if you slow down now, if you take stock and reconnect with your reasons, the next block won’t just be more training. It’ll be more you. I cannot promote enough - get to know properly, and respect the self. I come back to this quote over and over again when I think of my own challenges and whether they’re right for me:
“It’s difficult to let go of a version of yourself that no longer exists”
And that’s when outcomes start to matter less - and how you measure performance starts to matter more.
Go forth,
Ron
Call for Comments
Based on this newsletter, here are a couple questions to think about:
What questions do you ask yourself after an event? Do you actually listen to the answer!?
When have you noticed you’ve been doing something for the wrong reasons?
If you have been reading along consistently, thank you. In the meantime, if you’re keen for more performance insights from our previous editions - all here on Substack.
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