By Paradis Pro and Ultrarunner: Hillary Allen
Quitting has a bad reputation. We glorify perseverance, idolize the grind, and celebrate those who push past limits. But sometimes, quitting isn’t failure—it’s wisdom.
I recently read, Ego Is the Enemy, a book by Ryan Holiday. It’s great read, more about getting out of your own way, being humble, in it for the journey, not the outcome. He warns against clinging to things out of pride. We stay in toxic jobs, destructive relationships, or doomed ventures because quitting feels like losing. But is it? Real failure is refusing to adjust when the facts demand it. Pride whispers, "Hold on." Wisdom asks, "Why?"
During my most recent race, a 160km race in New Zealand, that I was face to face with the question of quitting, or gutting out a finish. I had trained for months for this race – the build up was nearly perfect. I was mentally and physically fit and ready for this race, but on race day, an old injury began nagging me again. I had surgery on my ankle 2 years ago, and although the recovery went well, things aren’t always linear, and by mile 20, I began to feel a nagging discompfort in my left ankle. Sometimes this would happen in training and things would improve. So, I stuck with it, changed into a fresh pair of shoes, tried some mobility at an aide station and kept running. By mile 35, things were still not improving. I was still determined to keep problem solving and try, but in between miles 35-50 I tweaked my ankle on a loose rock and then running became more difficult. I realized I was running with a limp and things became quite painful. It wasn’t until another runner asked if I was ok, that I stopped, took a breather and checked in with myself and why I was doing this, why I wanted to and if I should keep going.
In the end, I retired from the race.
Sometimes, the bravest decision is walking away.
True grit isn’t mindless endurance. It’s knowing what’s worth enduring and what’s worth preserving. In my case, my health and longevity in running.
Another book I really love is by Alex Hutchinson. In Endure, he explores the science of limits. Since I have a master’s degree in neuroscience and physiology, I love this topic! Our brain signals us to stop long before we actually need to. The discomfort we feel isn’t a hard wall; it’s a protective buffer. Often, we can push further than we think. I was thinking about this a lot after my race, if I should have kept going. But, I know there are exceptions—when pain shifts from manageable to damaging, when the mind’s caution turns into true distress, quitting becomes the smart move.
Take a marathon runner hitting the infamous "wall." Their legs scream, their lungs burn, and their mind pleads for relief. Most of the time, this is the brain playing defense—trying to conserve energy. But what if the pain changes? A sudden sharp stab in the knee, dizziness beyond normal fatigue—these are signals not to ignore. Elite endurance athletes learn to decode these signals. The challenge is discerning between fear-based hesitation and real danger.
Not all quitting is equal. There’s quitting from fear, and quitting from clarity. One shrinks you; the other frees you. The key is honest self-awareness: Is your ego clinging to an image of toughness? Or is your body and mind signaling a necessary retreat?
Take legendary rock climber Tommy Caldwell, who once faced an impossible section of El Capitan's Dawn Wall. He tried over and over, refusing to let go. But eventually, he recognized that brute force wasn’t the answer. He rested, reassessed, and approached it differently. When he finally succeeded, it wasn’t because he never quit—it was because he quit the wrong approach.
Knowing when to quit isn’t weakness. It’s strategy. It’s strength. It’s choosing your battles wisely—so you have the energy to win the ones that truly matter.
