Seems easy to interpret, though as not an elite athlete it's easy to be wrong. We compare ourselves with an arbitrary peer group and with our own expectations. "Will I ever be good enough/live up to expectations?" changes when a 4:20 mile is last place. And then what else is there after devoting your entire life to the sport?

>many athletes struggle with identity loss and purpose

Worth getting the book to see what they say abt this..