Finally this weekend was the one race that was the one an only goal race when I made up my mind to do triathlons this summer. I trained my butt off all summer (including 5 other tris that weren't part of the "plan")...but it wasn't because of anything physical that I had what I call the worst race ever! I mentally slaughtered myself on the course.
Bike - it's a brutal course, but it's hometown and it's what I've trained on all summer. The first wave off is elites, relays and heavyweights (athena/clydes). I'm pissed because I'm at the back of the pack. (hind sight - why was I mad, they are elite for a reason - they can kick my butt) I'm grumpy because it's cold (hind sight - I'm really looking for excuses here - it's cold for everyone else too!)
T1 - Tried to take my shoes off on the bike like I'd practiced, ended up unclipping instead of pulling foot out...too late to keep trying...running with bike shoes unvelcroed. Try to hang up the bike on the rack, it falls off. I think the only thing that went right here was that I remembered to put my goggles in my suit so I didn't have to find them in the transition.
Swim - coming from a 50 degree ride into an 80+ degree pool. OUCH! literally it burned. I started to pull my head out of my rear as I started passing people and telling myself to start the race over and forget about the bike. End of swim...this is the only pool swim I've done where they make you touch the last wall. Usually you can pull off early at the ladder. Ok...others in front of me have had no problem climbing out of the pool at the end. Yeah, well I slip and take all the skin off of my knees and have to try again.
T2 - bloody knees and I are starting to get rather grumpy again. I walk the transition (still not sure why I did that)
Run - this was my final undoing (and it's still 50 degrees out). At one point I had got the start-over mentality and picked a person to pace off of....then I'm not sure what happened next, but I walked for the second time and really lost it (I've never had to walk the run, and it felt like failure).
Final results - if I only would've run the whole run...I would've place where I usually do. Point being, it wasn't a bad race, I just had a bad attitude.
So...moral of the story here...if you can conquer your own head, you can conquer anything!
Whoa, in your triathlon the swim was after the bike? :eek: Wow, i have never heard of it being done like that.
But anyway, good job. You made it.
Experience to grow from
The positive thing is that you did try to start over mentally. Sometimes the one thing you've looked forward to for so long doesn't always turn out the way you envisioned. How did your other races go? If those were a success, at least you know you're capable. Everyone's going to have a bad race every so often. Remember though, you can't control the uncontrollables. Weather, other people, rules, etc. But you can control your race. Anyhow, just trying to give you another twist on your race. I can understand your frustration though, as I'm sure most of us can. Since gaining 20lbs 2 years ago, my race time for the Danskin this year was 20 mins slower than my PR. Bummer, but there are other races, other days and new goals to attain.
It's all about your choice of perspective, which is in turn affected by your goals, the outcomes of races and efforts, etc. See your racing challenges as learning lessons and things to grow on. Create new goals from them.
Anyhow, hope that helps.
BTW, what part of NM are you from? I'm orignally from Las Cruces. I miss it.
Toni
Sorry you had a bad race, that is a drag! It happens to everyone, though, eventually. Keep the faith, the next one will be better, and this sport is sort of chronic, so you'll get lots more chances...
Keeping your mental game on is, I have found, one of the greatest challenges of triathlon. Conquering the fears, self-criticism, and doubt has been one of the greatest rewards. You're out there experiencing both! Not always fun, but you're learning and you're getting better with each race, each workout.
To remind myself that I had to "run my own race," I brought a small bell with me during my first triathlon (the first of many, I hope!) this summer and put it in my bike bag. I had received it for participating in a 5K last fall. During that race, I made the mistake of running other people's races instead of my own. Everyone else was faster than me, better than me, I was LAST -- boy, did I panic. My mental game fell apart immediately, my heart rate soared, my muscles tensed up...I felt horrible and ended up walking most of the 5K. I learned from the experience and on my next 5K, I brought that bell with me as a reminder! I did great on that race but I had to remind myself over and over to run my own race, however slow and deliberate.
I should add that it is a very small bell and I cushion it with other things so no one else can hear it!
I'd ring that bell to the sky, Claire! My only goal now is to get through the finish line before all the good cookies are gone!
Good point! It would probably help me! And I like the idea of being motivated by the good food waiting at the finish...
By the way, I hope to do an Olympic next year. I am wondering how many sprints I should complete before attempting one. Do you know which Olympic you are going to do?
I'm leaning toward one around the first part of July that sounds pretty good - we'll see! I'm gonna try hard to stay in shape over the winter months, but it's gonna depend on that...
It is so good to see that we are not alone. I have had a season of terrible races (half were due to poor attitude too). One race I lost a toe nail in (15K run only). I had a piss poor attitude going into it and I deserved to loose that nail. THen I had a terrible tri where I had to walk some during the run. You might as well put a DNF next to my name if I walk any of it. I NEVER walk it. Felt like a total failure for walking. Hated myself for DAYS!!!!
Mental focus is key. The thing that makes me move it into overdrive during a race is invisioning myself crossing the finishline of the Ironman I AM GOING to do in 2006. It's all about where your head is during a race.
You choose your attitude and nothing else.
Life is 2% situations and 98% how you react to the other 2%.
Pick up the shoes and push it!!! We have to make mistakes in order to get better.
Glad you finished the race... I am sure you will never forget it.
Sheesh, if a "terrible tri" is one where you have to walk some, then I've only had one GOOD one... the one where I got to run first!
walking a tri isn't a bad thing. in fact a very well know professional triathlete, Paula Newby-Fraser was known for walking every aid station. sometimes it's best to look at it like a series of intervals. if all things in life are series of cycles, cycles with in cycles, a triathlon, or any race for that matter can be a model of that.
there is of course the start and finish, the macro cycle. then you have a start and finish for the swim, transitions, bike, and run -- subcycles. Within each of those events there are points where you need to go fast, more cycles. In between these moments, and it varies for folks on their road to improved performances, are mini sub-cycles. Sometimes it's a moment to bring that heartrate under control, sometimes it's a muscle cramp, sometimes you just need to stop. but it's not a dnf, it's not something to feel bad about, sometimes, your body really needs to stop and walk, and that's ok, this is a race about your mind and your body.
this is how I look at it: the mind has a goal, and makes a deal with the body. as long as the body keeps going, and keeps the brain informed of how it's doing, the mind promises the body a reprieve at the end. we have to be ok with the body saying, 'nope, that's too much right now, need to stop' And even if you walk, sometimes that's the perfect amount of recovery time for your body, and you might end up with a net increase of speed. I've found this to be true in a variety of races, from sets of 400's at the track, to 10k's to hiking a bike up a virtual wall of dirt in an adventure race. walking has its place, and there's nothing disgraceful about a short walk to reset the mind and body.
happy training and racing!
Ya know, tDB, that description of "multiple resets" is a major reason I got into tri in the first place - because there ARE cycles and chances to reset your body in it. It's like breaking a big endurance race down into small, manageable bits, and that gives me confidence, too.