Post race thoughts
so, in the past few days, I have had more hits on this blog, than i *ever* have had before. we are talking 70 on monday, up from my average of about 20. yipes! and, i know that it is purely due to the fact that on facebook, my race report was linked to on the train-this page. that Kelly linked me on one of her blog posts.
THanks all, for the kind comments on my race. I am still on a high from the day. but in the days later, you are able to re-assess. You can look at the things you did well, and the things that you need to work on. The things that were amazing, and the things that hurt. Let's have a look at the stats, of the top 10.
- swim div place: 12. bike div place: 10. run division place... errr... 20th. you will notice that the next slowest girl in the top 10 is a full 4 minutes faster than me, and 7 div places. My run has drastically improved. in fact, i am running off the bike, almost as fast as I am running in a stand alone 1/2. as always, there has got to be a runner in me that is longing to get out. she just needs to be found.
- and, for those of you who get annoyed at me when i say this... i'm sorry. it's just an athlete thing. that runner hiding in me needs to weigh 10 lbs less than the runner that exists right now. ANd, i know that i am healthy, and beautiful, and look great how i do right now. but, when i look at the girls who are beating me... even the ones who are about the same height... they are lighter and leaner than me. think about it... if you went out for a run with a 10 lbs backpack on. then, you took it off, and ran again. how much better would you feel?
- i need to learn how to sight better on the swim.
- something about my recovery shows me that i think i am doing something wrong with nutrition. ok, so i peed on my new cervelo more than once. and in my shoes on the run. but, i also took 2 days to get rid of a post-race headache. Monday was pretty much a washout, because my body was so sore. I am not sure that is normal. maybe it is. maybe not.
- I am so grateful for the help that I have had during my last season. The great coaching. the support from family, and that boy that I like. the girls at school, and the one boy at school who think of me as slightly crazy, but are so supportive to let me rant and rave when I talk about triathlon, and drive me to races. Tom at way past fast who hooked me up with the sweetest flying machine ever. because with the things you do for me... you become one step closer to continually showing me that you get me.
- that at the end of my second "major" race season, and my body is ready to rest. but, I am already dreaming of the races i will do for next year. it may be a shorter season (there is the possibility I will be away from sept-dec on a global rotation), and no plans for clearwater. but, for now, i plan on taking 6 weeks. 2 weeks of nothing. to heal. to rest. to nap (what the heck... i have an extra 15 hours a week!!!! so much time!) and to love. just love the fall, and love people, and love not talking about triathlon. then, 4 weeks of other stuff. like hiking and yoga and maybe slacklining or rowing a bit.
- if i think back to my first 70.3 in new orleans and how so much about it was great (i mean... really, that is what got me hooked on this distance), but so much went wrong and how much it hurt. i have improved by almost 30 minutes. look how much better i executed my race... virtually the same swim and bike splits... 25 minute faster run. and, i know i am a better cyclist. I just now know how to hold off. as mary would say: bike for show, run for dough.
- i love this sport.
- other funny things about the race: ...i found it hilarious that the guy at the bike dismount line with me shouldered his bike into transition (and, the subsequent person who yelled: "oh yeah... muscles!" ...how all i was looking forward to seeing on the bike course was the elephant in the field that my teammates have seen. and, i fricken missed it. and, i missed the i-dot mowed into the lawn at the skihill. ... i found it hilarious that 60% of the bike was spent looking at the calfs of the latino-tri-club guy in front of me. ...that alexa spent most of the swim thinking about sharting. ...that my favourite nutrition plan that i saw one guy had was a zip-lock bag of trail mix attached to his handle bars.
And for those of you who are joining me, for the first time. WELCOME! please, make a comment, or, "follow me" on my blog. but, i warn you. if you are looking for a blog that is purely about triathlon, or about tips for getting faster, or want to tell me that what i am doing is wrong.. you have come to the wrong place.
for this is a blog about relationship and love and important things in life and faith and just life. living life.
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