Reflecting on Jordan Valley
I liked the last reflection post so I thought maybe I'd make this a regular thing. Same questions, different race...
Did you enjoy the race?
Absolutely. This was one of the most enjoyable races I've done. In fact, one of my teammates commented that this was the first time he had ever seen me smiling during the run. I had a really great time.
Which parts of the race were easy and which were hard?
The bike was easy -- maybe too easy. I spent a little too much time enjoying the scenery, I think!
The swim was slightly harder. For some reason, I was a little bit short of breath, but nothing that made me panic. The hardest part of the swim was moving forward in a straight line. Also, I prefer swims in salt water (this one was in fresh water).
The run was probably the hardest part, though it wasn't all that hard. I pretty much took it easy. The hard part was trying to run fast after being passed by a woman in my age group. Running fast isn't one of the things I'm particularly good at. Overall, though, the run wasn't really "hard". Just a run.
Did you learn anything from the race? If so, what?
One thing I learned is that I'm a lot better at transitions than I thought. My first transition was really calm and fast. I also learned that staying properly hydrated makes a huge difference in a race. And I learned never to underestimate the competition.
Which part of the race did you enjoy the most?
I enjoyed the entire race, but the part I enjoyed the most was the bike. Since getting a better and smaller bike, I have learned to really love every cycling minute.
What do you think you did well?
My first transition was excellent. If my coach had seen it (he was accompanying his wife, who did her first triathlon), he would have been proud. I also did well on the bike (PRed, even!), although I always finish with a feeling that I could have pushed a little bit harder. I'm pretty certain that I haven't even come close to my true cycling potential yet. I did a great job of staying hydrated (sounds silly, but this is a very big deal for me) and I drank on the bike several times, both from my gel flask and from my bottle. The run wasn't bad, either, though I think I probably could have pushed it a little bit more (but I really didn't want to!). Once again, I ran the entire race without a problem.
What could you have done differently?
My swim time was lousy, but I'm not sure how I could have finished with a better time -- I thought I was swimming well enough. Apart from having a better swim, I don't know if there's something I could have done differently, or at least not something major. I probably could have biked a bit faster and also run a bit faster, but it's so easy to say that after the race. Overall, I pretty much did everything I had set out to do.
Now there's one thing I could have done different after the race. I could have not been in the shower when one of my teammates finished his first half Ironman distance race. This is a guy who cheers me on every time he passes me or sees me during a race. Always. I did see him come out of the water (in second place!), but I missed his finish and I really wanted to be there at the finish line to cheer him on. If I could change one thing about the race, that's what I would change -- my own race was great, but I should have been there for the end of his race. This was very bad timing on my part.
Did you enjoy the race?
Absolutely. This was one of the most enjoyable races I've done. In fact, one of my teammates commented that this was the first time he had ever seen me smiling during the run. I had a really great time.
Which parts of the race were easy and which were hard?
The bike was easy -- maybe too easy. I spent a little too much time enjoying the scenery, I think!
The swim was slightly harder. For some reason, I was a little bit short of breath, but nothing that made me panic. The hardest part of the swim was moving forward in a straight line. Also, I prefer swims in salt water (this one was in fresh water).
The run was probably the hardest part, though it wasn't all that hard. I pretty much took it easy. The hard part was trying to run fast after being passed by a woman in my age group. Running fast isn't one of the things I'm particularly good at. Overall, though, the run wasn't really "hard". Just a run.
Did you learn anything from the race? If so, what?
One thing I learned is that I'm a lot better at transitions than I thought. My first transition was really calm and fast. I also learned that staying properly hydrated makes a huge difference in a race. And I learned never to underestimate the competition.
Which part of the race did you enjoy the most?
I enjoyed the entire race, but the part I enjoyed the most was the bike. Since getting a better and smaller bike, I have learned to really love every cycling minute.
What do you think you did well?
My first transition was excellent. If my coach had seen it (he was accompanying his wife, who did her first triathlon), he would have been proud. I also did well on the bike (PRed, even!), although I always finish with a feeling that I could have pushed a little bit harder. I'm pretty certain that I haven't even come close to my true cycling potential yet. I did a great job of staying hydrated (sounds silly, but this is a very big deal for me) and I drank on the bike several times, both from my gel flask and from my bottle. The run wasn't bad, either, though I think I probably could have pushed it a little bit more (but I really didn't want to!). Once again, I ran the entire race without a problem.
What could you have done differently?
My swim time was lousy, but I'm not sure how I could have finished with a better time -- I thought I was swimming well enough. Apart from having a better swim, I don't know if there's something I could have done differently, or at least not something major. I probably could have biked a bit faster and also run a bit faster, but it's so easy to say that after the race. Overall, I pretty much did everything I had set out to do.
Now there's one thing I could have done different after the race. I could have not been in the shower when one of my teammates finished his first half Ironman distance race. This is a guy who cheers me on every time he passes me or sees me during a race. Always. I did see him come out of the water (in second place!), but I missed his finish and I really wanted to be there at the finish line to cheer him on. If I could change one thing about the race, that's what I would change -- my own race was great, but I should have been there for the end of his race. This was very bad timing on my part.
posted by bari | 14:44
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