Reflection on the Women's Triathlon

Yes, another reflection post. Same questions, different race...

Did you enjoy the race?

Yes. The run was a bit tough for me, but this is one of my favorite races and I had a good time.

Which parts of the race were easy and which were hard?

The bike was easy. Probably too easy. I passed a lot of people and did so without a whole lot of effort. I could have passed more.

The swim wasn't "hard" but it was hard to actually swim -- I got stuck in a big group and I couldn't get out.

The run was a bit tough. My legs were sore and it was hot on some parts of the course. However, I don't think it was really as bad as I remember it. I had no trouble running the whole thing and I was even able to pass someone going uphill right before the finish line. Maybe running is harder in my head than it is for my body.

Did you learn anything from the race? If so, what?

Yes, I learned that I have to find a way to stay out of the crowd when I'm swimming. I'd rather swim a slightly longer distance than spend 750 meters mainly treading water and swimming breaststroke in order to avoid getting beaten up. In my next open water swim, I'm going to try going into the water as far over to the side as possible.

I also learned to pay more attention to the exit routes from the transition area before the race actually starts. I lost several seconds running the wrong way down the rack in T2 and then having to run back the other way. As a rule, I do normally check out the transition area carefully. I think I wasn't careful enough in this race.

Which part of the race did you enjoy the most?

The bike. First of all, there were lots of spectators because the course was short. I had three or four men out there cheering me on every time I went by (and telling me that I was doing great) and my husband and son out watching (they don't cheer). I passed more people than I could possibly count and felt great on the bike. I was sorry to get off.

What do you think you did well?

My transitions were very good, apart from the run out of T2.

I entered the water well despite the long run before we could actually swim. In addition, thanks to lots of active recovery practice in workouts, I had no problem starting to swim after all that running -- no shortness of breath, nothing.

I also managed to stay well hydrated during the race, remembering to take my gel and to drink on the bike.

What could you have done differently?

I could have tried harder to escape the crowd during the swim and actually raced the swim instead of swimming at a leisurely pace.

I could have pushed harder on the bike. I don't know why I didn't, unless it was those thoughts of "How am I going to run?" that kept me from riding my fastest.

I could have pushed harder on the run. Yeah, it was a bit tough, but I also made a conscious decision not to push too hard. I wanted to achieve my time goals and as soon as I saw that I was going to, I stopped pushing. At the very least, I could have done the last kilometer a lot faster than I did.

Reading the above three paragraphs, I realize that I'm not racing my hardest. I don't know what's holding me back, but I imagine that it's fear -- fear of not finising, fear of running out of steam, fear of going the fastest I possibly can and then not being happy with my time. Now there's some food for thought.