Tri-ing in the Holy Land

The ramblings of a struggling triathlete in Israel

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Location: Israel

I'm the mother of 3, a teacher and a couch potato turned triathlete.

Monday, May 22, 2006

The things I'm good at

Some of you didn't like the last list, so here's the other one I promised:

  • I'm good at focusing. I can completely ignore everything around me and just focus on what I'm doing. Other people don't always think this is a great trait (like when they say hello as I run by and I completely ignore them because I didn't see or hear a thing). It's probably not a great thing when there are road blocks in front of me, either, but the rest of the time, I think it's a pretty good skill to have.
  • I'm good at keeping my cool, even when things start to go wrong, or at least in a race (I need to work on this skill in other aspects of my life). I've had a few "this is the time to start panicking" moments during races and I've never panicked.
  • I have excellent swimming form. I may not be all that fast in the water, but at least I look like I know how to swim!
  • I'm pretty good at swim to bike transitions. In fact, I actually pass people in the transition area.
  • I'm pretty good (and getting better) at reading the terrain and knowing when to shift gears on my bike. This isn't a big deal in road biking, but it's very helpful in mountain biking.
  • I've learned how to move my chain back onto the chain ring when it slips off without having to get off my bike. The actual process (shifting up) isn't a big deal, but the trick is to realize what's happened and to shift before the bike stops moving forward and falls over. Fortunately, I don't need to practice this skill very often.
  • I'm good at conserving strength for later on in the race and I almost always finish strong. This may not be a big plus in sprints, where I should be giving almost everything I have right from the start, but I suspect it will come in handy as I move on to longer distances.
  • I'm good at hamming it up for the camera. In many of my race pictures, I'm smiling and/or waving. Rest assured that the bigger the smile, the more I'm suffering!
  • I'm consistent in my training. I rarely miss a workout and when I do, it's almost always for a good reason. I do what my coach tells me to do (ok, so I whine a little, but I still do what he says) and I work hard. I'm not a professional athlete, nor will I ever be, but I try to think like one when I'm training. I saved this point for last, but I think it's the most important. I truly believe that consistency is the key not only to success, but also to enjoying the sport.

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