good race and congrats on PR's. I know the emotions you speak of with disappointment of not improving faster. The small improvements add up but it feels really good when you get a big improvement. Keep pushing!

Good race and great report Kathy! Some highs, some lows, about normal for a triathlon. Rarely does everything go as planned. I think the secret to enjoying the day is to learn to deal with the little nagging things and be able to put them on the back shelf when they happen. Like the bike chain thing...if you're riding and find there is a gear or 2 that you just can't seem to get into, well OK, no big deal, just do the best you can and realize that sure, it might be annoying, but if it only costs you less than a minute over the length of the bike loop, it's not worth worrying about. I always see things like that happening. I don't like the sports drink they're handing out at the aid stations, maybe they ran out of bananas, they change the swim course at the last minute. I try to look at these like ants at a picnic...not the best friends to have, but you can just brush them out of the way and keep moving towards the finish line!

One thing that helps for me is to have other competitors to hang around with...the little details don't seem to mean so much when you've got someone to commiserate with, AND someone to cheer on! I'm sure Laura and Katherine loved yelling at you and giving you vocal support. Stuff like that helps a lot. Sometimes I think more so than family even, because you know they are dealing with the same problems as you!

Take a day or so, sit back and review the race, and look at the good things! PRs in the swim and the run, and maybe you could have done even better on the swim. Now take just one of the negatives and see if you can improve on that. What I'd do is get the bike adjusted, even if it means trying a different bike shop. Once it shifts smoothly, practice your shifting techniques on the hills. It may take longer to get the power to weight ration changed, but you can become a pro at shifting with some practice in a lot less time!

OH, by the way...I don't think that bike speed is all that bad either. You're not giving yourself enough credit. That's a hilly course and 15+ mph is pretty darn good!

You did good...don't be too hard on yourself!!



Edited by max 2005-08-21 6:35 PM

Hey Kathy..nice race...You had PRs in the swim and the run...don't beat yourself up over the hills...nothing ever goes 100% as planned anyway   I bet your kids had a great time too.  If it makes you feel any better I have gotten any faster in a  year ....and  you are doing much batter and improving.  Take care and ahve a great monday -SMO

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Kathy, congrats on finishing the race and dealing with a bike that was not quite right, all that plus PR's in the seim and run. Well done!! Relax and enjoy your accomplishment. All your training is paying off.

Congrats - you did a great job. That bike course was tough!

great job, kathy!

Wow, what a harsh critic you are.  Please don't read my race reports!  (Or are you only that mean to yourself?)  I mean, seriously, you showed up and moved your body over and over again until you reached the end, right?  You weren't even DFL. 

I think your problem was how many hardbodies were there.  Was it the same course/time as the HIM?  Did you forget that you're really racing against yourself (you did great!) and with a virtual cheering squad of US, who are all delighted in you?

Congratulations on getting in the arena.  You are an excellent example for your girls!

-- Gwendal

Contrary to what you might believe, I think you had a great race.

- You had a great swim time-wise. If you don't believe me, go back and look through your race reports.
- You seem to have kept your cool on the bike. You didn't pitch a fit, throw your bike off a cliff and have to hobble back to transition in a huff on foot.
- You finished it. Without major injury or death to boot.
- Even if it doesn't feel like it, you are light years ahead of some runners (like me).

Me-thinks someone has found her competitive streak Think back to your previous races and figure out what is was about them that you really liked/enjoyed/were most proud of. Then, see if you can find any instances of those things in your memories of this race. You might find that this was indeed a good race. In fact, take a trip in the way-back machine to a time before you started training and do your best to convince yourself that you could have half this well then. I think you'll see just how far you have come.

Certainly strive to constantly grow and improve, but always be proud when you've done your best. Even if it doesn't feel like you did your best, you probably did. It may not have felt like your best in the history of the universe, but it very well may have been the best for that instant in time. The cool thing about always doing your best is that you aren't capable of more (whew, off the hook) and you never have to be ashamed of accepting anything less of yourself.

-Frank

Edited by scuba-punk 2005-08-23 1:23 PM

Kathy, I still think you had a day you can learn from. I think you did great and worked hard to finish. That alone will serve you with mental toughness in your next couple of races.

Mike

Kathy-I can so get how you are feeling- but you had a really good race- and truly- when I am beating myself up I try to remember that to just do the training and to show up is more than most- we are all learning and contin uous improvement is what it's all about ...Congrats on your success- and hope to meet you one of these days -

Kathy-I can so get how you are feeling- but you had a really good race- and truly- when I am beating myself up I try to remember that to just do the training and to show up is more than most- we are all learning and contin uous improvement is what it's all about ...Congrats on your success- and hope to meet you one of these days -