What do you think about during a race?

Dito on LOTS of math.  I must kind of zone out, because I don't remember much after a race.  A lot of times, I start writing my BT race report in my head!  Taking note of how I feel and events I want to write down!

"Form, keep good form"
"This hurts"
"Wow, she's cute"
"Keep good form"
"Did someone just yell 'Marmadaddy?'"
"Ow"
"Form!"
"I paid how much to do this?"
"That spectator has a donut!"
"Mmm...Donuts"
"This really hurts"
"Form!"
"Shut up with the form already!"
"Who said that?"
"I can't do this anymore. This is my last race."
"I mean it this time."
"I just got passed by someone in my age group."
"OH NO YOU DON'T!!!"
"Ok, remember this for the race report."
"I wonder how many race reports there will be on BT for this race."

You get the idea.

Here is what I remember from the run portion of my last race:

heading out of T1 on the first lap: "Hey, there is IRunForBeer and he has a Camera, Crap, my running for must really suck just now and he is going to throw me out of the marathoner group if he sees me running this fugly"

On the Outbound Leg of the first lap: "hey, there is PGoldberger coming out of the Loo, 'Hey Paul', nice to see you again". (He smoked me on the bike earlier in the Day)

Still on the Outbound Leg of First Lap: "here is the hippie Water Table. Don't Drink the Brown Acid Man!" "Wonder where Mixie Is...."

Nearing the Turn of the First Lap: "Hey Blaize, Don't remember passing you on the bike". (As he is passing me) I am thinking his running form looks really good just now. Let's try and hold onto him for a while.

At the End of the first Lap: "Once more into the Breach Dear Friends..."

At the Turn on  the back side of the 2nd lap: Singing at hte top of my lungs, "Take Me out to the Ballgame, Take Me Out to the Crowd..." I had all of the spectators there cheering.

Heading back, I see Jean-Claude, Blaize, Hans, Monica and am hoping to see a few more of my friends. Really hoping that TriAya is out on the course. Mental Note, Check to see if her bike is in Transition. If she is on the run, she will finish because the run is one of her strengths.

Heading toward the finish: Hey, That dude just passed me and he is in my AG. Now I gotta catch him and Blaize. Time to start hauling the mail.

Little while later... I feel like I am going to puke, but I dropped the guy in my AG and I see Blaize finishing just ahead of me

Hey, who is that hollaring my name. I am charging to the finish, no time to look back...

You get the idea

Pace booty works for me. Most of the time, I'm thinking about what I've got to do next or how I'm going to get to the finish.

As far as songs, I hate it when one of my kids' songs get stuck in my head. (I was biking the other day and had songs from "Enchanted" High School Musical" and "Hairspray" going on and on. IT's like my brain was tuned to Radio Disney or something.

In the swim I usually think like this

1,2,3,4-breath,1,2,34-breath, 1,2,3,4-breath,1,2,34-breath, 1,2,3,4-breath,1,2,34-breath, 1,2,3,4-breath,1,2,34-breath, 1,2,3,4-breath,1,2,34-breath-LOOK-UP.

On the bike I usually think like this...

GET TO 40!!!  GET TO 40!!!! GET TO 40!!!   (That's kph)

Where are all the other H's???  (My current age group letter on the RIGHT leg)

On the run I usually think like this 

Where are all the other H's???
(This moment by disturbed and Knights of Cydonia by MUSE on REPLAY in my HEAD!!!)

1) Math.  Calculating splits, when I'll be at certain mile marks, etc. It's a given.

2) Music.  Whatever I listened to going to the race. Or whatever Trix and I decided to sing.

3) Who else is racing....or raced. Every once in a while, I get a Blazeman episode, or a scuba punk dealio, or a lance armstrong moment. May people have conquered much tougher challenges than me, why should I not kill it?, and last but not least....

4) What would trixie do?  You can count time between skittles. Taht' easy...If you can't motivate yourself with 'round the outside' or 'hard right' or 'If I had a Hammer' and the list goes on, what's left?

I try to pay attention to things that happen (like when I was hit by an elbow by the 3rd buoy, or at mile 3 of the ride some guy threw an empty gel packet on the ground) and draft up my race report.  That's why my RRs are long. 

Think?  If you have energy to think, you're not pushing hard enough. 

On the swim, I alternate between "What the heck was I thinking?" "I hate swimming!" and "This isn't so bad."  Along with "rotate", "pull", "breathe", and "where's the dang buoy?"

On the bike, I'm usually thinking about how hard am I pushing, am I drinking enough, can I catch that woman, who's behind me, and have I seen Eric on the return course yet.

On the run, if I'm pushing hard enough, all I think about is running.  Sometimes I count.  Not to any number, just count to 100 and then count to 100 and then count to 100 and then count to 100... until I get to the finish. 

Or sometimes I "just run to that rock," and then "run to that tree," and then "run to that fence post"... 

I can't do math when I'm pushing hard.  All I can do is hope that my mile splits are in the range that's acceptable considering how I did in the swim and bike.  But usually I'm just watching my HR and trying to keep is in the range that's acceptable for whatever mile I'm on.

hahahahaha   x3   

Typical random thoughts that occur in every triathlon:

Setting up my transition area, I look for people who are not wearing tri suits & appear to lack any other triathlon specific gear.  Alternatively, I look for sickly folks who look like they are doing a tri as an inspirational thing, possibly as a result of overcoming a horrible disease.  I also look for people with Wal Mart mountain bikes with big fat tires.  The trifecta is a sickly looking person on a WalMart bike wearing jeans shorts.  If that person is there, that is who I am trying to beat. 

Just before I start the race I look at my HRM & realize my heart rate is 110-120bpm & think, wow I wish my heart rate was lower so I could get my breath faster.  I haven't even started the race yet so I must be amped up.

Swim: RELAX, 1-2-3 breathe; repeat; I should really practice my flip turns.

Transition: Where is that damn camera man trying to take my picture while I have on a swim cap & goggles?  Get the swim cap off before he gets me!

Bike:  Ahhh, this is fun!  Why does everyone always pass me?  Is there anyone in front of me that I can try to pick off?  Why did that damn girl on a mountain bike pass me?  Time for a snack!  I love riding my bike!  Why did that damn sickly looking person just pass me? 

Transition2: Try to look cool as a shuffle in with my bike.  Don't forget my helmet! I wonder if there is any way to sneak my IPOD out on the run.

Run: Don't walk the run!  Woo hoo I am going to make it!  I am not going to be last.  Count all the people who tell me good job on the run.  Wonder if they are telling me good job because I look like I am dying.  Maybe it is because I am fat.  Maybe it is because I am slow.  Maybe it is because I look like I am dying because I am fat & slow.  Who cares why they are telling me good job.  Why do I always ponder this during my run?  I wish I had my IPOD. 

If it's a sprint most of my thoughts are...."it'll be over soon"

If it's a 1/2IM most of my thoughts are...."I wish it was over soon" 

only one tri to comment about, but interestingly the run leg was similar to other run races:

as I arrive - why am I doing this? it is dark o'clock go back to bed.  you can just train, you don't have to race.  put your stuff down, getting marked - kewl

swim - 1-2-3-breathe. where is the dang buoy? it is cold. at the buoy - I am only half way???carp. 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming - hearing my boys singing as Dori'

out of the water - OMG I cannot breathe - move your legs, try to run to transition come on you can do it.  FINALLY at my stuff - ok, wetsuit off, dry feet get shoes on = come on helmet, bike run.

on the bike - ok, don't fall.  this is fun - passing tons of folks - oh look at the little cutie - she is peddling so hard on those fat tires - as I whizz by.  passed by a guy in aero on a turn - ok try to pace off him - hang in come on you can do this. carp another turn - don't fall.  back on the straight. you should really go aero, it is windy.  I don't want to go aero - I might fall. ok just keep going.  come on peddle, peddle - look there is BigSexy say hi!  go go - almost at the end - oh there is a photographer - smile.

off the bike ok, shoes, number go.

I have to run now? I can't breathe!  baby steps just move come on go.  why am I doing this? OMG there is NO WAY I am ever doing  race longer than a sprint.

why am I doing this - being passed by everyone but not in the myfirsttri group it is ok- just run - how are they able to run so fast? OMG I cannot breathe!

I am so never doing this again.

oh there is the finish - come on sprint there.  that girl has MFT on her leg - don't let her go sprint!  there, race her - how does she have more to sprint faster? ok this race is hers.  just finish.

at the finish - don't hurl, don't hurl, don't hurl. 

Math.

Mostly, I focus on me.  Focus on breathing, focus on form, focus on the feedback from the legs and arms and shoulders.  Focus on staying light on my feet.  Trying to gauge what I've got at the various stages, where I am in relation to my goal, who is around me, who's coming up behind, who's in front.  Replay the plan over and over, making adjustments based on how I feel relative to where I am.