QuincyF and Oriolepwr's Magical Mys-tri Tour for Newbies Has Begun (CLOSED) (Page 30)

YES! What he said. And unfortunately, once you race long enough, you are going to have some disastrous races as well. Man, you think a bad workout messes with your head, try training for x months setting x goals, paying x dollars, driving x miles, KNOWING what you can do and have something bizarre, unexpected, stupid, or unlucky screw the whole thing up.

It can throw your whole universe off kilter if you don't have coping tools...or a seriously great sense of humor and the ability to laugh at yourself.

Here's a race I should have podium-ed...I got lost on the bike after mechanical issues. And this was a bike course I had ridden before AND spent the night before giving instructional pointers to three first time racers! I was so befuddled, I could hardly be angry...and now it's funny, plus since I melted down with a bunch of my buddies around, I'll never be allowed to live it down...but it's an important part of my race history and lots of lessons learned that I've carried forward...

So maybe today's thought for the day is, "How am I going to face the inevitable downs that will come in my life as a triathlete?" 

Any other thoughts? It's a great topic...love what you guys have said so far...

Ok, three things:

1. HOLY CRAP You're a fast swimmer!!! 1:01/100, Dammmmmmmmmn!

2. "Yeah, how would he know......(smiling and waving)Thank you".     Love that movie!!

3. I'm gonna check my gears on my bike before every race (seriously). Sharing this may save me from a similar fate. Thx

Now in the spirit of sharing past failures for the future benefit of mankind, I present to the group "How not to setup and execute a transition:101" 

http://beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=268169

The real take away from this ^^^^ is allowing yourself enough time prior to the race to set yourself up for success not failure.

I am always my worst critic, so that is why I am hard on myself. In fact it makes me better believe it or not.  As a nurse I am always trying to get better, I have been told numerous times that I am an excellent nurse, I tend to not believe it because there is always room for improvement. I feel it is the same way w/ being a triathlete. I definetly want to sit down and read some inspirational story, but I need to finish a powerpoint for school tonight and finish off a teaching plan on diabetes for this project, the project is due tomorrow but I got an extension for a week.

I just hit a wall with everything today and I am just disappointed. Some at myself, some at others. I need these little bumps to make everything better so I do realize the ups and downs on this journey. Thanks for listening everybody! I appreciate it a ton.

NO! Course was short...I'm anywhere from 1:45 to 2:00 for reals! Sorry, I thought I pointed that out...

Pinning your race number on in T2?!?!!! That is so AWESOME!!! YOU WIN!!! Guys, do yourselves a favor and read this RR. I am dying here.

We're here tomorrow and the next day too! It always gets better, hang in there my friend!!!

LOL I love this part:

Nice!

See not taking yourself so seriously is a gift.   I mean yes at first  be frustrated, REALLY frustrated,  but then get over it and laugh about it.     Honestly I used to REALLY take this stuff super serious.  Then my kids would cry when I finished and threw up or was in too much pain to smile at them as I finished.      Now I make sure to finish happy and with a smile no matter what.  I was missing the point.   You know having fun, and yes being competitive along the way is what its all about.    If you are not having fun, may as well not do it.    It did take me a while to learn this.

In a race I was always INTENSE ,  then during a half mary in Madison  (madison mini marathon)   I was doing my usual ultra intense thing, and then this guy, kid really who is yacking things up with EVERYONE on the course run up along side of me.    To my surprise he says "DUDE!  you are so intense,  I think i want to run the rest of the way with you!"      I'm like  gee great , why am I  the lucky one.  Damn I'm trying to PR here.   

He is so excited, and is just asking me everything possible and talking to EVERYONE around us.  He personally thanked every single volunteer there was on the course  I swear.      So anyhow this guy looks like Steve PreFontaine  (not an exaggeration)    And he is asking me how he can help me to get my PR.   (WTF do you care???)   He was drinking till like a couple of hours before the race (College kid) 

   He is running really loose and  carefree.  He then hits the port-a-potty  and I'm thinking   GREAT  now I can lose him   (yes not proud of it, but I can be a jerk-I'm working on this)   so  then the course goes like 5 miles UP  I had no idea, after a couple of miles I was like hee hee I'm good at hills,   then after 4 miles I'm like WTF!!!  does this hill EVER end???        the guy  (steve)  catches up to me.       By then I was happy he was there, I needed the support/distraction.    I was like trying to keep up with him as he is still thanking everyone,   just yelling at the crowd    THANK YOUUUUUUUUU  for coming out!     Thank youuuuuu B-E-A-UTIFUL day out here!     telling all the other runners  you are doing GREAT!         I certainly never had seen anyone run this speed and be able to do this. 

People really reacted positively to this guy, and he seemed to thrive on it.   Then he DROPS me.   on an out and back portion 2.5 miles before the finish.    I see him while running the out and he is running the back portion.  "HEY!  dude!  you are going to get your PRRRRRR!"   he shouts   I'm like damn you are right,  but only if I bear down.  So i do.    I also wanted to talk with the kid after the finish and thank him.   But when I got there  he was gone.  Or or or   He was NEVER THERE!    It was bizarre  I don't know how I missed him.    I did get a PR that day (since broken a few times)

"Steve"  taught me something that day, that I have never forgotten.    Which was to take a freaking chill pill and make sure to have fun with all of this.        If I miss a workout  or fail one its not the end of the world.   

But I will say that there are these KEY workouts,  like a 20 miler before a marathon  or the 2.3 mile swim I pulled out of my A$$  2 weeks before IM    that If I can't complete,  I feel doomed.     Honestly I have hit everyone of those.    Till I tried to run a 20 miler 2 weeks after IM  and 2 weeks before this last Chicago Marathon.    I was done after 7 miserable miles.  I run/walked another whatever it was like 2 more miles out and some back  then walked like remaining 5 miles back to the car.    I was exhausted, rained on,  my ipod stopped working.  I had nothing to drink, was hungry and  Let me say 5 miles is a FREAKING long distance when you are walking and are kicking your own A$$$           I then tried my best to recover  and decided I would run the marathon anyhow for fun (and it WAS), realizing that there was no way I should have even attempted that 20 miler at ALL.  

I then run the marathon with Q and her hubby,  Not having any idea on how it would go, I run it somewhat conservative.   But by the 13 mile mark  I was again reduced to run/walk,  at the same time though I was having fun with the crowd but was in real pain.    around mile 19 or 20  Q catches up with me.   Rather amazing given all she was dealing with. (broken wing,  super sick still from whooping cough, and not having trained like at all for a few weeks-oh yeah and started in the stinky corral behind me)     I was super happy to see her and then we ran the rest of the way together.   I was in real pain and exhausted but we pressed on (I was like gee Dave  you are in pain?  what is she going through?).    Time wise  it was a failed race for me.   But being mindful of having a fun race (like Steve), it WAS!   So it was a success!

  I guess what I'm  trying to say (besides thanks again Q)    is that  these things are only "fail"  if you set your expectations wrong.    If you are ONLY after a PR or a distance or whatever,  then you will succeed X amount of the time.    If you realize that there are tons of people out there that cannot run or do a tri  at all, do your best  you will succeed every time!      Just have fun people!  

"I'm not known for my Transition times"   lol        Pinning your bib # on  I love it.   Was it straight??

I'm still working on this one

Yes, it was straight but blotted w/blood stains where I stuck myself.

Dave, I ran this morning on the treadmill, did 1.5miles straight as instructed without stopping, felt pretty light headed when I slowed down, not sure if I'm eating properly before the run.  Did another mile after of run/walk but there was probably definitely more walking than running. I couldn't remember if you said to go a certain distance all together...have to go back and re-read your advice.  I did a warm up of two miles on the stationary bike and then stretched before starting and I think that really helped.

So next run should be intervals for 3 miles you think?

Thanks!

Yvonne

No, no, no, the course is never short, you're just really fast that day!!! However, the course CAN be long which makes you seem slower than you are!

Yes, this is usually the case for me.

Great!  you are on track then!   For your straight run, just do the distance, and not try to do any intervals in addition to it.    The warm up on the stationary bike is fine     So for the rest of the week just do your regular workouts no straight run and  work on running the intervals faster.    Then next week at this time. you will be ready for a 2 mile  straight run.   slow it down a bit more though Like 12 min/mile      Save your need for speed to be used on the interval sessions.   see how that goes.      Again you will be fine i think.        Essentially what you are doing is learning the different types of runs.      Speed work =intervals    long run = easy pace     if there is enough time we can work in a Tempo/race pace for your your tri.     But in any case  follow along and you will run the whole distance.  on March 10th.  

After a long break, I got back in the saddle of my bike for 90 minutes, I FELT BEHIND - NO REALLY I DID, I feel it now, LOL 

Dave, finally got some clay ice packs, wrapped around my calfs as I type.  Feels good,  "Phineas J. Whoopee - You're the greatest!"  Tennesse Tuxedo

I'm dating myself again. oops ageing that is.  I hate dating myself, I never go anywhere nice - LOL 

Tomorrow I will go back for a run. 

So, would a staple gun be better for putting our numbers on?

Gotta love the humor in our bunch

I feel your pain!  Literally! LOL!

My RED RIDER!  Cannondale CAAD 8

Joined BT today as a Bronze member.

I like having my plan on my page now.  More incentive for being sensitive (oh the pain)  Woo Hoo

I bought a roll stick at Walmart last week, $13 bucks!  Works ok and helps so far.  How long did she roll them for?

Tom

I have "The stick" which I bought at a running store and that is the same roller she used. But I think the difference is that she had me lie down on my stomach, the angle really hit the muscles more effectively, so I will be teaching DH   I also realize that when I've used it, I wasn't hitting the inside of the calf muscle which is where a lot of the tightness is (for me).  She also showed me how to use my foam roller to hit the inside more effectively than I have been so I will use that when DH isn't around to help

Do you stretch your calfs following your runs? That works wonders for me and my wife who had a chronic issue w/this. Here's a link w/some stretches specific to this problem.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/353394-shin-stretches-for-runners/

Nice work Todd!   you keep knocking things off your list!  

Looking forward to what name you come up with.

Thanks, I do stretch after and before (after a warmup), I will look into those as well.  I just really didn't feel like they were tight yesterday but I guess they were...they're killing now though Guess Dave was right, my body lies to me!