Stupid Question...

I don't think this is a stupid question at all.  I also have completed two tri's.  Almost immediately after crossing the finish I felt like I could do the run much better right then and there.  Here's my thoughts.

A: I'm so excited just to be there, I'm not really giving it my all.  I'm not digging DEEP. I'm just happy to be competing and I'm not dead last..

B: Endorphins (Or whatever) kick in at my accomplishment, and I'm fired up...

My next event will be a battle between me and my mind.  I will give it my ALL!! 

You need to do whatever you can to make those race pictures look much, much worse.

What's your training been like? It's possible you haven't trained enough in order to really push it.

Do you want to increase your performance at triathlons? or are you happy to be there, do them, finish them? That's a worthy goal in itself.

The thing about sprints is that, at a performance or improvement level, you want to be doing each leg so hard that it's all you can do to keep moving through transition to the next one. There's a big difference between 'working hard' and 'every fiber of my body is screaming for mercy.'

Thanks for the answers, guys!   I have never been a runner/swimmer/biker, so perhaps my instinct of self-preservation is holding me back and then the euphoria of finishing puts those smiles on my face.  I have always worked long days at a horse farm and have been a longtime gymgoer, so my base of fitness and endurance was OK.

I think I am doing ok time wise- 11 min to swim 1/3 mile (holding back at the start and going wide to avoid jostling), 17 MPH average on rolling hills on the bike and a 29 min. 5K.   When I did 5Ks in the past I was always around half an hour and that was without the other legs before!

I am hoping that as I trust my body not to fail on my that I will be comfortable pushing harder.  In fact, I shaved 2 minutes off my swim and 2 min off my run from tri one to tri two!  Onward and upward!

My training: 

Monday: long bike ride (15-20 miles), ride my horse

Tuesday: strength training at the gym plus short sprints and jumping rope, 15 min of lap swimming if hot, ride my horse

Wednesday: bike 7 miles, swim 1/2 mile, bike 7 miles home , ride my horse

Thursday: gym strength train  plus short sprints and jumping rope

Friday: swim 1/2 mile, run 2-3 miles, ride my horse

Saturday: work at a horse farm all day, ride my horse

Sunday: run with husband (4-6 miles) maybe bike before if I wake up early enough, ride my horse

Welcome to the addiction!

So the question begs......when's your first Olympic or HIM? 

That is a really good question.

BikerGrrrl - 2011-07-20 4:27 PM I honestly have never heard anyone say that - good question for a newb!

I really think you have a lot of room to try harder, then, if you want to.  You have a lot more capacity, which is something I WISH I had.   I am always sore the day after, and I am usually ready to roll over and die when I cross the line.  That feeling quickly fades once I am stopped and the euphoria of finishing sets in, but generally speaking I am definitely pooped.  

Next time - GO FOR IT! 

I agree completely because it happened to me one my first sprint tri.

I had the same experience last year! Tired but not DRAINED.

This year, I'm going to push harder. I read a tip somewhere on here today to work harder on the 2nd half of each part, so that's what I plan to do, especially on the run when it's all that's left.