It is all relative

Tuesday Already!

Several years ago, I was racing at Oliver, BC in a half ironman.  I had done all the preparation necessary.  I had my race plan and my splits calculated.  As this race is early season (June in Canada is early season!), women (and maybe men too, not sure) spend most of their time in transition checking out the other competitors.  Conversations in our head go something like this:

"Wow, she really let herself go over the winter, I will definitely be way ahead of her"
"She is so much more lean than I am, she is going to kick my butt"

Don't kid yourself, the happy-go-lucky banter that you hear as the athletes are preparing is simply masking the real conversation going on.  Are we that competitive?  Sometimes, we are. . . .but I think most of the time we are just that insecure.  For most women, the only way to feel better about themselves is to put someone else down.  Is that the ugly truth?  Unfortunately, I think it is.  More on this later. . .

I was doing my pre-race prep and I had even brought along a buddy to cheer me on.  The gun goes off and so do we.  If you have never seen a mass start to a triathlon, you really should make the effort as it is both exciting and scary (depends on whether you are racing or spectating!).  It was a two loop course so we got a big boost as we exiting, ran around a random tree and jumped back in the water.  As I finished the swim, I looked at my watch to see if I was on track for the splits I had so anally calculated.  I was on PR pace.  It was my best swim time ever!  I was so buoyed (no pun intended) by that time, I took off like a shot on the bike.

For those of you that are new to triathlon, one thing you need to realize is that the three sports are not created equal.  The goal for any triathlete is to try to place about the same in the three disciplines.  Most of the time, we come to the sport with a strength in only one sport.  The fact that I had a great swim was big for me because, at the time, I was stronger at riding and running.  After 75 km on the bike, I felt fantastic!  Out of the blue, I started losing speed for no apparent reason.  A flat tire!!!!  Flat tires during a race are a lot like heart attacks.  We usually try to ride as far as we can because we are in denial.  I can't have a flat, I am having the ride of my life!  I eventually had to stop to change the tube.

I know what you are thinking. . . .a girl . . . .changing a tire. . . . no way!  I have done it many times and generally it is no big deal.  I tried to stay calm as all these people kept passing me and my competitive head was screaming at me.  I got the wheel off and changed the tire and started refilling the air with the CO2 cartridge.  I was just about done when testosterone took over and I thought "I will just put a bit more air so that I can go really fast"  BIG MISTAKE!  Whatever air I had in the tire, I lost.  OUCH. . . .no more tubes and no more air.

At this point, I had to surrender to the idea that this race was not going as planned.  It is funny that when you let go of expectations, how you notice things that weren't there before.  Like the carload of spectators that were playing awesome tunes while I was changing my tire.  One girl ran across the road to help me but when she realized she didn't know what to do, she just cheered me on.  After about thirty minutes, the support truck showed up.  Five minutes later I was back on my bike.  I highly recommend a 40 minute rest in the middle of a half.  I felt great!  I finished the last 15 km in record time and started running.  I had given up on making my time for the race so instead, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  I talked to everyone around me.  Being at the back of the pack is where the real fun is.  Every third person was doing their first triathlon.  I can't think of anything more inspiring that running along side someone who is simply thankful for being in the race.  I no longer cared about my precious splits or whether I "looked" fitter than those women in transition.  I finished with a huge smile on my face and a new respect for everyone in the race.

Triathlon is a sport that demands flexibility (in your race plan), strength (of character) and endurance.

Success can be measured in many ways and it is all relative to your mindset.  Be kind to yourself today!