I push out
I breathe in
And still us turning away
Don’t look back
Don’t pretend
We’ll ever take control again
And we’re falling beyond the horizon,
And only the water remainsThe fear is falling away
Jump In The Pool by Friendly Fires
Last weekend I raced in the Subaru Vancouver International Half Iron which is my third Half Iron event for this year. It was a very interesting day for me, one where I think I did just about everything I could to sabotage my race performance but still managed to finish within 1 minute of last years time and also still placed 2nd in my age category. Well at least I did not crash this year. So what could I have done better at last weekends race?
- Don’t sleep in. I had 3 alarms set to got off at 4:45 am but somehow managed to sleep through them all.
- Don’t eat breakfast. I made my usual pre-race oatmeal for breakfast however my stomach was just not in the mood to eat so I skipped it.
- Arrive late for the race. Nothing says stress like a triathlete that is late to get to the gate. Somehow I managed to prep my bike, get my wetsuit on and even get in one last trip to the toilet before rushing out to the beach to join the others.
- Ignore all the really great advice that you get from your friends. My buddy Gregg advised me not to start too far to right or because then you would be fighting the tide and prevailing wind. So I did exactly what he told me not to do and paid the big price.
- Keep your negative self-talk going. I was making cranky brain talk throughout the swim and bike. I am not sure why I was so negative but fortunately everything turned around as soon as I racked my bike. Then I was pretty much “all smiles all the time” throughout the 20 km run.
Don’t get me wrong because overall I really did enjoy this race. It was great to be racing at home for a change and therefore I appreciated all the support from everyone who came out for this event. I especially liked having Coach Calvin on site for my race, that was a super bonus for me. It was great to have a chat about my race results for the season this far and discuss some options that we could do to tweak my training schedule. All of which is a good segue to my mid-year review which I had planned for this post.
So far this year I have done 1 Ironman, 3 Half Iron’s and 2 marathons. There have been no personal bests this season but I have managed to place in my age group on two occasions. So what to make of this season so far? It would seem that my performance has been all over the map. I have really been wondering if perhaps this lackluster performance is as a result of my age, thinking that perhaps I might have peaked in performance and therefore personal best’s are now a thing of the past. Or maybe I am just “raced out” and feeling fatigued from a busy 18 month race schedule. I am not sure. However one aspect that Coach Calvin mentioned to me that makes a lot of sense to me is that my training focus has almost entirely been on preparation for long course events and therefore I have not been doing any real speed work at all. I think he is right. My “A” races this year are all long course, both triathlon and ultra-marathons, so perhaps it is no wonder that I would not be doing as well at my shorter “B” priority races.
So it has been a bit of mixed race season for me this year. However I am still pretty happy that I have been doing a pretty good job at getting my self to the starting line on a regular basis. Like many people, that is my biggest challenge. I know that if I can at least get myself to the start line and survive the pre-race anxiety then I stand a pretty good chance to be successful and enjoy my day. Unfortunately I think that this situation will only become more difficult as I age. If that is the case then I will savor these days for all that they are.
In terms of upcoming races, I do have a few confirmed events in my calendar. The North Face Canadian Death Race is in 3 weeks which I am very excited about. Next up will be my return to Penticton for my 5th Ironman Canada which is at the end of August. Then I have a bit of break so that I can train for the ING New York Marathon which is in early November. I then plan to finish off the season by returning for my 4th time to run the 50 km course at The North Face Challenge in San Francisco. After that it will be time to start thinking about training & racing plans for 2011 but hey, that is fodder for whole other post.
Happy Training.
great report!
Thanks ST
Wow – your 2010 racing schedule leaves me a bit tuckered out just reading it. Good for you and keep rocking Don!
Thanks Al. My results may not be where I would like them to be however the satisfaction rating remains pretty high.
Don’t worry Don … I’m in exactly the same spot with training — too many races too close together. In Vancouver I felt the same way. I didn’t want to race, I grumbled to myself all during the bike, and I felt great on the run. Gotta stay focused!
Thanks David. Good to know that I am not alone with my questions.
good read. Nice little report. You sure have had a busy 18th months!
Hey, thanks very much Nate. It has been a busy 18 months and I have had some great adventures along the way.
I’m just so way impressed. I think you totally rock. In my wildest dreams I can’t do what you do. ….and I have some pretty wild dreams.
Actually I think don’t think that what I do is particularly special, I think anyone can do Ironman or run long distances if they are willing to train. And I am not under the illusion that I do any of it that well. I just truly enjoy what I do and believe in the health benefits.