Writing this report with a couple of week’s perspective on the first race of the season, I’m going to focus on lessons learned. So here it is, the good, the bad and the downright ugly
- Swimming straight is not enough
In case this diagram is not as illustrative as hoped, I went just a bit off course during the swim. I have never had this kind of trouble in a swim before, and in my pre-race preparations I never anticipated having trouble here. I looked at the course map, checked out all of the buoys from land and during warmup, and started the race with full confidence. I even noticed at one point that my nearest competition was veering quite far to my left and assumed that she was wrong. Well, it turned out to be me who was taking a focused, direct and quick line to the wrong buoy, having somehow never correctly registered the shape of the course. So, lesson learned—know the course, and knowing means checking and double-checking, talking to other racers to confirm where we are going, and actually listening during pre-race instructions.
- Channel that anger
When the stick figure in the orange blob (aka kayaker) finally got my attention to point me back towards the correct course, I went through a lot of emotions very quickly. There was definitely a moment of denial, then shock, anger, anxiety and more anger. This was at least accompanied by a burst of adrenaline as I booked it back towards the line of swimmers I could see to my left and then pushed to pass as many people as I could during the remainder of the swim. I was thrilled to hear when I was running into T1 that I was still the third woman, and my continued anger at my own stupidity fueled a fast bike and run. So, lesson learned--when something goes wrong during a race, freaking out won’t help, but getting mad can be great motivation.
- Make a list and check it twice
I discovered major mental lapse number two very early in the bike leg, when I went to slide my feet into the cycling shoes that I had left clipped on the bike and discovered that I had left them strapped shut. I had skipped a vital step in setting up my transition area, one that I did not consider in my mental checklist because it was just too obvious. I thought my set-up routine was as methodical and thorough as possible, but six months without racing had left some holes. So, lesson learned—a printed transition checklist can be just as helpful and necessary as a packing list.
- A good shoe can’t be beat
In my determination to race through T2, I got my racing flats all kinds of twisted on my feet. I figured that I could deal with blisters during a 5K, and any time advantage gained in chasing the race leaders would be well worth the pain. Fortunately, as I was running, the shoe issue resolved itself as the flats molded to my feet as well as always. So lesson, reinforced—Brooks Racer ST flats are amazing.
- You never really know where you stand
Throughout this race I was in the unexpected position of trying to chase my competition, when usually I try to lead onto the bike and hope not to get caught. I was never absolutely sure of my standing, and this uncertainty spurred me to race as hard as I possibly could. I realized that even when you think you know your relative position, there are racers in other waves who may challenge you although you never see them in real time, and though you never wish it for anyone, competitors ahead of you may have breakdowns or incur penalties that change the final standings. So, lesson learned—race through the finish because every step of the run is an opportunity to improve your place.
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