My Blog Log

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Lessons Learned

   Why triathlon? Why would you want to train five or six days a week. Swim, Bike, run almost every day, constantly review and watch what you eat, obsess over how long it takes you to do these events? The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and obtaining the same result. Most people that don't participate in triathlon would probably say that those of us that do are indeed insane!
   It is hard to understand, but I know for myself it is a very addictive sport and hobby.  I learn something new each day I train and each time I race. I learn what I could do better, what I did well, and what I want to change the next time. Why in the world would I want to keep doing this to myself? As a triathlete I don't play triathlon, I endure it. We endure hardships every day in our lives so for me enduring pain during swimming, biking, and running gives me the courage to see what I'm made of. Later, I can apply that inner strength to every day.
     So many times in life we fear the unknown. Most of the time before I start a race I'm terrified. Imagine looking out at a large body of water, knowing that you are going to be in it swimming with hundreds of people. This isn't exactly comforting, even for a swimmer. Facing my fears helps me to overcome them. When I cross the finish line I am no longer afraid.
     I started a business last year and I was afraid for many reasons, but like triathlon I felt that if I didn't at least try I would never know if it could be possible, and not knowing is worse than being afraid of something. One year later, I am up and running a pet sitting and dog walking business called Dawgz Gone(www.dawgzgone.com) that has been successful.  I have some very loyal customers and I am still growing, but like triathlon I didn't start out doing an Ironman. My motto has always been slow and steady. Take your time with things, pay attention to details, believe, and good things will happen.
   I raced a few weeks ago in The Outer Banks Olympic Triathlon in Manteo, North Carolina. I did this race last year as well, and enjoyed the venue so much I went back this year. It was a come back race for me as I had taken a little time away from racing and training last spring. I learned many lessons during this time and during this particular triathlon.
     Lesson number one: I would not completely stop running for the length of time I did last spring. Three months with little running was too long. I lost some endurance and it took me a few months to get back in good running shape. I am reminded of Diana Nyad's mantra"find a way."
    During the OBX Triathlon I over hydrated. Too much of anything is never a good thing, including water and Gatorade. Lesson learned, you don't need 40oz of liquid before you start an Olympic Distance Triathlon. I tend to get very nervous before the start and my mouth gets dry as a result. I over hydrate to compensate for the dryness. As long as you drink around 12-16oz  before the start that should carry an athlete to the next phase of the race or the bike portion. Drink small sips on the bike. I ended up drinking another 16oz on the bike portion of this race and when I got to the run portion my stomach was bloated. I could feel and hear the water swishing around in my stomach. Not good. Mile one of the run I had to make a pit stop into a porta potty which cost me some time on my run split. So a good rule, drink around one sports drink or one bottle of water(around 12oz) before you start the swim. Hydrate on the bike by drinking two to three large sips of water or sports drink every thirty to forty minutes while riding. For an Olympic distance triathlon around 500 ml or 16oz on the bike should do it. There are always water stations out on the run course so I prefer to use those rather than carry water. A good rule on the run is to sip water every couple of miles or every twenty to thirty minutes. Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink, at that point it is too late and you may be dehydrated. Pay attention to the weather also because you may drink more if it is hot and humid.
   Use your watch or Garmin to time yourself. Another important lesson from my last race was that I forgot to start my timer on my watch. Even professional timing companies make mistakes. I was connected with a relay team for some reason during the OBX Tri. I discovered this when I went to print off my timing information after the race, and it had my number linked to another timing chip. My splits for each sport were incorrect, but worse I had no record of  my times to give the officials. Lesson learned, keep your own time just in case. I gained eight minutes as a result.
   Lesson number four, don't be afraid to talk to the officials if you feel something is off with your race. Even though I did not have my correct splits for the OBX Tri I knew that I wasn't listed correctly and let the officials know. The officials and timers are there to help you and want you to have a fair race. 
   Enjoy every moment when your out there. Look around, enjoy the scenery, talk to other racers while you are out on the course. As a forty something athlete I am blessed to be out there participating. There are so many people suffering from illness or injury that would love to be able to walk or get off the couch. I am truly blessed with god given gifts and for those I am truly thankful.
     Beach 2 Battleship is coming soon. I can't wait and will have a report when it's done.
     Tri-On!
      Kelly
  
    

No comments:

Post a Comment