How have you dealt with having a bad “A” race in the past. IM distance training is so time consuming and when you get out there after tapering and it’s just not your day how do you deal? Thoughts?
I had an awful day at Ironman Arizona 2007, I went 3 minutes slower than the year before after tons of great training. The nice thing about IM is that as long as you finish and dont DNF, then you didnt totally blow it. One thing that has helped me move forward was registering for the race again the following morning, I also have taken a look at what I may or may not have done wrong. For me, Im working hard on tri specific strength training and have succesfully put up about 7 weks of great strength training on top of some great tri training. Also, I have picked some events coming up locally and nearby to give myself goals to work for, the big ones now are the SOMA HIM where im hoping to break 5 hours and a double century (actually 215 miles) in september (which may really help my HIM time). Anyhow, hope that helps.
Sign up for another one two months after the first one.
Man it's tough when you are forced to have so many eggs in one basket, as IM forces one to do. I generally plan other races of varying type and distance during the run-up and after a big race, just to avoid the serious disappointment that can come from having the big day not turn out as hoped/expected. You've got great fitness right now, use it to crush some little races. Big congrats on the mental fortitude to stick it out for the finish.
This is why I do not have a “A” race per se but rather a race where I will give my best. Things may not work for whatever reasons and this is part of the game and we need to be ready to deal with it.
There is always another tomorrow, another race. & at the end of the day it is just a race. nothing else.
Cheers,
Fred.
I didn’t even think of that as I was going to offer some psychobabble garbage .
I agree with IronCLM totally .
Rest a bit, go over what went wrong without beating yourself up , learn from it , get back into your training , taper and hit another one !
Best of luck at your next IM !
Did the sun still rise the next day?
Are people still dying in Darfur?
Do you still have to work for a living?
Compare your life to the soldier returning from Walter Reed having to learn to walk again with one leg.
You really need to put the event in the context of life. Be disappointed but having a “bad” day doing a triathlon is so far removed from what really is a bad day (i.e. death, chemo). Far too often I see people wrap their identity & self-worth around an event. Triathlon should be a positive thing & not something that brings you down.