And so another tri season is over. What a good game. Four races in total:
Sprint Distance
The Tower Tri - Niles, Illinois
The Batavia Tri - Batavia Illinois
Olympic Distance
Tri-ing for Kids - Kettle Moraine State Park, Wisconsin
Pleasant Prairie - Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Three of my four I had raced prior and in all three I crushed my previous time. My two Olys brought me back-to-back PRs (personal record) for that distance regardless of course.
I set out at the beginning of the season to "race with purpose." I didn't really know what that meant but what I found is that it meant to race within myself and for myself. I love competing but the more I raced within myself and trusted my training the more I relaxed. I was proud that I worked not only on the big things (like power output on the bike and nutrition issues) but also the little things that I've been neglecting (like my transition times). Its so completely different from last season which ended in disappointment and included an incomplete race due to weather, a horrible bonk during my first go at a half ironman and then a DNS due to weather (not to mention two sour attempts at qualifying for the Boston Marathon - but I digress). I kinda wish this season didn't have to end but that's what happens when you end on a personal high note.
I have my tri coach to thank for a lot of my success this year. And although I personally benefited from having someone write and monitor my training (not to mention being a big ol bucket of professional knowledge) it wasn't all lolly pops and licorice sticks. It was tough to follow the training at times. And there was plenty of internal (and not so internal) cursing on many a 5 o'clock pool mornings. But I needed someone who would know when and how to push my training and force me to work on my weaknesses in addition to knowing when to dial back. And when I think of it I kinda feel like coaching relationships should be love/hate. That's the only way I see it working. Nobody loves to be pushed or critiqued or told "you need to do this." But man all of that seems so worth it when you see the positive results.
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