As usual, it takes me a few days to analyze a race before I am ready to write about it. And I'm still not sure if I am finished learning the lessons from this last race, but I also don't want to forget what I have learned so far - so I will start at the end and then fill in the details.... hopefully putting the pieces of the puzzle together as I go. On Sunday August 22nd I won 1st out of 36 women in my age group at the Kelowna Apple Triathlon. This race was also the National Championships so I guess I can say that I am the Female 35-39 National Champion! Yahoo!!! Although I am happy with my placing, I have to confess that I was severely dissapointed with my mental race performance. I won't bore you with the details because they really aren't important - they never are. But due to boring details, I was in a funk about my race and couldn't get my head out of it. I couldn't visualize a good race for myself and through a series of bad choices, I woke up on race morning feeling mentally depleted, physically exhausted and poorly prepared to compete. So many things ran through my head during that race that I could write a book on my thoughts alone. In the end I was able to talk myself into finishing by using these three focus phrases:
1. I never quit. period. so If I'm not going to quit - it will be over faster if I race harder
2. I really wanted to win enough points in the race to secure my positon as the BC Provincial Champion - which meant that I at least had to finish. refer to #1
3. If I finished the race by putting everything I had into the race, I would give myself permission to rest for an entire week - or 4 days at least. (This isn't the type of positive reinforcement that I like to teach but when you get desperate - bribery sometimes works best.)
So no, I didn't quit. Yes, I think I have enough points to secure my position and yes, I am giving myself 4 days of rest, rewarding myself for not giving up,pushing past my mental barriers and surpassing even my own expectations.
Thank you Benny, Rose and Rick for always supporting me and especially Rick for loaning me his bike on race day!
