They say you don’t learn as much from when things go right as when they go wrong. I can’t agree more.  This was my second year competing in triathlons, and while I placed in 4/6 races last year and 2/5 this year, I feel so much more accomplished at the end of this season. Here’s what I learned in my training this year:

Getting up is harder than falling down. Missing one opportunity sometimes opens up the time/space for a better one. Just because you don’t improve in the thing you planned to doesn’t mean you haven’t made improvements. Don’t run on a path you don’t know without water, your cell phone, and rescue flares! Triathlon is an endurance sport. Sometimes you just have to push through, even when you get discouraged, and make it to the end.Let me elaborate…

1. The trouble really started in June when I attempted an Olympic distance race. I’d done a couple tune-ups earlier in the year and felt pretty good about my capabilities when I started training for this race. I trained really hard for 6 weeks, I had a new set of race wheels (early birthday + Christmas present from my parents) and I felt strong, confident and prepared on race day. Unfortunately, halfway through the race I made a wrong turn. To prevent hitting a chain blocking the way I slammed on my brakes and did a flip over the handlebars and onto my face that I’m pretty sure could’ve become a feature video on Ridiculousness. I either looked like a badass or a battered wife, depending on how judgmental you are. I was only scratched and bruised which was lucky, but that was the end of the race for me.  I had been averaging around 22 mph on the bike up to that point and I was beyond disappointed in myself for making that mistake.

2. All the confidence I had in my abilities at this point was gone. I had planned on signing up for the Miami 70.3 immediately after the race but was so defeated that I hesitated and missed the registration deadline. I was disappointed in myself all over again, because the 70.3 is more popular and draws a more competitive field and I was really looking forward to the challenge. I conceded and signed up for the Miami Man, the same race I had done last year and completely fallen apart in the run.  It ended being a good thing I had the extra time to train due to some upcoming poor training conditions. (See #4)

3. If you need any evidence that this stuff is addictive, my signing up for the Escape to Miami is all you need. I had begun my half-ironman training after taking a few weeks to nurse my physical and emotional wounds after the crash, but it was early and I really wasn’t prepared. I finished with a much slower time (~10 minutes) and lower placement so needless to say, this did not provide me with the post-race high I was seeking. To add insult to injury-literally, all anyone else had to say about my performance was, “At least you didn’t crash!” as opposed to last year, “Did you win?” My standards are a little higher than just not falling on my face, thanks. Really good things that came out of this race, though, were that the changes I’d made in my race nutrition and supplement plan paid off. I have a tendency to get an ab cramp on the run and that didn’t happen this time even though it was really hot. One small battle won!

4. Should I also mention the day I had a 3 hour brick workout that turned into a 5 hour tour of the Key Biscayne preservation, complete with no water for over an hour, climbing a barbed wire fence, and barely making it to the parking lot, where I had to ask someone to walk me to my car because I was so dehydrated I was on the verge of passing out? That was a fun day.

5. By the time I made it to the Miami Man race day, I had managed to get myself together and have over a month of really good workouts, so I felt like I might not die doing the race. I know that’s still lacking a bit of confidence, but I really just wanted to survive and better my time from last year if that was humanly possible. I ended up cutting 15 minutes off, mostly from the run. Finally, true race success-and very hard earned! I ended up in 4th place, compared to 3rd last year, but I’m still so happy about my improvement which was my goal.