Race Analysis

I hardly analyze my races anymore.  I think it is just that I am still a bit removed from the level of competition I felt prior to having Isla.  I sometimes think of myself as a "competitive participant."  But, before Isla, I would always look at how my race actually unfolded compared to the girls above and below me.  How did my swim hold up?  Where did I win or lose the race?  Did I bleed time or get back time in transitions?

But lately, I just kind of look at my racing and feel that there is nothing to analyze.  I can just sum up everything with lack of fitness, lack of equipment maintenance, poor bike fit, or whatever.

So today, I sat down and tried to look at Redman with my old, analytical lens, and see what I could learn.  It is all part of my fake it till I make it plan, where I push myself to be a little more competitive until I actually feel competitive.

So, here is how it looked...and it was NOT what I thought it would be....

I placed 27th amongst females.  So, I looked at the 26 females ahead of me, and this is what I saw.
- 17 women swam faster (I was totally fine with this- no expectations from the swim when I don't swim)
-16 women completed T1 faster
-21 women biked faster (most women biked faster than I)
-6 women completed T2 faster (what is everyone doing in T2? I even put on socks. Grab your gear and go!)
-25 women ran faster (yup!  everyone except 1 female ahead of me ran faster.  Not hard to do when I walk, I suppose).

So, the swim was my best event.  And that has never happened.  Ever.  Until this year.  And it happened at Nola 70.3 as well.  I can assure you this is NOT from actually improving my swim.  I also had a decent T1 and an excellent T2.  If you looked just at my bike and run, I was really lucky to actually be the 27th placed woman- I could have easily been many places back.  I was at the very bottom of the results in those areas.  But, this also shows just how important the swim and transitions actually are.

So, this prompted me to look at other results.  Basically in the past, I would be in the middle back of the swim.  Then the bike would be my best event, followed by the run which would be pretty comparable to my bike and I would either gain or lose a place on the run, but basically maintain where I ended up off of the bike.

This analysis was interesting and just reminded me that my best days are the ones where my events maintain or improve position, not go backwards.  Of course none of this matters even a single bit if I can't physically run off of the bike.  But, just in general, it is a good reminder of how my best racing looks compared to my worst.  

But even as I go through all of this and try to inspire myself to keep moving forward, I feel a little helpless.  I can't figure out the nerve issue and why it is crippling my run.  So yes my run is crap off of the bike, but I can't change it.  It is not a fitness issue.  Talk about frustration and helplessness.

Yesterday I returned to swimming for the first time in 3 weeks.  My back hurt so badly, but I don't even say a word about it anymore at practice.  2+ years of swimming pain.  A friend asked me at the end of practice if my back hurt, and it honestly just made me love my friends- that they would even care to ask.  And the answer was yes.  Swimming is painful and it sucks.  It is why I hardly swim now.  I just can't bear to do it too often.  And as I woke up this morning with back pain from swimming the day before, it suddenly hit me...maybe this is part of the foot issue.  Or maybe not.  I really have NO clue.  But, maybe it is that the swim flares up my back, followed by the bike, and then I am crippled for the run.  Maybe. 

So, I keep facing that feeling of giving up.  It is hard to fight something I don't know how to fight.  Then I just tried to rethink the issue today and decided that while I have gone to 3 x physical therapists and 1 x chiropractor about my back, maybe it is time to just try to get back into someone.  Maybe I go through every avenue available to me here in Memphis until I find the person that can help me work out a solution.  For a sport that seems so simple, it sure does get complex with all of the moving parts.  Is it my back?  It is the swim?  Is it my saddle? Is it my fit? It it the shoes?  Is it the cleats or their position?

Someone reminded me yesterday that yes, while the many moving parts are hard to juggle and very frustrating with the sport, it makes the great race days so much sweeter because you have nailed much more than just being fit.

Keeping on keeping on...

Damie