Race Day is better than Christmas Morning and other post-race thoughts

Remember when you were a kid how excited you were for Christmas morning? More packages than you probably ever needed sat beautifully wrapped beneath the Christmas tree just waiting to be opened. The excitement just couldn't be contained which is why most of us probably woke up 5 times in the middle of the night wondering if it was too early to wake our parents up. When it was time to open the presents, the beautiful packaging was ripped away and exposed the gift. I was always very sad when the last present was unwrapped not because I wanted more gifts, more because I wanted that excitement to last longer. That's kind of how I feel about race days.

You prepare months for a big race and while the excitement might be more of a mix of joy & nervousness, it's excitement all the same. For me though, the excitement I had the week before Iron Star is still with me. Since the race, the last thing I think about at night is my race and the first thing I think about in the morning is the fact that I did it!!! I'm just plain happy and not just for me, for each of my teammates (especially the other first timers). It really was special to be able to share that with my training partners.

Being a few days removed from the race, my excitement is still here but I'm also starting to shift focus for what's next on the horizon. My next 70.3 race is a mere 21 weeks away with IMTX 6 weeks after that. Wow. That's closer than I realized! I'm so looking forward to going to Galveston for IMTX 70.3, formerly known as Lonestar 70.3. While I will be able to set some time goals for myself, the real purpose of the race is to serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts for IMTX in May. Hydration, nutrition & pacing will all be top priorities for me. A 70.3 PR would just be gravy.

Like every race, I've come away with a recharged battery and a renewed focus on training. I have in my mind some specific things I want to focus on over the coming months. (1) I want to focus on the bike as there is a lot of room for improvement there. I don't feel I've been particularly consistent and know I can be much more powerful than I have shown in recent races. (2) It's time to really race in the pool. The lack of confidence I carried for so long is holding me back a bit. It's time to make myself uncomfortable in the water and really push the pace because I know I can do it. (3) I'm never going to be an 8min/mile runner in a big race but I can't let that keep me from pushing a little more. My run has suffered a bit this year and it's time to figure out why and fix it. This isn't meant to be negative at all...just focused.

I really loved racing 70.3 and I suspect this might be my new favorite distance. Who would've ever thought that?!? I can't wait to see my teammates tomorrow night so we can celebrate in our accomplishments and talk about what's coming up next. 2010 is really turning out to be a great year and I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for me.

See, racing really is better than Christmas morning!!