Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Thank you everyone!

I've had some very kind emails and comments on my race day blog. Thank you everyone who took the time to write a few words. It means a lot to hear encouragement from other people that have been in the same place. I'm normally a pretty positive, forward looking person, so being that down is a very unusual experience for me. I am feeling much better now. Really.

Well, except for one thing I want to get off my chest. I understand that the volunteers and spectators want to cheer on the athletes, and encourage them. The races are impossible to put on without the volunteers and I certainly appreciate their efforts. I've sent a thank you email to Mike Bock to pass onto his volunteers; they did a great job. But why do they say "Good Job!" or "Good Work!"? I was very grumpy about this during the race. I get paid at my job to do work. I get told what to do, I do it, and I get paid regardless of how I feel about it. I do triathlon because it's fun. Almost all the time I enjoy it. Certainly I'm doing work, in the physicist sense, that much is true. But I'm not 'working.' And telling me I'm looking great, what's that about? I'm reasonably certain I looked like a zombie last weekend. I saw a photo of me getting out of the water at a tri last year, and I've seen corpses that look better. Or is this something about triathlon that I don't know yet, that there is a conspiracy to lie to the athletes to help them through? (And yes, this para should be read in an Andy Rooney voice.)

No, really, I am feeling better. It still isn't a good race, but I'm not so down about it. I've started to think about what happened in a more analytical way, rather than just an emotional way. It's been suggested to me the whole day was one long semi-bonk. If my breakfast didn't get digested I was behind the nutritional 8 ball right from the start. After some reading I found this on bonking. "You become irritable, lose focus, and find it difficult to concentrate. You feel dizzy, disoriented, and may even hallucinate. Your vision closes in, and it may be difficult to keep your balance." That certainly describes some of what I was feeling.

The training front has been pretty quiet. I've been trying to get some good sleep and mostly succeeding. My wonderful massage therapist worked me over Monday afternoon, and it felt great! Lots of time spent on my legs, of course, but also my shoulders, and believe it or not, my jaw. She thought from the way I was carrying my head and periodically clicking my teeth that there was some tension there, and by golly, she was right.

My thought for this week is to get my legs back to 100% through some rest, a bit of stretching, some yoga, and maybe walking. Some of that walking is going to be pushing a lawn mower; the lawn has turned into a jungle. No running, though oddly enough, when I was doing some BBQ on Sunday night I was watching someone run by, and knew that if I changed my shoes, I could run faster and smoother than I ran during the race. I didn't, of course. I've been invited to ride the 70.3 course again next weekend, and I'm going to have to see how I feel. That might be too much too soon.

Congrats to Shannon on his great race! He's such a modest guy he only said he had a good day, and it's only when I saw the results that I realized he'd placed second in his age group. Susi and Lori had tough races, but gutted it out and finished. I haven't seen Chad's blog, but his time looks super! Amy and KK had a great race. I was thinking it must be super to race with someone you know that well.

6 comments:

  1. Hey Keith,
    Glad that you are a) feeling better and b) getting some answers as to why you felt so miserable during the race. Nutrition accounts for all of a race, if you think about it; your car can't go if there's not enough gas.

    So, does the "you're invited" to another 70.3 race mean that you are racing that distance again or just volunteering? Good luck if you race!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry about the confusion on the 70.3 ride, KK. A few weeks ago Shannon, Leaha, and I rode the course together. She asked if I wanted to ride it again next weekend. I certainly want to, but I'm going to see what my legs say about an easy spin on Thursday, then decide. I'm already signed up for the 70.3 race in Aug. Should be a blast, once we get out of the glacier fed lake.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Glad to hear 'your back.' Sometimes it just takes a while...

    Volunteers who tell me I look great, I want to punch them. I know they're trying to help but NO I DON'T. I know I look like death, don't lie to me. OR how about, you're almost there and I haven't started running yet? I know people are just looking for something to say. I try - go get em you PAID to do this to yourself today. Rock it like a rockstar!

    ReplyDelete
  4. i always laugh and say 'i so do not!' when a volunteer says i look great and i know i'm dying. then they start laughing and it makes me feel better. go figure. speaking as a volunteer to many races, you are trying to keep the person going and saying 'good job' is a quick and easy thing to say as someone goes by. i tend to say 'you're doing great' especially to those that look like they are dying. it does make a difference to people if you can give them some of your positive energy. oh, but i really do hate the you are almost there one...

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey Keith...thanks for the comments on my blog! I am sitting at about 187lbs right now and have decided to drop another 10 or so now. And trust me I feel great!

    I was reading your Chinook report, congrats on finishing. It seemed like one of those days where nothing went right. Good for you finishing the time you did and not quitting! Have you made a final decision on Canmore? I am doing the sprint, maybe I will see you there!

    Road to Nepal eh? I game for anything! ;)

    ReplyDelete

Looking forward to reading your comment!