A False Sense of Accomplishment
In my last blog, I was pondering the question: Does age group success mean anything?
I have made my decision and to put it bluntly…No!
I made short mention of my age group win in Pewaukee a few weeks ago and felt like a fraud as I posted the results. Why would I feel like a fraud? Simple…the actual 1st place age grouper finished in the top 6 overall…but because of the distribution of prize money, he did not count toward the age group results. Not only that, but the race was missing some key competitors who would usually bump me down to 4th or 5th in the standings. Unfortunately I could not fully enjoy “the thrill of victory” because in the back of my mind it was not truly a victory. I also didn’t get to enjoy the “agony of defeat” because I had been wrongfully (in my opinion) awarded 1st place. So here I am, stuck in the middle.
The real point of this rambling, I guess, is to remind myself and others that although it’s nice to see a 1 out of 77 next to your name on the results page, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re on the right track. For me, it’s important to remind myself of the goals set before the race (both of which I missed). If we do not focus on the significant aspects of our races (whatever has been determined most important for that day, i.e. swim, bike, run, transitions, HR, nutrition, etc), we will gain a false sense of security with our “win.” When this happens it may be easy to sit back and think you’re improving, doing all the right things, and becoming the “100% race machine” we all want to be! That is, of course, until you show up to your next race and wonder how you could be 1st one day and 14th the next (I’ve seen it happen a hundred timesJ).
So if you’re not a very competitive person and are happy with an age group win, then smile, show off that trophy, tell all your friends, and have a cold one to celebrate. If you are like me and can’t stand seeing your name below the 1st OVERALL place, then do the following:
1) Allow yourself 10 minutes of glory & then wipe that grin off your face.
2) Determine where you’re biggest improvements need to be made in comparison to the top 3 competitors overall and start doing the research on how to turn your weaknesses into strengths.
3) Study all names above your own (become a stalkerJ)…know your competition.
4) And most importantly, show up to your next race with Loud Actions! (for those of you who are a little slow…actions speak louder than words).
Next Stop: Steelhead 70.3 in Benton Harbor, MI!
Cheers,
-=Berserker Poke