I noticed when logging on for the first time in 9 months, that my last post was about my first Iron distance race. Funnily enough, that is what I am back to write about today.
Today, I stumbled upon this, and it brought back an unexpected flood of memories....
You see, my first Iron distance race did not go according to plan. I suffered some bad stomach cramps on the run, and walked through every aid station until 30k. Then somehow I cheered up and ran from 30k all the way back to the finish (42k) non stop. But that was enough to throw my plan out of the window. I had hoped for a sub 10:30 finish, but finished closer to 10:50. Not exactly disastrous, enough to make me so disappointed that I forgot the bigger picture.
Even winning a trophy in the team category did not cheer me up....
But watching the video today, I remember now.... It was a good day. A very cool race where 150,000 people lined the street to cheer on us, the competitors.
A race that I trained hard for, for months, some times alone, some times with friend... A week spent living in Germany with a group of Danes (and a French boyfriend), people I now call friends, family even...
It was a fantastic experience that I had managed to "forget" about, just because I had lost 20 minutes of race time. Today I will try to remember what I forgot....
Coming from a country where the average person thinks "Ironman" is the title of a movie, and where the average person would have a heart attack if they knew how much my bike costs (my mother included), I should be honoured to stand at the start line of any race. That I have come so far as to stand at the start line is an achievement in itself.
Taking the time and commitment to train for and race an Iron distance race is no small feat. Weekends are sacrificed (how else do you pull off an 8 hour training day?!), and a lifestyle is compromised. Thankfully, some partners are easier to appease than others.
I guess what I am trying to say is that there is a bigger picture than the results you see on a race day. People have been trying to explain this to me for a while now but I never quite got it. I do now. A sub optimal performance on a race day is not all doom and gloom as I thought it was. It was a day of experiences, shared with good people, a day to remember, regardless of the outcome. So finally, I am at peace with my first Iron distance race.
It was a day with an amazing start line.....
And an equally amazing after-party, with a bunch of amazing people....
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