RACE REPORT: 2012 Blue Lake Olympic Triathlon

[7rider]

Bike: I like the bike leg. I always joke that I’m a cyclist who just pretends to be a triathlete. Its a joke, but at the same time, it’s true that the bike leg of the event is the only one where I truly feel at home.

Sounds like you, Veronica, and I are all in the same boat. Or rather, on the same bike. I enjoy the bike legs. Tolerate the swim (in the one tri I've done - mostly, I do du's). Suffer mightily through the runs. Your run splits mirror mine for Run 1 of my du on the 3rd (but take heart - yours were faster!). I don't even look at my HR anymore - my Garmin (or my heart) is too erratic. This morning, for an easy 2.1 mile run, my HR allegedly peaked at 239. Yeah.

HillSlugger told me - and I take this to heart - Race your stregnth. Train your weakness. Which is why I've been doing a lot of running this year with a training group.

FWIW...while I totally understand wanting to do all you can and tracking metrics. But I have found that one person's sad event is a PR for someone else.

Oh, and regarding this:
"I know that I can't control who else shows up. I can only control how *i* show up."

Not even. Sometimes you show up, but your legs don't. They can't all be awesome races. That's why there are lots of them during the year!

As others have said - don't beat yourself up. You did great.

ETA:
Oh, this:
"8th of 13 in my age group. 3rd fastest bike time in my age group, 3rd slowest run. <sarcasm>What else is new?</sarcasm> I know I’m supposed to believe that if I hold back *on* the bike, that I’ll run better *off* the bike. But here’s the thing: I *did* hold back on the bike. And I still run like crap."

Boy, did you steal my race report from my du the other weekend??? I was 6 of 9 overall in my AG. 9th on the first run, 8th on the second run. And 3rd on the bike. And I did the exact same thing....went conservative on the bike, knowing I had a 6.2 mile run ahead of me (and quietly whimpering at the thought).