After reading a bunch of race reports and recovering a little, I'm feeling a little better about myself. I know I shouldn't be hard on myself but it's difficult to overcome. Maybe writing it down will help. Thanks for listening.

27% of the race entrants in the first place were female. That means, out of 2,700 people who entered, less than 750 were women. I am not one of 2700, I am one of 750. (And if you start adding in other factors, I become more and more like a snowflake coming into focus.)

7% of people who started DNF. That's 189 people. It's not as high as St George (which was pure torture this year and is now a 70.3), but it's significant. People literally got in the water, turned around, and got back out. People were pulled from the water. People had to spend time in a warming yurt. People missed the swim, bike, and run cutoffs. I did not.

I read a pro race report that referred to the Coeur d'Alene swim as "one of the toughest in Ironman." The water is cold, the wind often kicks up on the second loop, it's very physical. Even finishers in the 1:05-1:20 range had to stop and backstroke to regain composure. While I was slow and occasionally frustrated, I had a panic-free swim. There is no feeling like panicking in the water.

The bike course was theoretically faster, but race report on race report has people going 20-60 minutes slower than the previous course. People who were well prepared still did well, but year over year the same athletes were slower.

I am recovering well. When I ride my bike, I can feel some discomfort in my hip flexors and quads, which is to be expected. When I run, my feet cry a little. Shoulders are still a little stiff (probably also due to my tight hip flexors, though).

I signed up to volunteer for Ironman Canada. I told my husband I couldn't promise that I wouldn't sign up for 2013, but that I didn't think I would. I would be faced with the choice of dropping one or doing a very difficult thing (both). I know that making the call to drop one would be hard for me to make, so I hesitate to put myself in that position. I volunteered for the finish line and transition areas.