So what have you learned this season...

[rocknrollgirl]

I have been having deep thoughts this morning brought on no doubt by the IM thread started by RM and a few of Yoda's musings. Mix that together with house cleaning and an idle mind, and viola...deep thoughts.

So what have you learned about yourself this season. Not about training, or racing, but about yourself as a person. What did this season teach you about who you are?

I think that I have learned two big lessons:

1. Patience. Looking at the road ahead and being patient. Trusting in the process and being patient.

2. What kind of racer/athlete that I want to be.
I have had a good season. I met my goal to qualify for nationals. However, I suffered a big disappointment earlier this month that kind of rocked me a bit. I chose not to share it on this forum for several reasons. It involves other people, and I did not feel that I could openly share the story, whether they are active here or not. Also I was not sure that I could accurately articulate the whole story, my feelings were so wound up. I really just wanted to talk to my Mom.

It took me several days to get my head screwed back on straight, and during that time I thought long and hard about what type of role model I want to be to my students, my friends, my family. Who do I really want to be as an athlete?

A big lesson to learn. Lots of sole searching involved.

So ladies...what have you learned about yourselves this season?

[Kimmyt]

This is a good thread.

I've learned a bunch this year, some things that really shocked me.

1. (the big one) I am much more of an athlete than I ever gave myself credit for.

I still have problems with this. It is, perhaps, a product of my past, but it's hard for me to admit I'm not horrible at this sports thing. I never was very good, or rather, I never explored the possibility of being good. This year I would say was my first year where I actually was pleased with myself. I realized that I could run, maybe not the fastest out there, but I have alot more strength and endurance than I would have ever believed. I found that I'm competitive. The Boy would laugh at me saying that, he says I'm one of the most competitive people he's ever met, but I wouldn't have thought so until this year when I found out just how fun it is to race.

Realizing that I'm able to be athletic really opened my eyes. It made me prouder of myself, my body, my willpower. It made me feel happy, it gave me a 'can do anything' feeling. Really, the first time I've had that feeling.

2. I've also realized some things about my personality, some things that are bad maybe, and that I should work on. It's been a good year for that. I'm trying to not let it upset me, but its hard you know to find out things that aren't so good about yourself, and to find out these things and accept them and accept that you have to work on improving them, well it's hard, but it's hard in a good way you know?

3. The above doesn't really have much to do with tris or anything, but maybe in a way it does, because I feel like starting to train has really opened my eyes to who I am, it's allowed me to kind of burn away some of my misconceived notions about who I was or who I was pretending to be, and it allowed me to come to accept a bit more of who I really am, good and bad. Maybe it was the very physical presentation of my strengths and weaknesses in the form of physical activities and racing, or maybe it was just getting a little bit older and hopefully a little bit wiser.


K.

[HillSlugger]

1. Ankle sprains are a bad idea.
2. If I get too competitive it sucks the fun and enjoyment out of what I'm doing.
3. I can swim!

[Zen]

At my age I know myself pretty well.

[limewave]

Great thread!

I learned:

1) I'm not a professional athlete (big surprise) and I cannot compete with them. I have a full-time job, a beautiful DD, and so many responsibilities right now that a regimented training program just isn't possible--and that's okay. It's okay to do races for fun.

2) There's no shame in placing last. In fact, I'm not sure if I've ever been more proud of myself for pushing through.

3) Eat more vegetables and less bagels :-)

[LBTC]

I hope it's ok for me to post on the triathlon forum

I've learned:

I have felt what being athletic and being fit was and didn't recognize it fully at the time. I have faith I will gain this back, but accept it may be in a somewhat different form.

I should cry more often and I want to cry at the oddest times.

I need people more than I'd like to admit sometimes and I've found people here that are almost all that I need.

Words are powerful. They can uplift, support, injure, damage, cause every emotion imaginable, and often produce a different emotion than was actually intended.

Roses need a lot of pruning. They are worth it.

I am not quite as patient, disciplined, kind, tolerant or sexy as I'd like to be. I'm human.

If others feel like I do some days, I hope that the pictures I offer to the world each day help them, just like they help me.

All of you who train for triathlons, who race to win, or to have fun, who work hard and balance your lives and are still fabulous, wonderful, supportive women - you inspire me.

Thank you!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Tri Girl]

Love this thread! Thanks for starting it.

1. When I don't have a big goal to focus on, I slack off

2. This one deals with my self image. I used to be really big and giant, then got really skinny (far too skinny to maintain- but I did it the right way- through diet and exercise) and now I'm somewhere in the middle. I learned that I can be medium sized and still be an OK athlete. I don't have to be rail thin to be good at sport- my thunder thighs power me on the bike and my big shoulders and chest pull me through the water. My size doesn't determine my worth (something I still struggle with)

3. Changing jobs can change your life and your attitude about most everything- for the positive (even tho it's really scary)

4. Negativity is contagious- and it's easy to get sucked in

5. online support and friends can be just as "real" and wonderful as those I can touch

[Deborajen]

Hmm - I hadn't actually thought that all this training meant lessons were being learned about myself --

But come to think of it, I have learned one really good lesson (at least one) -

Love the sport and enjoy it.

Last year I ran my first half marathon and then thought, now what? Do I "have" to do a full marathon now? That's a lot of training, and I'm not sure I want to make the sacrifices necessary to do that. But that's o.k. I love running, I enjoy the focus it takes and the not having to please anyone else. It's healthy and a good thing just being active - progress and accomplishments or not.

Deb

[teigyr]

Excellent thread.

I learned that I shouldn't be intimidated by things that scare me because it's just a matter of getting in there and doing it. The unknown can be scary and sometimes I feel insecure being around "experts" in something I don't know but I'll never get better if I don't try. (Case in point, swimming.)

I procrastinate. I already knew that. But I learned when I cease procrastinating, I feel so much better about myself and life.

I learned I should see myself as others do. I tend to be really hard on myself because I used to be an "athlete" and now I am a recreational athlete. There are people who think I do difficult things and I tend to downplay them because I think anyone could do them. Anyone could...but not everyone does.

I learned to ask for help. And I really learned, instead of thinking I know everything, that sometimes it is good to admit ignorance and turn to others. It's also good to admit fears because I've found that most of them are normal growing pains in learning something.

And LBTC, it is good to be human! I never trust anyone who's too perfect

[roadie gal]

I learned that while it's very satisfying to have goals and to achieve them it's also OK to NOT have a goal for a while. Every body needs a little physical and mental rest. I tend to endlessly push myself. It's been a revelation to let myself just be "freeform" since my DNF.

I also "learned" that I am no longer the "short, fat kid with the braces and the glasses" that I was as a child. (I'm 48. You'd think that I'd have known this by now.)

You don't have to win by other peoples standards to be a winner to yourself.

[HappyAnika]

For me, this season was all about learning that I can in fact do it. Growing up I was a couch potato, add to that the asthma, allergies, and overweight-ness . . . (and yes I grew up to be a nerdy scientist) . . . I never in a million years thought I would grow up and exercise for fun, let alone finish a sprint tri. I'm really still amazed at myself that I can not only run a 5k, but do it after swimming and biking. I know that may not sound like a lot to some of the super stars here, especially those who've been active and/or athletic their whole lives, but for me, looking at where I started from, it's huge. So to break it down, I learned:

1. If I have a goal, and a reasonable plan, I can accomplish it.

2. It's ok to try something new and look like a dork at first. Most people are too busy doing their own thing to notice, and those who do notice are generally supportive and encouraging.

3. I like training, it makes me feel good about myself, both physically and mentally, and is a big all around confidence booster.

[Starfish]

I'm really still amazed at myself that I can not only run a 5k, but do it after swimming and biking. I know that may not sound like a lot

I get it. It does sound amazing. Way to go! Hoping to be able to report back in the next year about my own sprint tri!

[Starfish]

I've been trying to figure out what the answer is for me.

I think maybe it has something to do with accomplishing a goal despite some major life stuff going on. I tend to be single-minded...like a dog on a bone, but on one thing at a time. I have sometimes tended to let "life happening" derail me from a focus.

This year, I think I learned a little more towards knowing how to keep going with baby steps when I can't run, and crawling when I can't take baby steps--but not quitting altogether. Coming back again and again to a focus rather than completely being derailed.

It is some sort of lesson about balance, or doing what I can do and letting go of the rest, or being OK with not doing everything to a certain standard, or something. I haven't worked through it all yet. But, I like where it is headed.

[Wahine]

This is a very good thread. I've been reading it and thinking about a lot of things.

I know that there's been a really big lesson for me this year that goes beyond the training, the goals, the races. I'm just not sure what it is yet. I'll let you know when I figure it out.

[colby]

Interesting thread. I love all of your answers.

I've learned...

1. I didn't forget everything I learned about swimming. Not being able to swim last year really made me sad, and this year it felt good. I could probably use some schooling and practice on my technique, but I'm pretty confident.

2. Some things come with experience. Getting in the water with 1 or 50 or more people is just something you have to do in order to know how it feels. Running after riding is something you have to do in order to know how it feels. Repetition and experience really do make a huge difference, my body is smarter than I give it credit for.

3. Sometimes perfect plans fall through, and that's where plan B and a little positivity has to come into play. If it's raining cats and dogs, you do what you can. If you forget or lose something, you do what you can. Plan for the worst, always envision the best.

4. Have a plan or get a coach. I do really well when things are somewhat laid out for me, but if they aren't, I tend to bargain. No good! Stick to the plan, but be somewhat flexible -- sometimes stuff happens (like working 15 hour days for the last 3 days... not much room for training there).

5. Find (or create) a supportive environment. A buddy you can talk to, your friends at TE... it makes a huge difference to know you're going to be encouraged and yet somewhat accountable. My husband has really taken an interest in how I'm doing in some events and it's really meant a lot to me to hear him say he thinks I did really well. Even if nobody else noticed average ol' me, he did, and that first "you did awesome!" with some comment like "you were really passing people on that swim!" or "you looked great crossing the finish line!" means so much when all I saw were the people passing me and all I thought about was how much faster I could have been.

I think I've learned some things that I can't really put into words. I feel positive and confident, but I can't really articulate why. I hope it carries me through the winter and spring, next season's going to be interesting.