I'm still very frustrated when I go to group workouts at how seriously below average I am. OK - not just below average I'm the slowest person on the team :( I try remind myself that it's not a competition etc etc. but still falling so far behind gets a little old after a while.
My new bike did help - I was able to keep the other bikers in view - sorta. The coaches were amazing today though. Very helpful and encouraging
Anyway - the workout...
First Bike loop: 3 Miles, 14:33 min
First Run loop: .72 Miles, 10:22 min
Second Bike loop: 3:5 Miles, 18:39 min (I was really hurting here (from the seat) and ended up coasting much of the end of this ride
Second Run loop: .75 Miles, 11:45 min
I was supposed to do another Bike and another Run but I was hurting so much from the bike seat that I just couldn't bring myself to get back on. When I talked to the coaches about what was going on they took a look at my bike and determined that the seat was tilted too far up. They adjusted and asked if I would do the bike loop one more time. I did, and what a difference! yay! I didn't time that last lap though :(
Total: 3.5 miles
so the totals: 10 miles biking and 1.5 miles running. Not too bad a job for a first time brick - I was pretty surprised that I made it as far as I did.
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Keep mind that there is always a slowest person. It is sometimes disheartening to be that person, but just remember that you are doing a hell of alot more than most people. Keep up the good work and don't worry about where you finish--just remember that you have completed it.
ReplyDeleteYou are not the slowest person, Shawn. The slowest person is the one that is sitting on the couch or sleeping in while you work your butt off. Don't get discouraged with yourself. You are doing great. When you cross that finish line, you will get the same medal as everyone else. You will be a triathlete. thanks again for doing TNT and for making a difference in the lives of cancer patients. Art
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel since I'm the slowest person on the IronTeam. I don't finish the workouts as quickly as the majority of the team, but I do finish the workout which always provides me a great sense of accomplishment in the end.
ReplyDeleteI know that during my Ironman event, I will be by myself the majority of the 16+ hours, so I consider this period right now part of my mental training. The mental part is the hardest to overcome...physically I know I will have the endurance, but mentally I just want to quit.
I like to keep this quote from marathoner Joe Henderson in mind: "Even the latest finishers aren't back-of-packers. They're the back of the front, still among the elite one-tenth of one percent of Americans who can and does finish the marathon."
And, it sounds like you possibly live near me. Let's meet up and do a bike ride or long slow distance run sometime. I live in Contra Costa County. E-mail me if interested. We can talk about being the "back of the front".
I often feel the same way as I'm the slowest one on my team doing the full marathon. So I always end up running by myself. I have to constantly remind myself that the others running have way more experience on me. All I can do is learn from them, because I know I won't ever catch up! Kudos for having the guts to speak to your Coach about it. I just try to laugh it off when I'm the last one in and pretend like it doesn't bother me. But it does sometimes.
ReplyDeleteHang in there!