Better Expecations - Ironman Louisville

"Excellence is a journey.  You're never as good as you want to be.  It's a step wise process.  You take these little steps and suddenly you have a change"  - Toby Cosgrove, MD

I always love to look at the faces of the people that cross the finish line of an IRONMAN race.  You can't replicate those expressions.  The joy, the raw emotion.  How often in your adult life do you have those types of expressions and emotions?  Only a few times in your life, are you cheered for as an adult and that's a part of what I love about racing.  I admire those individuals as they are doing something that brings out the best in them, something that gets them up in the morning and inspires them to pursue their passion.

Athletes who enjoy what they do are putting all their efforts into being the very best that they can be.  They are focused, determined and willing to go through all the pains necessary to be all that they can be. Finding the joy in whatever you do is the best way to maintain motivation and purpose.

My season for 2017 has come to a close with my final IRONMAN race for this year in Louisville.  With more of my cancer treatment behind me, I felt so much better both physically and mentally going into this race. The race was almost a year post-chemo treatment for me and I was happy to race my ninth IRONMAN and my third time in Louisville.  I'm thankful for my health and continue to be amazed at how exercise can continue to help with my treatment.  Having an estrogen positive breast cancer meant that I needed to take an aromatase inhibitor for 10 years which reduces the amount of estrogen in my body in an effort to lower the risk of recurrence.  Many of the major side effects of the drug (Anastrozole) include joint symptoms (including arthritis, severe joint pain, osteoporosis).  In talking with my oncologist these side effects are common requiring some women to look at alternative therapies as the side effects are often too severe. I've adapted well to the drug and have not experienced any of the major side effects which he attributes my fitness and exercise regimen - a plus for what I love to do.

I love the Louisville IRONMAN course with it's rolling hills and cooler temperatures.  This year we had some dramatic weather changes with some wind gusts of 45 mph during the last 20-30 miles of the bike leg. I had my second best overall time with an 11:45 finish time (1:08 swim, 6:07 bike, and a 4:14 run) which put me in 14th place out of 156 athletes in the 45-49 AG.

I've made a few changes going into 2018...a new part time triathlon coaching job with Amphibian Multisport and a new coach for myself out of South Carolina (TriMarni Coaching and Nutrition). No better place to visit than the Carolinas! 


My schedule for my major races next year include:

IRONMAN Oceanside 70.3
IRONMAN Chattanooga 70.3
IRONMAN Muncie 70.3
IRONMAN Chattanooga

Expectations

"Expectations are the root of all heartache" - William Shakespeare

I learned this past month that this quote is also true for expectations in the world of endurance triathlon.

"Expectations bring nerves, anxieties, and unnecessary pressure.  Expectations prevent athletes from developing confidence because if you judge or demand an outcome before it happens, and you don't meet that expectation, you feel like a failure.  This does you no good.  On the other hand, if you have confidence and a strong belief in your ability to perform, your result will be a product of putting together the race that meets your capabilities" - Marni Sumbal

I assumed that IRONMAN Santa Rosa would be similar to my previous IRONMAN races.  I expected to place in the Top 5 or even the Top 10 in my Age Group.  However, no one understands (even me) my body post chemo and radiation.  I feel the same as before I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  My training has gone as expected. I didn't have the race I wanted but I'm more disappointed with how my mind gave up.  Because I didn't have the bike segment that I expected, mentally I shut my race down on the run and gave up.  We're not suppose to give up.  I fought through cancer treatment, why shouldn't I fight through an IRONMAN when my race wasn't meeting my expectations?

A successful race shouldn't be determined by a podium or age group placement.  A successful race shouldn't even be determined by time goals. What you should be proud of is that you finished your training, you got to the start line healthy and happy and that you successfully crossed that finish line.  As we age and things happen to us in life, we need to learn not to focus too much on the results.  Let go of the pressure of having expectations.

"We all define success differently on race day.  Racing requires you to focus on the present moment and to stay calm, brave, and in control, in the face of an obstacle. And when a low moment comes or energy drops, you can't give up on yourself.  Sometimes, the best results are the ones that you can't predict or plan for.  Success comes from the "here and now" without focusing on the past, anticipating the future or worrying about anyone around you" - Marni Sumbal

"If we let our head drop, our heart drops with it.  Keep your head up and your body is capable of amazing feats" - Chrissie Wellington (Clearly I wasn't following Chrissie's advice!)

So as I reflect, the keys of my race success were being "cancer-free" and having the athletic ability to finish my 8th IRONMAN.

I like quotes so here's another good reminder.

"If you just take it moment by moment, something comes down that gives you a hope or realization that no matter how it turns out, it's great because of what you just made it through - because that was tough.  That's a success." - Mark Allen

Mike Reilly was kind enough to announce that I was a cancer survivor

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.  The most certain way to success is always to try just one more time" - Thomas Edison

So I will try again (with different expectations) in Louisville in October.