The Critical Post-Race Self-Evaluation

Photo-credit: Fireviewer

A race is a test, of sorts. It is an event that allows us to measure our performance both physically and mentally. Most coaches, including mine, strongly advise that we review what we have discovered and learnt after our race. Upon reflection, we can discover useful things that can assist us in our future training and racing plans. These insights and hindsight can certainly benefit us, when we apply them with purpose. Here are questions you can ask yourself:

1)    What went well during the race? Why?

2)    What could have been better during my race? Why not?

3)    How did my nutrition plan go? Did I experience abdominal discomforts? What would I do differently the next time? What would I not change?

4)    How sharp were my transitions? Which ways did I delay myself? How could I slice seconds off the next time?

5)    Which mechanical issues did I face? Where and why? How able was I to solve these problems?

6)    What was my mindset during the race? Which was my lowest point, and how did I deal with it?

7)    What was my sense of awareness during the race? How alert was I? Was I ‘in the zone’ or ‘zoned out’?

8)    How did I show my appreciation and recognition to the volunteers and spectators? Did I recall thanking them?

9)    Which is my area of focus for most improvement? How would I approach it?

10) How would I tweak my preparation for my next A-race? What can I learn from others?

By reviewing your performance, you can earn valuable lessons from your challenging event. Triathlons and endurance races are no walk in the park – until you experience the ‘bonk’ or fatigue. Our investment in the sport is high in terms of physical effort, emotional stress, and social impact. Make each attempt at a race count. Be accountable for your actions, so make the post-race review a strategic part of your long-term strategy to sustain yourself happily (and for as long) through your active lifestyle.