At the end of every race season, it’s always a good idea to stop & reflect. Taking a few minutes to quantify how your season went, what you did well, what you changed & what you need to work on going forward can illuminate key insights beneficial to shaping your next season. One of the easiest ways to do this analysis is to go back through your training logs/notes. When I do this, I’m always amazed at what jumps out – little things that, at the time, didn’t seem all that important…but in hindsight, prove to be critical. Besides, if you don’t do the analysis, you’re almost guaranteed to make the same mistakes again! And that is certainly not the most efficient way to improve!
By way of example, here’s a 2024 race season analysis by one of my athletes – Stephanie Campbell. Stephanie had an incredible season capped off by dropped 55 min off of her Ironman 70.3 Oregon finish time. Yes…55 min!! So, what did she learn? Let’s take a closer look at her reflections on 2024 race season.
Stephanie’s Race Season Analysis
“It’s taken me a while to just stop & think, but I finally got this done. I had to go back & read my notes from 2023 Oregan 70.3 race. Interestingly, I have a lot more notes for last year than I do for this year. Honestly, I did not even get this year’s race plan written down! I guess I just had what I needed to do out there in my head.
Change #1 – One of the biggest changes I made was to upgrade my bike. With the lighter frame & different geometry, I felt like I didn’t need to work as hard…I felt like I was able to ride more efficiently.
Change #2 – I also targeted my training rides more towards my weaknesses – hills. I put hills in the middle of my rides because that’s when I knew I would have fatigued legs & possible cramping.
Change #3 – The biggest change was dialing in my nutrition & hydration…even though I finally figured it out 3 wks before the race! Because I stayed on top of both, my run was amazing – I was able to hold my 4:1 ratio (04min run to 01min walk). My legs felt great!
- My hydration goal was to drink two bottles before the bike turnaround & to get new bottles at the aid station.
- My nutrition goal was to eat a GU gel before each short climb on the bike.
Change #4 – I was so more relaxed going into this race which I honestly think made a big difference. My race goals were to drop 02min 58sec (last year I DNF’d by 2:58) & to avoid cramping. I did have a point in the run where I started calculating & thinking that I would DNF again. Then a voice in my head said, “Steph just run!”…and I did! I think my dear friend, Rhoni was with me.
Overall, I really am proud of what I accomplished in this race. It took a team effort, a little hard work & some deep soul searching so I can believe that “Yes, I am good enough”. The latter is still a work in progress as I know that my inner thoughts can hold me back. But I now believe that change, not sticking with my status quo, makes me a better & more well-rounded athlete. Here’s to 2025!”