Hittin' Your Stride

This week was all about track & field. This weekend Isaac competed in the provincial Indoor Championships. It's commonly known as "The Big Show" because it's the most important competition during the indoor season. Most of the track clubs in Alberta attend this event and vie for provincial medals and personal best times.

Bruce rode over to the UA pavilion from Redbike so he could watch Isaac's 1200m race. He borrowed a Surly 1x1 with a handy-dandy front basket! I really like his Chrome messenger bag:

Isaac competed in 2 races: 1200m and 2000m. Isaac has had a very successful season so, and he was confident that he would deliver some personal best times.

This weekend he learned a few very important lessons. One of them was to keep mentally strong and never lose your focus. He finished 2nd in both races, with a PB in the 2000m. This weekend was a success, but Isaac was definitely frustrated with the outcomes. He wanted to win. 

Middle distances require stamina and tactics. You must stay focussed and mentally tough to the very end of the race. I think Isaac felt the heat of a strong competitor and lost his focus; instead of concentrating on his running form and running his own race, he was nervous about losing. 

As you can discern, he was very unhappy after his first race.

He had a post-race debrief with his coaches. One of his mistakes was giving away the inside lane when he was tired. He allowed his fatigue to distract him and he moved over to allow his competitor to pass him at the last stretch.

For a while, nothing could cheer him up, not even the kind words of an encouraging parent.

On Sunday he finished second place and earned a personal best in the 2000m. I thought it was a decent race. I know that Isaac gained valuable racing experience this weekend. Among other things, his coaches reminded him  to focus on improving his mental toughness because it will only get tougher when he gets to the top. Wise words, indeed!

Anyway, I spent the rest of Sunday doing chores until I went for a walk in the afternoon.

Yep, we still have plenty of snow!

Isaac cheered up too. He and his best friend spent the afternoon toboganing and just goofing around.

Did I mention that I chopped off my hair? I really love it! No more flat helmet hair!

Next weekend is the annual Edmonton Journal Games, where Isaac will compete in the 800m. This is always an important event because many schools in Edmonton compete for medals. I hope that Isaac continues to improve and to learn from his racing experiences. Those lessons will serve him well in future races and help him to hit his stride!