Reflections & Review

The Race Report

I ask every athlete I coach, after every race they do, to take a few minutes in the days following a race to reflect on their performance. Ideally, I want them to reflect a little deeper than overall time or finishing position.

I want them to think about the whole race, their performance, their decisions mid-race, how they executed in the moments. Try and learn some lessons, as well as celebrating the positives.

To do this, I encourage them to write a report.

All race reports are different, as you’ve probably noticed if you have read some of the ones we’ve published. However, I give our athletes a few prompts to help guide their thinking. The reports can be as creative, flowery, wordy or factual as the athlete wants them to be. The important thing is the reflection.

Here is the general framework …

The Build Up

For this section, I want them to think a little about their pre-race, their mood and their energy levels coming into the race. We can learn things here and change our approach if it didn’t go well – or try and replicate if it worked.

• How about the hours leading up to the race? Breakfast ok? Relaxed or stressed? Plenty of time or a bit of a rush?

• Were you excited and feeling good in the days leading up to the race, or perhaps a little flat?

• Anything you’d do differently – in training or lifestyle – during those last few days?

The Swim

Obviously I want to hear about their swim here. I’m particularly interested in their confidence, their mindset, their in-race decisions.

Tell me about your swim.

• Were you warmed up prior to starting?
• Did you try and start steady and build into it – or did you go off a bit fast?
• Feel good in the water or a bit of a fight?
• How about your open water skills?
• Sighting good?
• How would you improve your swim next time?

Transition & The Bike

Again, I’m keen to learn things beyond the data.

• Tell me how it went?
• Did you feel good holding pace, power, heart rate?
• Strong throughout or a drop off somewhere?
• Aero position good?
• Any lessons to learn here?

Transition & The Run

Again, tell me a story of how it went.

• How did you feel when you started?
• Did you find your rhythm?
• Were you on the edge or in control?
• Anything you’d do differently in future?

Nutrition / Hydration

Many athletes include this bit in the bike or run sections. That doesn’t matter. We just want to know whether they fuelled well.

• Did nutrition and hydration go well?
• Any gaps in fuelling?
• Any bloating or stomach issues?
• Good energy throughout the race?
• Any particular issues?

Overall

After all of the reflection, I’m keen to get an overall impression of the race from the athlete. And then I want to try and narrow it down to specific things that went really well and perhaps some things that we need to focus on in future races.

• Overall, what three things went really well?
• And then, what three things would you improve (and how?)
• Your overall picture of how you think the race went and how satisfied you are with your performance.

How About You?

If you don’t usually write a race report, you might want to give it a go? Follow the prompts above and see how you get on? You will learn a lot about yourself, your performance and how to make it even better next time!