Why We Race Before We Race

Preparation races are valuable.

This weekend, nine of our athletes stood on start lines, but for most of them, this wasn’t the race. It was part of the journey.

• 5km open water swims.

• Middle-distance triathlons.

• Standard-distance triathlon.

There were some fantastic performances, but the biggest wins weren’t necessarily the finishing times or podium places.

Every race answered questions.

• How does my pacing feel?

• Does my nutrition plan actually work?

• Can I stay patient when everyone else charges off?

• What happens when things don’t go perfectly?

• What do I need to change before my A race?

Those lessons are incredibly valuable because they’re learned under race pressure – something training can only partly replicate.

They didn’t just race because they could, because they wanted to or because it is fun. They raced to prepare. To test themselves. To gather information. To leave the finish line knowing a little more than they did when they crossed the start line.

Having fun. Pushing limits. Learning lessons. 

And those lessons might be worth far more than the finishing times when their big races arrive.