Experience in Triathlon

One of our competitor mentioned that he received nasty letters from a relative in relation to his performance in Auckland.  His relative told him that the way he expressed himself regarding the competition was mediocre.  The reason was that our competitor mentioned that he gained experience in the Worlds and accepted being top 9; instead of feeling bad because he lost the podium.  I told my athlete that gaining experience is something extremely important for teenagers and that does not come in easily.  I am 50 something and continue to gain experience and also get surprised by the experiences, which by the way, they are unique at my age.

Few people can empathize with the experiences in triathlon at different levels.  I have some life experiences after more than 50 years existing.  I have done ironman, and I competed in the Long Distance World Championships the year 2000 that took place in Nice, France. Also, I obtained my entrance to Harvard as a contracted doctor, a fellow, by the department of Child Neurology.  The road was difficult because I come from a small town in Mexico and grew up as only Spanish-speaking child until the age of 14; I was able to enter and to finish my Residency in the USA and worked for the Research Department at the University of Geneva, speaking French to do my work.  I accomplished things thanks to my team: my family and a few friends I have met on my life.  That is the reason why I know that for a teenager to compete for the first time in a World Championship is a huge experience with many things to learn; especially when the only international reference he had was a North American Championship and a Pan American Championship.  The Mexican Federation denied previous international exposure to our kids to gain international experience for arbitrary reasons.

Our athlete is used to relatively easy starts without using the pontoon and swimming without many people around.  For him, it was extremely aggressive what he experienced and it took him time to recover during the race.  Very few people have felt what I tried to describe, just the very few that have had the chance to compete at that level.  I can imagine how it is, but there is an abyss between what I imagine and what really exist.  Even if I know about how difficult is to race under rain and how slippery the roads are coming downhill, it is difficult to imagine the sensation during a race where everybody is tight together.  He was used to being first and experienced that everybody gives up easily when things get difficult; Auckland was completely different from what he experienced in the past.  It was the experience of his life, so far.

The experience of competing at that level could be insurmountable or extremely positive depending on how well prepared somebody is to be confronted by the experience.  It could be the end of somebody or the beginning for him/her to achieve good things.  Here is when the team takes importance.  It is obvious that his relative is not a part of his team and he is working hard to destroy the hard work our athlete put into.  Debriefing is something that should be done only by wise coaches.  It is extremely important for the athlete, the team and the future of the sport.  The value of the experience will depend on the debriefing process and it can last years without closure.  It all depends on the coach, the team, the environment and whoever is involved in the process, to have the best end. 

Debriefing sessions can be made directly without the use of "props" or with them as support tools, achieving highly productive session. The skill levels of professional facilitators and their visions for each process will be essential to capitalize on the experiences of experiential workshops, in moments of inspiration, teachable moments that become Debriefing sessions, into commitments for action.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debriefing