Highs, Lows, and Buffaloes: How to Write a Post-Race Recap
Why this should be a post-race requirement.
I write a race report after every triathlon. But not for the reason you might think…
Although it’s fun to share an account of your experience with friends, family, and followers, that isn’t why I do it.
It’s an opportunity for reflection. To assess performance. To think about everything I did- both the good and the bad.
This is why, and how, I do it.
The why- it’s not just for social
If you have kids, you’re probably familiar with the dinnertime tradition of sharing your highs and lows. Sure, it’s a method of encouraging conversation, but it’s also a way to engage in introspection. The simple practice of sharing the high and low parts of the day allows us to better express our emotions and give a name to the feelings we have inside.
Recently, I was informed that the old tradition has been given a makeover with the addition of “buffaloes,” which is awesome because buffaloes are adorable. The highs and lows are just what you’d think, but a buffalo is just a random fact or “Wow” moment that happened during your day.
Think of a race report in the same way. It’s not just a highlight reel, but should also include the not-so-great bits.
It’s a tool that I use to analyze my performance and to determine how best to improve. Every race, no matter the distance or level of importance, can serve as an opportunity for growth- to practice new skills, develop mental strength techniques, and get better at the art of racing.
A race report can be especially helpful when things go wrong. Had stomach upset during the run? You have an account of what you ate for breakfast and how you executed (or failed to execute) your nutrition plan.
A race report provides a road map. If you do the same race again, you have a detailed description of how it went so you can replicate your efforts or make changes.
A race report helps you determine the things you want to work on for the future. You won’t remember the exact details of your race five days from now. If you have a written account, you won’t risk losing the important details.
The how- a step by step process
Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.
First, I write down the time I woke up, what I ate for breakfast, and how my body was feeling. Then, I provide an account of the entire morning, step by step.
It’s like replaying a movie in your mind. Set the stage for the race using all your senses. Describe how you felt and any thoughts you had.
I include details about my pre-race warmup. I think about how I felt prior to the race and reference any mental visualization or race mantra I used to prepare.
Then, I go through the swim, bike, and run, making sure not to forget transitions. I include all the important stats, like pace, power, and heart rate, but I pay particular attention to RPE (rate of perceived exertion) or how the effort felt.
I include details about my nutrition plan, and how I executed the plan, or if I made changes on the fly.
I also like to include details about mindset: when I felt the strongest, when my mental strength started to falter, and what my intention was for each part of the race.
Finally, I wrap up by including the things I did well and the things I would like to do better.
This is where the highs, lows, and buffaloes come in.
Include:
at least 3 things you did great.
at least 3 things you would like to do better.
If you finish a race and the only thing you take away from the experience is a medal and a photo, that’s not going to help you much in the long run.
This is the part where you weigh in.
In talking to my friends and fellow athletes, I find that people fall into three camps.
Focus mostly on the things they did great.
Focus mostly on the things they didn’t do well.
Think about the things they did well and consider areas for improvement. (This is the camp you want to be in.)
Take a second and consider which type of athlete you are.
I think we all have to be careful about drifting too far to either side.
You don’t want to be the person who’s living in an endless highlight reel, because there’s no recognition of areas for improvement. And let’s face it. There’s no such thing as a perfect race. There’s always room for improvement.
But at the same time, you don’t want to be the person who’s so hard on yourself that you don’t recognize the things you’re doing well.
So, here are my highs, lows, and buffaloes from Fourth of July weekend’s Freedom Springs Triathlon.
High: Excellent swim and solid bike. Maintained focus throughout and stayed positive even when the run got a bit rough.
Low: Ran slower than my half marathon pace for a 5K (But, I was able to run, so that’s a win! Been dealing with a recurring shin split, and we’re working through it.)
Buffalo: Randomly pressed my button on my Garmin twice, so it completely screwed up my splits. Since I’d decided not to look at my watch during the run, I had no idea it wasn’t even recording data and had already “finished” the race.
3 things I did great:
Had the fastest female swim so that was fun!
Felt strong on the bike, moderated my power with the terrain, and used a new cooling method.
Maintained focus and stayed positive throughout. Used new mindset techniques.
3 things I want to do better:
Strive to stay focused on my plan in the face of distractions.
Feel confident backing off the bike just a bit to have more heart rate wiggle room for the run.
Continue to improve my ability to pace the short course run.
Give this exercise a try and let me know what you think in the comment section below. I’d love to hear what your highs, lows, and buffaloes were from a recent race.
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I love this idea, Brittany! I've been toying with the concept of maintaining a workout journal, which would contain post-workout thoughts and analysis. I currently write my workout scripts on post-it notes, but I'm yearning for something more organized and more introspective.