Lessons Learned?

So a couple of days ago I was thinking back to my 1/2 marathon last weekend, going through it mile by mile, and a smile started forming and then it got bigger...and bigger... I made the realization that that race was now the owner of my best finish ever! By finish, I don't mean crossing the finish line or my time. I mean the last couple of miles of any race I've done with significant distance. Over the last 2ish miles I only got passed once! I did most of the passing! In most of my previous marathons and longer tris I usually hit "the wall", be it from going out too fast, poor nutrition, poor training, take your pick. This time around I started slow, kept a nice even pace throughout, (properly trained heading into it!) and I was the one passing people at the end! The 1 guy who did pass me I recognized from a few miles back. He was running with his wife back then and I could tell he was holding back so I wasn't too disappointed he got me back. Over those final 2 miles I just kept telling myself to stay relaxed and just get that next person in front of me...and then the next person...and then the next. I just kept getting 'em, what a great feeling! I want to end every race like that!
The pendulum has swung to running as being my strong suit/favorite right now. Early in the season it was probably biking, then running creeped up there, then I had a breakthrough in swimming so I felt that was where I was gaining the most benefit, but now I feel like it's running again. Funny how it can change in just a matter of a couple of workouts. I had a good training run on Sunday and another one today. Sunday's ended up being shorter than what the training schedule called for, but I got started late and was meeting a training partner to go for a ride immediately after so I didn't want to keep her waiting just so I could finish my run. I headed out on an out-n-back route to make sure I'd be back in time (vs a route that's a loop, harder to gauge how long it might take). Once done with the run, I didn't immediately know how far I had gone until I got home later and mapped it out online, but was curious because it felt fast-ish. Granted, my HR was a little higher than what a training run calls for, but not too far out of bounds, maybe 5-7% higher than it should've been. It turned out I did a 7:45/mile pace for that run and it didn't feel like I was working all that hard! Woot woot!!
The ride immediately after that run was interesting, to say the least! It started sprinkling, but since we were both there we still headed out, thought it would be good to get some training done in adverse conditions. Never gonna know what race day weather will be like so get prepared for anything! Sprinkles turned into a drizzle (or is it the other way around?) which turned into a steady rain (but not a downpour).
We came to an intersection and had to cross some railroad tracks. Now, if there's 1 thing you want to do when on your bike and your faced with RR tracks in the road that is to cross them at as much of a 90 degree angle as possible. Unfortunately, these tracks cut through the road at an angle and throw on top of that being slippery from the rain and you guessed it, someone fell. No, it wasn't me, but my partner did. Her front tire slipped into the groove between the track and the road and down she went.
Granted, we weren't cruising along at 20 mph and it came out of nowhere, but she still fell and absorbed the bounce with the side of her body. Before you ask "well, why didn't she just put her foot down?" it's not that easy. When you're wearing bike shoes and clipped into your pedals, the hardest thing to do is get unclipped once you know you're heading down.
Bike crashes are kinda surreal and strange to see happen. I've witnessed 2 now - CC had a doozy of a crash 3 years ago careening out of control on a downhill, swearing the whole way and now this fall, I hesitate to call it a crash. I was riding behind Nic and had just got done crossing the tracks when I saw her bike basically stop and then she started tipping over to the right. I had to quick turn to avoid her, but remember thinking "Huh, she's gonna fall. Look at that. There she goes." And she never said a word. Fortunately, there wasn't any blood, we don't think she broke anything (although her wrist is still sore a couple of days later) and her bike is still functioning as it should. Just makes me hope that if I ever crash, it's into a lake or better yet, a big pile of down pillows!