do a triathalon

So I can say that I’ve done it for pure personal satisfaction and fitness.

This is it! Today I pick up my bib, turn in my bike and set up the transition zone. Tomm. is the big day. I am so nervous. I think if i can survive my panic about this, the rest of the race should go fine.

I just want to prove to myself that I can do this… I’m tired of being intimidated by all things physical. This is the year I finally deal with that.

Last training effort completed…one more swim. Shaved 15 seconds off. I think this is as good as it’s going to get. I look forward to next year when I will have some experience to learn from and more than a few months of training. But I started at approx 40 pounds overweight, less than ideal medical conditions and seriously sedentary. Couldn’t even run for a minute. So I won’t complain. I’m happy with my progress, but still long for even more. And I’ll get there in time…

All that’s left to do before Sunday’s triathlon is to eat properly, rest well, practice my transitions, gather all my gear and PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!

And I need to think about how to keep calm. Every time I start to think about it I get anxious, start to breathe too fast and my heart rate zooms up. By the time I get 1400 excited women around me and the adrenalin starts rushing, I’m going to be in trouble if I can’t keep myself centered.

Started my recovery period. No more training except for some evening walks (to break in new shoes) and a swim tomm. I bought gear today and am now working on a checklist for my transition zone. I googled and read about everything I could find on decreasing the time spent in transition. And I’m all read up on how to eat leading up to the event.

I’m still really uncertain as to what to wear. It could be very chilly here in Alaska at 10 am. I will be wet out of the pool. Do I pull on biking shorts over my wet swimsuit. And how do I quickly pull on socks over wet feet that will have picked up every little bit of gravel on the barefoot run through the parking lot to the transition zone? And who knows how long it will take to pull tight gear over a wet body? How will I stay warm if wearing a wet swimsuit? And will the wetness cause chafing? Then do I run in my swimsuit and bike shorts? I’m pretty modest and can’t imagine running before a large crowd in my swimsuit. Do I carry a water bottle for only a 3 mile run? A gel pack?

Yikes! Never done this before and everything I read was geared towards the assumption that you’d be wearing a wetsuit for long, open water swims. Or towards the assumption of warm weather. I’m totally baffled. But this is my first tri and I need to keep realistic expectations of it being a learning experience that I will build on at next year’s event.

FOUR DAYS TILL THE TRI!!!

Practiced the bike 9miler and the 5K run on the actual course this morning. Bike time was the same, but shaved a few minutes off my run. Tomm. will be my last training day before I begin my transition period and start protein loading.

Five days left. My heart starts racing every time I think about it. I really wish I had a few more months to train…

Six days till triathlon! Getting scared, to be honest. The other women I see practicing on the course are half my age and a billion times fitter. I hope I’m not getting in over my head. Biked the actual course today, shaving 4 minutes off my time. Plan to bike it again tomm. and Weds. before taking Thurs-Sat off for recovery and transition.

Off to the pool for a mock swim leg….

Charity

Traveled to the actual bike course and run portion of the triathlon and did a timed trial. Not as good as I’d like. Not as bad as I thought. EIGHT DAYS till the real deal. I plan to hit the real course 3 more times in the next 5 days and then take a 3 day transition period with no work-outs.

To be honest…I’m getting really nervous about this. I know I can’t be competitive with only a few months training, especially starting at nearly comatose couch potato level, but I hope to give an effort of which I can be personally proud.

And next year, based on my times compared to top ten in my age group, I think I might actually be able to be competitive.

Charity

TEN DAYS LEFT… Yikes!

5 mile run

Swam for an hour. THIRTEEN days till my first ever triathlon and it’s on my 49th birthday!