Finish Line 70.3

Finish Line 70.3
Finish Line 70.3

70.3 Finisher!

70.3 Finisher!
70.3 Finisher

Monday, August 9, 2010

4 weeks to race day!

I woke up today and realized that --eeks!--I am 28 days out from my first sprint tri of the season, on Labor Day. It's not going to be an A race for me--just too hot on Labor Day in Texas (can get up to 110!) to make anything good happen and this race starts late morning since they have a kid's race first, so by the time you get to your bike and run it's broiling out there.

Still, I believe in sometimes entering "B" races to practice things you cannot really re-create anywhere else. Race day fever, of course, whether it's an A or B or C race, always creeps up on you. Practicing taper, nutrition, transitions--ESPECIALLY transitions; I know I can do much better at those--and this bike route is really killer hilly. I like that the website for the race says "course is hilly and fast." Ummm, don't you have to pick one of those? I can tell you that it's hilly, and I can tell you that it's NOT fast. At least for me.

The other reason to do this race is that it is literally five minutes from my front door. It's hard to skip a tri if one is that close to home. I hate the heat, and I hate starting later in the morning, but I tell myself to use this as a training event and not get too hepped up about anything else.

Sure. I will stand on the start block (it's a pool swim, 350 meters) and my mind will be going "go fast! get a podium placement! hammer the bike! own the swim! dig out the run!" I know my competitive nature very well, and it doesn't listen when I tell it to chill out for a race day.

So four weeks and now I'm starting to think about getting ready, or think about thinking about gettting ready. This means visualizing how we arrive (Patient Spouse will do this one with me)--do we drive 2 miles with our gear, or just ride our bikes there that morning? Bad news about riding the bike there is riding back on busy streets at noon time in the 100 degree plus heat. Also, you can't carry a lot of gear with you. Good news is that you don't have to deal with parking, putting on the bike rack, and you will save one leaf on a tree by not using car gas. Also you will get a good warm up (there are two killer hills on the way there). I'm thinking bike to the event.

It also means visualizing what equipment I will use for this sprint and what nutrition and hydration I will take with me (gonna be HOT). As well as visualizing the route of the bike and run, and how I plan to do each segment, and how I will better my times from last year (did I say this was a B race? I keep forgetting). How to survive the heat blast of the run at 11 a.m. on the concrete which has zero shade in any part of it. Can I improve the 15 mile killer hill bike ride pace from last year?

My training level has been sufficient to get me through a sprint tri without collapsing so I don't intend to change my training routine, although I will do a brief 2 day taper beforehand, and I may try some different sports drink to see if it makes a difference.

I've already entered, and now I'm starting to plan. Four weeks will go by fast. I will get excited before the race, and I will want to do well, no matter what I tell myself about it being a training race. I hope the weather behaves (today it's 104 degrees here--I'm praying for a little break in this madness by Labor Day). I hope my bike behaves. I want to run that 5K with some smoke, heat or not.

I think it's important to enter races (at least 2 a year, if not a lot more) to get that feel of the butterflies the day before, and the great feeling of pride and excitement as you get ready for the start line. Training is all well and good, but nothing gets your blood up like the real thing.

Tonight is a 2000 yard easy swim. I love the word 'easy.' Until recently, I had only ONE pace in the pool: easy. Then I graduated to two words: easy and not easy. I would laugh when my coach would say: swim 50 hard, 50 easy and 50 moderate. To me, I had easy and not easy. Lately, I really do find I have three speeds in the pool. But when I see the word "easy" for a workout, I cheer inside. I love an easy swim!

Stay cool!

No comments:

Post a Comment