May 10, 2011
orlando is only a few days away and the more i think about it, the more excited i am about the race. i'm looking forward to it so much because it's a race with one only goal, which is to finish strong. there's nothing on the line and these types of races are always the most fun. no stress. this is my first 70.3 (and first tri in 12 years!) and i'm heading to the race to simply dip my toes in and get my feet wet with the distance.
swimming is coming along well and has been steadily improving since january. i'm feeling more and more at home in the water and can feel the benefit of every little change my coach has me make to my swim stroke. running also feels really good right now. i did a half marathon a couple of weeks ago and had better than expected results. however, my half marathon fitness off the bike is still up in the air. a real wild card is my bike fitness. because i've been focusing so much on running over the past several months, my riding is not nearly as strong as it was last season. also a big change from last year is training in general... racing at longer distances brings a whole other type of training, but how that will translate into results on race day is unknown.
what i do know is the swim at this race is slow (no wetsuits) and crowded, the bike is fast and flat, the run is just as packed with people as the swim, and the heat and humidity are unforgiving. with that weather in mind, i've been working on dialing in a nutrition and hydration plan that will (hopefully) have me fueled, strong and ready for the run. although i'm uncertain of my fitness and how well i'll fare at this distance, i am certain i'm prepared for this race.
i'm heading to orlando to have some fun, gauge my health, put a nutrition plan to the test and finish strong. it's likely i'll make some rookie mistakes, but i'm kinda looking forward to that part. i want to laugh and smile and enjoy myself out there and making an ass of myself may help lighten the mood. maybe i'll run the half marathon backwards on purpose just to get some strange looks.
