T-Minus Ten

Well, the Tri is in 10 days, and I'm not ready.

I don't know if any triathlete would ever consider themselves fully ready, but I am still missing important items...such as a bike. I've gone to look at some, and kept my eye on Craig's List for some time now, but haven't found the right one yet. I decided it's too late in the game to be picky, so hopefully the bike I am going to go look at today is rideable and in good enough shape. I also need to exchange my gloves, get some shorts to run in, get tire fixing materials, learn how to fix a tire, and get some sort of runners' ...fanny pack?

We have a swim planned tonight at Barton Springs that I am quite nervous about. My first open water swim was last Saturday, and I must say, I freaked out. The water was so cold that my breaths were shallow, and my strokes were weak. I have always felt quite comfortable in the water, as I used to swim on a swim team as a kid. Practicing in lap pools has really brought that back to me, as well, but Saturday's swim scared me. Only thing to do when you're scared is to face that fear, so I am nervous, yet excited, to see how I do tonight.

On Saturday, I also ran the longest I've ever run....ever! I joined the ASHA team for a 3.5 mi Barton Creek loop from Mo-Pac to the pedestrian bridge. It was painful, but I was elated to even know my body was capable of running such distances. My running buddy Steph really got me through it and is so encouraging, as was the whole team. During the Tri, I'm going to have to imagine her running with me and giving me pointers so I can get through it. ;-)

I wanted to be competitive in this Triathalon, but I'll probably just be happy if I complete it. There are other future races that I can compete in. Just going from not being able to run a quarter mile without stopping, to completing any sort of Tri distance, and in two months, is a huge accomplishment for me that I am proud of.

See you at the finish line!