Sort of back.
Perhaps regular posts might incite the few of you who read this to check in more often and maybe even keep new readers interested. But... I get lazy. And forgetful.
My personal failings aside, I'm less than two weeks from my first (last?) half iron-distance triathlon. My preparation , as usual, has been less than ideal. The only constant in my training is my constantly spotty. Still, it mostly gets done. Mostly.
Mainly due to work, a bout with strep and the general lack of focus that pervades my brain. (I just lost focus and went for coffee.) Still, I feel pretty much ready to finish under six hours. I think I am capable of a 30 minute swim, three hour ride and a two hour run. Add-in transitions and I should be right around six. If I can go better, so much the awesomer.
(I just surfed over to a couple of websites. Lost focus again.)
My biggest race day fears are the swim, nutrition and gastrointestinal distress. But I think I have them all covered. I've been doing a fair bit of open water swimming as of late, with just a couple of panic issues. (I just checked water temp for the Snake River. Almost 66 degrees.) I know I can do it. Water temps could be a factor for me. If it gets too cold I could have a problem keeping my face in the water. But I think I can overcome that by getting into the water early and making sure the cooler water isn't a shock to me. Nutrition is going to be gels, water, electrolytes and whatever else my body wants. I think I'll be able to handle that because I'm not going to be hammering it. Which will also hopefully keep my GI system in check.
Fingers crossed.
I guess I have an additional thing I struggle with: Is it worth doing at all? I mean racing costs money and I often wonder if it is worth it with my approach to doing it, which is mostly half-assed. Here has been my "training" schedule pretty much all summer.
Monday: Nothing or a short run
Tuesday: Swim and a run if I didn't run on Monday
Wednesday: Run if I didn't on Tuesday
Thursday: Swim and ride
Friday: Run
Saturday: Nothing
Sunday: Long ride with a short run afterward. Sometimes.
Now if you ask me, that isn't exactly the path to victory. There is very little intensity in the workouts as I am pushing more for endurance. It just seems so haphazard. Yet, with my schedule, I don't want a set training plan because I end up missing workouts and then get pissed and down on myself for it. And it all comes back to the question: Is it worth it if I am not putting as much as I can into it? Or maybe this is all I can put into it without robbing from other areas of life. Like family time. Or work time. Or project time.
Is it worth it? I don't know. But on September 11 I'm doing it anyway.
