So, if you pay any regular attention to this blog, and really, you probably don't. But if you did, you might notice that my training lately has been a little . . . irregular? Scattered?
And if you did think that, you would be right. Reason #1 is that I've been thinking lately that I just had SO MUCH TIME until my next tri. SO MUCH TIME to train and get myself back up to speed. Because after all, my next tri is August 16 and that is a WHOLE LONG WAY OFF.
Except, well, it isn't.
Because yesterday I looked at the calendar and it was August 1. Meaning I have 16 days.
Six-teeeeen days.
Fuck.
And that's bad, because while the swim & bike distances on this tri are a lot shorter than than the first one (quarter mile swim vs. a half mile swim, and 10 mile bike vs. 19.5 mile bike), the course is SIGNIFICANTLY more challenging.
The bike course is very, very hilly. The climb out of transition is about 1.5 miles long, and parts of it wickedly steep. Then there's the loop through the park - more hills, not steep, but long. My legs are like jello after one loop, and the course requires two.
I'm not thrilled, but with some weekly riding of the course, I have gotten to the point where I can climb all the hills without stopping, though like I said, my legs are all shaky and my time is, well, not great.
Then there is the tricky issue of the descent back to transition. It's really steep and I am a big chicken. I ride my brakes the whole way down and that's with just ME on the course. What's it going to be like with other cyclists - the faster ones whizzing by and having to pass the slower ones (if there are in fact any slower than me). The hill is not only steep, it's curvy.
Quite frankly, it scares the ever-loving crap out of me. And the hill does empty directly into the transition area.
I can't imagine what the plan is for avoiding a 100-bike pile-up in the transition area. I'm just blindly hoping they have a plan to avoid this.
::sigh::Then there's the issue of the run. It's a trail run, also hilly, and also full of ruts and big roots sticking up all over the place.
It will be a minor miracle if none of the athletes in this thing walk away unscathed.
I've been in a bit of denial about all of this, which, I think, has been part of my lack of motivation in training.
But now that it's August 2?
I'm making the most of the next two weeks.
Labels: Facing my fears, Upcoming events
