I’m sitting here in my camper awaiting another sprint triathlon. This one fits in with one of my new favorite things: a race that’s near (or even within) a state park or campground! A sprint triathlon that’s only about 3 hours from home base and I can camp on the same lake where I’ll be swimming? Sign me up! Driving up with the camper was a cinch and the process of setting up camp then getting over to the packet pick-up went as smoothly as I could’ve ever hoped. Who cares that I saw an alligator in the lake where we’re swimming 400 yards, right?
I haven’t been too much in my head about this race which is a nice change from the last race where I had been anxious about it for at least 3 or 4 days beforehand. It was only on the way here from Florida that the nerves increased as I went through race morning in my mind. Arrive… find a spot for my bike on the rack… set up transition… goggles on… swim as if it’s any other day… cycling shoes… helmet… water…. run out with the bike and hop on… hill… repeats… conserve… aerodynamic… push… transition… shoes… go… this is it… push… speed… finish.
I have goals for this race, just like the others I’ve competed in. I’d love to finish in the top 10 and have the best time in my age group. But no matter where I measure up to other triathletes, I’d like to finish in under 1 hr, 5 min. I think I can do that if I swim in the right direction, keep my heart rate down and just let my legs float behind me. Cycling. I am *loving* uphills and this course has quite a few. I’m going to try to not climb hard on every one of them so I can conserve some energy for the run. But I want to thrive on the hills, if I’m being honest. Might be to my own detriment if I go too hard, though. By the time I start the run I’d love to feel like I have gas in the tank and run like my dad is riding his bike with me in the neighborhood. We’re chatting, he’s ahead of me drawing out the best speed I can handle.
I feel good about this.
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 