Tri This: Race Week

Race Week. For this first timer, there’s a bit of charge to those words. I’m doing a triathlon. On Saturday. I’ve been training less than three months. I just returned Tuesday from a week away.

Relax. Its a mini. Swim 300 yards, bike 11 miles, run 2 miles. I can do all of those things. Running is my most challenging event, and while I was out of town for the eclipse and other (mis) adventures (check out Eclipsed! Plan Crash and Eclipsed! Plan Crash, part 2  if you’re so inclined), I did 30 minute runs every other day, and surprisingly enough, enjoyed them.

One of the clients I worked with yesterday lives in the town where the race will be held. Owing to some complicated health issues, we’ve been meeting at her home. While I was in the neighborhood, I stopped at the community center to pick up my race packet and T-shirt. I took that opportunity to swim in their pool, and I’m glad I did. First, it felt really good to swim again after 10 days off. Secondly, I discovered that this older pool has very faded lane and end markings, making it hard to see the pool end. By the end of my swim, I had figured out how to position my head so I could see the end, which should make the turns on Saturday much easier.

This morning, I went for a bike ride. Again, it felt really good to be riding after a break. I did a comfortably paced eight miles around town, enough to warm up and stretch out without overextending. I was happy to note that I’m much more adept at working my lever shifters than I was, making only 2 shifting errors on the ride. Its interesting to me how the brain integrates learning while we are away from something. I’ve had it happen before with other activities, particularly with skating.

My plan for Friday is to do a moderate swim at my local rec center, and then practice the transition of putting shorts, shoes and socks on my pool-wetted body before going for an easy run. Not the actual transition of swim to bike, but the clothes are the same. Then all that remains will be to organize my gear and get set for an early start on Saturday morning.

I’m happy to note that right now, I feel mostly excited, and curious to see how this next phase of the adventure will turn out.