The X-Factor

I haven't posted anything in a while.  Training over the last month has been really hard.  I had been feeling a little deflated and I thought it would be best to take a break from the blog and not spread any negative energy.

I signed up for the Olympic distance race (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run), incase I forgot to post that earlier.  I'm still totally freaked out by the workout schedule that the coaches put out every week.  Despite the fact that I have been training for the last 6 months, I still have doubts that I can actually run 6 or 7 or 8 miles, even though I have done it a zillion times.  The physical training is nothing compared to trying to win the mental game.  

So I am all in for the team trainings from now until the race.  I just need it.  I need the support of my teammates and I need to know I am keeping up.  Last weekend we did a "mock tri."  A mini race, just with our team, to start getting us used to putting all three sports together.  I never swam with the team this year.  I guess I figured after 12 years of competitive swimming, it was the last thing I needed to work on.  And when workouts had to slip, I always cut out the swim, because swimming is my fall back.  So nobody knows that I can swim.  They only know that I can't run, well, I can, but I am really slow.  So when it came time for the mock tri, I crushed the swim, open water and all.  I think I was the third person out of about 100 people on the team to come out of the water.  I surprised just about everyone, including myself.  It was an awesome feeling and just the boost of confidence that I needed.  

I've never wanted to do anything more than to finish this race.  But after month and months of training its demoralizing to always come in second or third to last on a long bike ride or a long run.  Despite the fact that my bike is a 9 year old "Schwin Super Sport" or the fact that some of these people run marathons.  I always want to do better.  But finishing that swim as fast as I did more than level set me for the rest of the race.  I was able to hold off most of my teammates over the course of the bike ride and despite my super slow running pace, finished right behind them at the end of the race.  

So it felt really really good.  I had to run by myself and that sucked, but I did it.  More than a sprint distance, not quite Olympic distance.  I did it, and felt good and had a little bit more to give at the end.  So, I think I will be ready.  A few more brutal trainings before the race next month, but I think I'll be ready.