Race ready....

This will probably be my last blog before my first triathlon in Hattiesburg this Saturday- the Heritage Eagleman Triathlon. There may be some short updates before then, but this could be the last one.

For the most part, I feel like I am ready. I have put in the hours, the yardage, the miles and the sweat. I've awaken at 4AM multiple times a week for months. I don't know too many things I could have done differently...More hill work on the bike? Speed work on the run? I think those things may have helped me fare better in this particular race, but since I have a goal of going much longer in the future, I think I have done the right thing.

There will be a learning curve associated with doing these races. I'm sure I will forget something. A friend told me a funny story just a couple of ours ago about a funny experience he had in his first triathlon. He was approaching the end of the race and saw his family with about 100 yards from the finish and all of a sudden his son started yelling, "You still have your helmet on!" Basically, he had run a 5K (3.1 miles) without realizing he never took his helmet off when he got off of the bike. I'm sure funny things like this happen to a lot of beginners in triathlons and I look forward to sharing my funny moment(s) with my blog followers after the race.

So, below are my goals for the race:


Swim Goals:

1. Swim straight and don't waste energy: This will be my first open water swim, so it's going to be a new experience swimming virtually blind and not being able to follow the black line on the bottom of the pool that I have been following for these months of training.
2. Time under 11 minutes (if the distance is actually 1/3 mile): I have read that the swim in this race is actually a good bit longer than the 1/3 mile distance that it is supposed to be and last year's swim times reflect that. If it's a true 1/3 mile, I would like to swim it in 11 minutes, but just swimming efficiently and without wasting energy is goal #1.

Bike Goals:

1. Conserve energy for the run: A friend, and someone I consider a mentor (although there are many), said the key to enjoying a race is saving enough energy to finish the run strong. I'm taking that advice.
2. Time under 57 minutes (17mph): I heard it's a hilly ride.
   

Run Goals:

1. No walking (even though my run resembles a walk): This is going to probably be the toughest of my goals for the race, but I'm going to try to stick to this one. As you can tell, all of the other primary goals for the other portion of the race are aimed at this goal.
2. 34 minute run time (11 minutes/mile): I did a brick workout with a 13 mile bike and 2 mile run and was able to run 10 minute miles for 2 miles, so hopefully I will be able to run 11 minute miles after adding a swim and a few more miles on the bike.

Transition Goals

1. Don't forget anything (like taking off my helmet).
   
2. Transitions under 2 minutes each

Total Race Goals

1. Have fun
2. Finish under 1:50: This will be good enough for last place in my age group based on last year's times, but I don't care about that. I actually recently took myself out of the beginner category and threw myself into my age group just to see how I would fare...so, last place here I come!!!

So there they are, my goals in writing (or typing) on display. They are official.

After the race this weekend, I will be shifting to full marathon mode. I will run four days per week and ride my bike and swim one day per week each. I am looking forward to the long runs, but not really looking forward to the 4AM 6 and 8 mile runs on work days. I have trouble getting motivated to run on work mornings. I do, however, have some really great motivation in my charities and all of you awesome people that support and encourage me!

Children's Heart Foundation

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Here's my final quote, which was borrowed from someone on my triathlon team forum. See you at the finish line! I'll post pictures next week!

"If you're still breathing, finish the race."