Race Schedule and Results

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Am I ready???




Rev 3 Knoxville is 5 weeks away and to say that I'm unprepared is a bit of an understatement.  Yikes.

Swimming has been non-existent for a long time.  Like a really long time.  Like since before Abby was born.  Okay, even longer than that.  I think the last time I swam was maybe September.  Of 2012.  I wish I wasn't kidding.  I didn't swim when I was pregnant.  And since having Abby I've longed to get into the pool (because I'm one of those reeeeealy slow swimmer who actually enjoys every minute of my slow pathetic workout), but I just haven't found a way to make it work.  We have an awesome pool, but there is no child care.  Finding an hour or more to get to the pool, swim, get changed and get home just isn't in the cards.  Heck, I have a hard time going to the bathroom alone, let alone getting time to get to the pool.

Biking is another thing that I've put aside.  I love to bike.  I especially love biking on rolling country roads, when Tom and I can spend all day exploring, finding little sandwich shops or gas stations where I can buy Little Debbies and not feel the slightest bit of guilt because I'm riding 5+ hours that day.  That's heavenly.  But again, it doesn't bode well with a 10 month old.  Or where we live.  To get to country roads worth biking, we'd have to drive about an hour.  The roads around here are scary and since having a baby, my life seems to have even more value.  I have heard of far too many careless "accidents" where a biker has been hit, many time left and then dies.  Cars and bikes are no equal on the road, no matter how much we'd like them to be.  My 15 pounds Kestrel isn't going to fare well against a 3000 pound car.  So I find myself on the indoor trainer which is great and fine, but after about an hour, I call it a day.  Biking nowhere is hard.

Running - ah yes, that third sport.  I do it.  About 5 times a week.  I have zero speed.  I whine a lot about it.  I want it to be a zen experience and it isn't most days.  I can't tell you the last time I put on my headphones and just got lost in a run.  I can't tell you the last time I wasn't being pulled along by a 37 pound 10 year old dog who thinks she's 1 and has one speed - fast. 

So I get it - if you have read this far you are thinking "Colleen, you have no business doing a tri in 5 weeks".  And I probably don't.  But I will.  And I am excited.  I want to push myself.  I want to be surrounded by my teammates and other triathletes that are gungho the way I used to be.  I want to feel the excitement and the nervousness standing at the waters edge, know what's ahead of me and not knowing how I'll fare.  And the best part... about 3 hours after the horn sounds and I have my annual panic attack in the water (let's face it... I've been at this long enough to know that will happen), I'm going to be wrapping up my 6.2 mile run and I'm picturing grabbing Tom's hand as he holds Abby.  We will run down the finish line together.  We will smile.  I might cry a little.  And I will have that moment stuck in my mind forever - it's the first tri I've done as a mommy.  Now that's a pretty cool thing!

This girl will get me through it!!!