At this point I am spending most of my time stressing about packing for the trip...especially my bike. I have already freaked out a million times in my own head about my bike not arriving, being broken, etc. I am trying to minimize the last minute worry and have everything complete and ready, but I keep running into bumps in the road. For example, I only have one water bottle holder. Wales only has water on the bike course every 23 or so miles. I need another way to carry a second bottle. I haven't figured this out. Tick tock, tick tock.
In the meantime, let me direct you to two good posts to read.
Hillary's post on her IMKY race. I love this post. Hillary is obviously a very accomplished pro athlete with an Ironman win to her name. She still has to work hard, though, and running up to her expectations does not just fall into her lap. What is even more amazing is how hard she still works at swimming- the amount of time and yardage she puts into her training, even though she is already one of the best. Reading how hard some pros work, like Hillary, is inspiring- much more than the athlete that just seems to always be fast because they just are.
Which leads into this post on Endurance Corner. I was literally just saying the same thing to Alyson this weekend...triathletes that step on the scene and are quickly National class are OUTLIERS! Same as the triathletes you know that eat cake all day long, claim to train 1/4 of the time of everyone else, and seem to have no intensity or competitive drive- yet win races and place nationally. Either they are LYING about how much effort they put into triathlon (and yes, some people do this...why, I don't know) or they are OUTLIERS. The majority of us age groupers have to work very hard to improve just little bits at a time. Don't give up, and don't get discouraged when you read blogs about people that are just super-duper fast, qualified for Hawaii on their first try, and ran a 40 minute 10k the first time they ever put on running shoes. I know several people like this! Many of them have worked hard for years, and you just never saw it. Some are just gifted and the results come quicker or easier. Most everyone else works really hard for years and might not see fast results. Hang in there- don't compare- keep moving forward.
As for me, I am just ready for next Sunday to get here!!!! Hurry hurry!!!!
5 comments:
23 miles between water stops on the bike course seems really far!! Can you use a behind-the-seat bottle holder for an extra bottle or two and dump one into the aero bottle if you need it?
Do you have room to just add another bottle holder? Some frames dont allow this on the down/seat tube. I personally dont care for the rear bottle ejectors but that is up to you:) I am wearing a bike jersey with room to put another bottle back there, that is another idea!
I know your freakouts, i have them too and i am just driving over to Wisconsin! Email me if you need more random advice and things i thought of..like Crap do i need immodium. Get it? hahaha.
PS coffee is overrated.
Love, your non coffee drinking PT pal.
No worries on the bike. Just let it all happen. We arrived in vt with no race wheels and two broken forks and all worked out ok. Just keep calm and deal with only the things that actually happen :)
Damie!!! So excited for you!
And thanks for the words of encouragement about not comparing. You wrote that for me, right? ;)
I bought one of the top cage mounts from
http://www.kingcage.com/. You just replace your current headset cap(?) with this and mount a water bottle cage to it. It doesn't go up between your aerobars, its lower, I found it pretty unobtrusive, no bottle ejections.
hope you have a great race! I'm interested to hear what you think about Wales, when I saw this race this year, I thought that is one I'd like to do, looks beautiful.
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