Realistic Expectations. Have Fun. Good attitude. Smile.
More substantial goals:
1. Race the swim. My swim has felt pretty horrible the first 400-600 lately, but I think that is my body and triceps/lat adjusting to swimming longcourse on a regular basis again. I've been swimming more the past few weeks and I have been really happy with my swims this year. Expecting a non-wetsuit swim, hopefully my shorts stay up.
2. Don't over-cook the bike. It's a hilly course, with some fast decents, so I want to really ride smart but aggressive. I have been feeling heavy and a bit crappy on the bike, but my efforts and paces have been OK.
3. Don't talk myself out of the run. No matter what pace my legs produce, have fun and be happy. Don't walk no matter what - I probably spent 1-2 minutes walking/enjoying and aid stations at DC Tri -this is not OK in an Olympic race, no matter how I'm feeling. If I'm feeling bad, the faster I run = faster it's over.
If nothing else, I'm excited!!! I'm trying not to overthink it, but depending on how this race goes is going to decide my fall (between another OLY or committing to Poconos) and perhaps even a much bigger decision regarding next year. I don't necessarily care how I finish in terms of time or place, it's more about how I feel and if I enjoy the race. To commit to a longer race, my body needs to respond to racing in a way that I haven't felt since the half marathon in March, and I need to be in a good place mentally and excited for the potential of 5+ hours of racing.
As a swimmer, I think it is common to feel awful at the start of a long distance race due to the factors you mentioned. I wouldn't worry about it, since the race is long enough that you'll be able to shake that all out.
ReplyDeleteI'll be in the purple cap group - I signed up as Athena :). See you there (?)!