I have had a lot of change in my life recently. I committed to becoming healthier, I recently moved to a new city. Austin, TX is now my new home (woo hoo!) I have a new job that I love and pretty much started a new life in 2013. I am a single mom of two children 6 and 2 1/2 and I do not exactly have a bunch of spare time on my hands. At this moment I am wondering why in the hell I got the crazy idea to try my first triathlon in a mere 79 days. I am semi-athletic. I played basketball in HS, ran track and have a decent physique. I am not a swimmer, nor a runner. I do enjoy biking and can ride 20 miles without any issues other than a sore ass. I have been embarrassing myself in the pool the past week and a half and I'm severely doubting my decision. I have already paid my entry fee so I really need to step it up or take advantage of the 50% refund I can get by April 4, 2013 if I want to quit.
I have a few options - just do it anyway and possibly come in dead last so I can at least knock this off my to do list, quit altogether or use the next couple of months to at least become decent in the water, run some miles, continue my biking and see what happens. I can't help but let the negativity creep in. I am attempting to simply complete the 300 meters in a lap pool all at once when I can barely do 50 meters without my heart exploding out of my chest - the doubt is pretty severe. Not only do I have to do 300 meters straight in open water with 40-50 other women my age kicking and swimming and flailing about in a lake I won't be able to see two inches in front of me - I then have to get out, jump on my crappy 1980's bike for 11.2 miles and then run two miles after that. Please tell me there is some amazing adrenaline rush or some type of addicting experience at the actual event or I would almost tell myself that I am insane for the mere fact that I just payed money and signed up to physically torture myself.
I can't believe people complete Ironmans like it's no big deal. I am doing a baby tri and it's hard for me to even imagine or picture myself doing even just the swim part, let alone swimming, biking and then running. I don't know why I thought this might be fun or that I would be able to complete it without physically wiping myself out on May 5, 2013.
I also didn't realize the cost associated with triathlons in general. The $85 entry fee was one thing, and then because I am not a triathlon member or something I have some $12 race membership fee for race day, and now I get to save up for an outfit to wear because anything at a really nice bike store is minimum $50-75 per piece from the get go. For my birthday I will be asking for cash donations from my family so I can get the outfit to wear at the tri since it's a few weeks before the race. I will also be rocking up to the race with an almost antique bike with no road handlebars or anything and I do not have fancy clips or a fast bike. I love biking but I don't have the money to get a nice bike because my $ goes to feeding, clothing and paying for after school care for my two lovely kiddos. I suppose if I somehow get hooked on tri's and don't make a complete fool out of myself in May, I will have to save so I can invest in a nice bike and then I will probably want to compete - and try to place if there actually will be a next time.
I have decided I'm not going to stress myself out over this and I hope I can watch enough swimming videos to get a decent technique down because I can't afford swimming lessons right now, either. I just hope to finish and not look like too much of a rookie, even though that is the name of the tri - so I guess I will fit right in! If anyone has any pointers, or advice, please feel free to give me some feedback.
I am definitely feeling overwhelmed at the thought of actually doing this and finishing it so I'm just going to keep getting in the pool and hope things get better. Right now I am struggling in the water. Are these feelings completely normal? Any advice would be appreciated.
Don't quit
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