Friday, July 6, 2012

Final Thoughts Before 70.3 Muncie


                So, as most of you know, I will be racing 70.3 Muncie on Saturday.  Right now I have many mixed emotions and feelings toward this race.  Last summer I was doing all of the long rides with Susie as she trained for 70.3 Muncie and IMKY and that got me thinking that I wanted to do a 70.3 in 2012.  We talked about Muncie and Racine, and eventually ended up deciding on Muncie.  I had planned on keeping up with biking and swimming over the winter to make sure I would have a solid base going into this race.  Although I had plans, while trying to balance school and collegiate running, I neglected the bike and eventually the swim.  I made it to about November on the bike and February in the pool before I started to focus more on the running.  I had decided to add biking back into my training in March during the outdoor season, but a week into the season I found out I was anemic, and that pretty much put a damper on any of my training plans.  It was a long recovery process to start feeling great again, but I made it! I have had the last 7 weeks of HIM training, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.  I think part of it is just excitement for my first 70.3 and that I am healthy enough to do it!
                I made my own training plan for this race, so we will see if it all works out.  I figure this is my first one, and I didn’t really need an actual coach for it.  I like to have a plan, but I like to make my own workouts and own schedule.  I just like to be in control of things.  Someday I think I will want a real coach though.  As much as I like to control things, certain days I wished I had a coach.  I knew the basic layout for training, so I wasn’t too worried, and if I didn’t know, Susie or Steve were always willing, and ready to help.  Big thanks to them, because I probably would have gone crazy trying to fit everything in certain weeks, and they just reminded me, that everything would work out and sometimes, less is more!
                What am I most looking forward to? A longer run. I love the triathlon, but the run will always be my strength.  I enjoy the sprint and Olympic distance, but I am excited for this 13.1! I always say I wish the run would be longer, so I guess this time I get my wish! I am also looking forward to being in a race with 1500+ people.  I have never done something this big, so I am very excited for that! It is going to be a whole new experience.
                What am I least excited for? Warm water and the heat. The water temp is hovering around 85 degrees right now. That is going to be a long swim in warm water—definitely need to pay attention to hydration as soon as we get on the bike.  Hydration is key on Saturday.  The heat will also be a pain in the butt. The good news is they have added ice stops every ½ mile on the run course.  They say your head, chest, hands, and crotch are most important in keeping cool, so don’t be shocked if you see me with ice stuffed in every place my spandex can hold it!
                Right now I would have to say my biggest emotion is excitement.  I was getting nervous a week ago or so, but now I am just excited. I feel like a kid 2 days before Christmas.  I’ve made my goals, put in the work, and I know I’m ready.  I just want it to be Saturday already so we can race! I want to experience the distance.  I have heard stories of people racing and loving it, and I’ve heard the horror stories of having to walk to ½ marathon.  I just want to cover the distance and have my own story to tell.  I am definitely in shape, but am I in shape to reach my goal? We will find out.  With this being my first one, I really don’t know how my body will react to racing for that long.
                My keys for success on Saturday?  There are a few things I need to remind myself to be successful on Saturday.  The first is HYDRATION!  Fluids.  Take them in!  It has been hot, and it is going to be hot on Saturday.  If I want to have any chance of feeling good off the bike, I need to start hydrating now, and continue through Saturday.  Two weeks ago I had an awful experience of what it is like to not hydrate on the bike, so I’m glad I got that out of the way!  I hope I never make that mistake again!  The second thing is nutrition.  I need to make sure I am taking in calories.   Some days I will forget to eat (well, drink) on the bike, and that will make or break the run--can’t set myself up for a good run if I don’t have anything to fuel myself.  The third is to not push the bike too hard.  I have ideas of what I would like my bike split to be, but I need to remember it is hot! I am a runner, so I can afford t give up a few minutes on the bike to save my run.  It may be a flat and fast bike course, but the run is anything but easy.  Lastly, I just need to have fun. No pressure just a good, fun time racing!  I think if I can keep these things in mind, and just enjoy myself; it will be a great day.
                Well, I am looking forward to this race, and good luck to everyone else racing this weekend.

2 comments:

  1. What are your thoughts on the shortened distance. I would be upset if I was training for 70.3 and they cut it to an Olympic the day before. Although I hear that it was pretty brutal out there.

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  2. Tomorrow's post is going to be about that. I have been asked that question a lot, so I figure I may as well post about it. But let's just say I was not a happy (hotel) camper when I found out on Friday after driving 5 hours to get there!

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