Am I Ready For This?
Why being a bit nervous can help keep you on track and focused on your goals.
On Saturday I have my first swim/run race. Am I nervous? You betcha.
I am pretty sure this feeling of nervous energy is exactly why I decided to sign up for a few of these races.
I needed to feel the excitement and anticipation of something new and uncharted.
But the problem with doing something new is training in a way I’ve never had before.
In a running race, you run. The more running you do, the fitter you get and the faster you can race. I’ve been there and done that. And in the last few years, it’s become increasingly difficult for me to stay healthy.
That’s why this year, particularly this summer, I’ve decided to only run 3-4 days a week with another 2 days of cross-training.
*For context, in past years I would run 5 or 6 days a week and get up to about 30-35 miles. Right now, I’m running 3 days a week and doing 20 miles and if I feel up to it, a 4th day brings me to 23 or 24 miles. 6 miles a run, give or take.
Then I bike 20 miles on Wednesdays and swim the other cross-training days.
It was really easy to do that when we had access to our gym, but since pausing that for the summer, it was going to take some flexibility and some planning to swim.
It sounds like a bunch of excuses, but it wasn’t for lack of trying: 2 thunderstorms, swim team practices, and aquatics classes have all derailed part of my swim prep.
So yes, I am a bit “fresh” as they might say…
That being said, I am going to the race to be competitive. It’s a 1/4 mile swim, then a 5k, so I like my odds even though my swimming has taken a bit of a back seat since, well forever.
Goals for this upcoming race (adjusted for the heat and it being my first swim/run duathlon):
1/4 mile swim: come out of the water in the top 7
Transition: less than 1 minute (I still need to fine-tune this) - socks/no socks? Singlet/no singlet? Things to think about, for sure.
5k run: sub-18:30 (6 min pace) - I’ll probably need to adjust the pace, but keep the effort based on the heat.
Total effort: Top 4 overall (again, I have NO idea who will show up or how fit other people will be, but if I can be competitive, then it’s a victory).
Have you ever trained for something totally new? What did you do to prep yourself? Was the actual event more mental or physically challenging?
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…And From the Newsletter:
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Quote of the Week:
Running is the quickest endorphin hit I can get. I like to do it really early in the morning before everyone gets up. It gives me a clear head and sort of resets the clock. It's like, OK, I got that out of the way. Now I can deal with people.
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