Race Week

...in which I just checked in at our friend Erin's blog and, upon reading some of her recent adventures familiarizing herself with the joys of riding in the wind, it occurred to me how much I miss the insane levels of training, and the absurd discipline required to Become Ironman. I can't wait to do it again. I wonder when I will. Realistically, I think in '09. That's not an announcement or anything, just thinking out loud. I am happy to be living near Madison, where come September I can go volunteer and support and be part of the moment, at least in whatever way I can.

Anyway, so yeah - race week. Cripes, I have never been less prepared for a race in my life. And, it turns out, I'll be heading to Madison tomorrow night for the home inspection first thing Wednesday morning - so probably one or both of those days will be sacrificed on the training front as well. Sigh. I'll just do my best, I guess. Hope to get in the water and on the bike one or both days, if I can.

Goals: Well, the goal of Saturday's race is to just enjoy the ride. It'll be a fun weekend with friends anyway, and I'm not going to get obsessive about race day. It'll come, and I'll just go out there and have fun and do whatever my best is right now. I am concerned about the strain in my right leg - I jumped on it last night and felt it still twinging, so I may not run at all this week, which is fine because I have work to do on the bike and in the water.

As of now, because I knew going into the season that this (then prospective) move might change things, I only have through July 15th scheduled for races - the Lifetime Triathlon. I think I'll treat that race as my A race, at least in phase 1 of the season - Phase 2 being whatever becomes of the rest of the summer, living then in a different place and continuing to deal with whatever changes life has in store with all of that. That gives me just over two months to get in gear. I have a significant, if not terribly solid anymore, season of base training in on the run, so I'll just have to start trying to get consistent. Yet, that may not come terribly easily either, so whatever. All of my races this season, I think, may just be about doing the best I can at the time. No major goals. No attempted assaults on personal records. And I suppose that'll just have to do.

Anyway, much more to come this week!