...and, holy cow, am I nervous! It isn't even the biggie goal race that I'm training for. It's just a race I'm doing for practice. I keep telling myself that it's only part of my training, but I am not reassured. I think about it all the time. How cold will the water be? Will it be warm enough to do an open water swim prior to race day? What do I need to bring with me? What things should I not bring with me? Am I ever going to get outside on my bike? I surf the internet constantly, reading everything I can to better prepare myself. I even DREAM about triathlon at night!
Part of the nervousness is that I don't like new situations. I hate to be the person that looks like she doesn't know what she's doing. This is one of the few occasions I wish I lived in a bigger town. I don't know a single other person in my small town that does triathlons. A buddy to tag along with would be wonderfully comforting.
But, I am 35 years old, I should just pull up my big girl panties and get over it. I will probably not be the only newbie there. Things will go wrong. If not for me, then for someone else. Many of the things that can go wrong, I cannot control.
When I get nervous, I do positive visualization. I try to think of my perfect day starting with rolling out of my sleeping bag (yep, we're camping) and making coffee on a beautiful sunny morning. I try to visualize each leg of the race and smooth transitions. And of course, how great I'll feel when it's all over and I can say that I am a triathlete!
What's your best tip for a new triathlete?
No comments:
Post a Comment