threadwalker

Last Race of the Season is tomorrow. Pacific Grove Triathlon, Olympic length, in lovely Pacific Grove.

First, the bad: As far as training.. the running is all suck. :-(
Sometimes I feel an ache in my right calf or, like last night, my right leg gets shooting shin-pain every time I come down on it. It's weird; somedays it really bothers me and somedays it goes away after I warm up - I can't predict it. I can push through it and do a run, but I've been trying really hard to avoid that. Blah. So I am hoping that by the time I get to the run leg tomorrow, everything is warmed up, has blood and oxygen and it's just a matter of shaking off the transition discomfort. I know I have the endurace and the capability of doing the run, so I'm working really hard at not stressing about it. My leg will be fine. My leg will be fine. My leg will be fine.....

The Good: My biking is way better than it was 6 months ago. yay me!

The excitement: The race, etc

First, we have no kids this weekend. woot woot! We have a room at a B&B... woot woot. We are looking forward to a relaxing ride down, and, after the race, time to hang out and 'be a couple'.

Second, there's Team Forward Momentum;
SirSt and I are in the triathlon. Sassycat is out biking her tail feathers off for "Waves to Wine". Go US!

Third, the cheering section!
I'm astounded, but we have a cheering section. In addition to my number one fan, my mom is coming and she's bringing a friend. So SirSt and I have the lead trouble makers from (retired) Danville Lyoness... These two ladies are a LOT like the ladies in Villa Luna... We (I?) should make them "Forward MOmentum" pennants to wave.. I wonder if I have any felt and glue? Or they can just cheer at the top of their lungs.

Then there's all the cool race stuff.

We get to swim in the kelp forest; this is where I did my training session a month ago. I bet the seals will be elsewhere with several hunderd people thrashing around their playground.

The race offers a free service. The master-computer that records our times as we zip (stumble?) across the timing strips will send a text or e-mail to a specific number of peeps (I think it's 5) to keep them updated on a racer's progress. I will be curious to see how that works. I won't get one, but I'll be asking my peeps how it worked out. I think it's a cool service and I'm grateful they offer it; one of my 5 is my sister on the East Coast.

And since this race is a qualifier for (I think) Escape from Alcatraz, it will be big and there will be pros; I may get to rub shoulders with pro-triathletes! Wow! I'm very wide-eyed over it. You know I'll be checking out there gear.. trying to remember the brands of bike they ride, the shoes they bike in, and maybe get a peak at how they get their feet into their shoes while shoes are clipped to bikes. (never seen it happen, only seen it staged). How do they do that?!?! What kind of biking gloves do they wear... they are going to think I'm stalking them whereas I'm really trying to see what equipment they use.

I'm missing the Friday expo where all the gear vendors come out, which is a bummer - I'm totally curious on who's going to be there and what they'll have. If we can get down there before 8pm, though, I can pick up my race packet so that I don't have to stand in line on Saturday.

I'm so excited.

Saturday I'll head down to set up my gear at 5:30 am. If I don't need to get a race packet I'll head back to my hotel after that. My wave starts at 9am and Sirst starts at 8am. I'm going to try and get him a spot next to mine and help him set up his transition spot.

wheee......

I expect to be done between noon and 1; my goals are (I mayneed to fiddle with these)

1. Finish in 3 hrs, 45 minutes. Stretch goal of 3 hrs, 35 minutes.
2. Do the bike leg in an hour and 40 minutes (avg 15mph)
3. Finish the run leg without walking since leg is injured.