Hello Runner,
Well, I’m only 6 days away from my first marathon, and I’m totally freaking out.
OK, not totally, but I really don’t think I am any closer to being ready than I was 12 weeks ago. It’s been a long process, and the reality is coming quickly that maybe I am not as prepared as I should be.
But, as they say, the show must go on. I’ll still swim, bike, and run… or die tri-ing. (All the puns are intended.)
Survive The Swim!
Had a little bit of a wakeup call on Sunday. My wife and I decided to swim the course with our new wetsuits, and it was the first time hitting the oh so cold river.
A little over halfway through, I found myself getting very dizzy, and only through my best efforts was I able to relax. I cut the swim about 100 meters short and got up to dry land. My legs were fine, and I wasn’t freezing, but boy was my equilibrium messed up.
After some thorough searching through the Tri forums, and other places, I figured out that A. I should be wearing a swim cap in cold water, and B. Cold water in your ears can really mess up some people.
I’ve always had sensitive ears, so it doesn’t surprise me of these facts. Supposedly the cold water gets in your ears and essentially just messes up your balance. I had a problem early on in the pool with some equilibrium issues, but they went away. I guess the cold water is not as forgiving as the river.
So last night, I hit the store and got a Silicone swim cap, and some earplugs. After my acclimation swim this morning, I can say that I felt 100% better, no dizziness, and ready to bike when I exited. I’ll likely get in the river everyday through Thursday just to keep acclimating my body to the temperature.
Are You Ready?
I’ve entered a lot of events, and I always have this thought of “Did you train hard enough” right before them. But if someone never had any doubts about their training, they’d likely be lying. Should I have had that taco and beer during week 4? Should I have cut that swim short to make the dinner party?
The only thing to do now is to go out and do it. I know it will be hard to live up to my own performance standards, and I know that there will be unknowns that I will encounter during the day, but that’s what makes it worth it.
At the end of Sunday, I’ll have intimate knowledge of what a first time triathlete goes through… what to pack in my transition bag for next time, what not to eat the night before, and how much time I should focus on training for each event.
And I’ll let you know on Monday the 20th… should I survive.
Until next time,
Just Keep Running
