I'm winding down in my preparation for my race this weekend. Starting to do a little more packing and planning and a little less training, not that I did all that much training for this one.
I set aside twelve weeks to go hard to prepare for this race. I had kept pretty strong in the off season and my training was starting to really take off. I was getting faster than I ever had and more mentally prepared as well.
That is until I got sick four weeks in. And I mean really sick. It started off as the flu, but was quickly followed up with my lungs getting swollen and inflamed leaving me unable to get out more than a sentence without getting lightheaded and tingly. After walking about ten yards, I would have to stop to catch my breath.
And it lasted about four weeks. It took another week or two to be able to get through a workout without that same feeling or being stopped by tears of frustration. With about three weeks left till race day I finally felt strong again but no where near where I had been.
I did Wildflower twelve years ago. It was my second tri. This year, I was hoping to beat my old time. I was hoping to finally place in the top half of my division. Not too lofty of goals, usually somewhat out of reach for me.
Now I have to sit back and hope that all the mental training I did will carry me through the lack of real training. Hoping I can just will myself to go faster and harder. Thinking I will be singing a lot of cadence in my head and channelling Pre. I guess I will find out if it all works out Saturday morning by 11:37 a.m., my planned for (hoped for?) finish time.