Getting Ready for the Oly

It just hit me this week that I have my second Olympic-distance triathlon (Oly) on March 18. That's just four weeks away. I'm doing the SuperSeal. Last year I did this race, but the sprint distance; this year I've upgraded to the Oly. It will be only my second Oly to date....yet for some reason I haven't been as nervous as I was about my first one. That is...until now.

I don't know why I haven't been nervous. Before my last one, I was freaking out, mainly because the bike portion was on some wicked hills. The triathlon was in September and I spent much of the summer doing hill training. I finished the triathlon just shy of 4 hours---slow, but completed. The Oly I have coming up has always seemed so far off in the distance. I registered for it last fall, so March just seemed so far away.

My training has been decent, but it could definitely be better.

• I haven't been swimming as often as I should be. I'm in the pool at least once a week, and last week even logged a 2500 yard (50 lap) swim, but before my last Oly I was in the pool twice a week. However, I think I'll be okay for the 1500 meter swim this triathlon will consist of. I AM a bit nervous about the water; when I did this race last March the water was so cold, even in my wetsuit, that I had a panic attack and forgot how to swim for a bit. This time I will be prepared for that. I also fondly remember how much I enjoyed the last 2/3 of my Oly in September. In the pool it usually takes me a good 500 yards to warm up, so when I do sprint tris and the swim is only 500 meters, I don't have time to find my groove. When I did the Oly in September, I struggled for the first 500 meters but really enjoyed swimming the last 1000. I hope this is true in March as well.
• I have recently upgraded to clipless pedals, and have been trying to get used to them. Today I had my second fall, which is expected for a beginner. I have been biking, some longer distances and some shorter, but definitely not what I was biking in preparation for my last Oly. I think I have been lulled into a sort of complacency, as last time was SO hilly and this time the bike course will be flat for all 40k (25 miles). In fact, I DID the bike course, last year; this time it will be a double loop of the course instead of a single loop. It is a beautiful course, and it was on the bike portion of the race last year that I fell in love with biking. But although the course will be flat, it won't be easy; the winds will be in my face for half of it.
• My running, as always, has been solid. I just did a half marathon two weeks ago, and continue to run in the week. My last few long runs post-half marathon have been 6 miles each, and I will continue to up that mileage before the Oly. I am not afraid of running the 10k (6.2 miles) on the race.
• I have done a few bricks recently, even if it was just running a mile after biking. This week I even did a 10 mile spin at the gym on the spinning bike, and ran a mile on the treadmill after. Today I did a "mega-brick": a 25+ mile bike ride immediately followed by a 6.2 mile run, the exact distances of the Oly. It was hard, but I did great! I finished in 3:08, including the transition, which leads me to think I'll have another 4 hour Oly once I factor in the swim and one more transition (swim to bike).

I am happy I did that huge brick today; I only have 3 weekends left before the race! The weekend before the race I will be busy with a family event and unable to train (perfect for tapering anyway) so as of now I only have two training weekends left. This big brick today gave me the confidence I needed that I CAN do this. Slow or not, I will be able to finish, and finish strong (I was pain-free and energetic the rest of today!) I plan on two more long bike rides and runs over the next two weekends, and maybe a small brick or two mid-week. I will continue my swimming, and hope to swim at least once a week before the race, if not twice a week.

Race day is coming....and I'll be ready.