Pre-race thoughts.....

So we're about to set off for sunny Lichfield so I thought I would write down my final thoughts about the race:

Firstly, I am still feeling a bit pants. MUCH better than Wednesday don't get me wrong but still a bit tired, weak and pathetic as well as snuffly. Look forward to lots of nose clearing on the bike - glamourous sport for us ladies eh? I have been getting better every day and hopefully that will continue tomorrow. However, I have the sore throat and snuffles of someone whose immune system has a breakdown just lurking in the background and I am praying it survives the weekend. It was definitely induced by racing an IM so close to this and some will say I was foolish for doing that. Other experienced endurance bods have said that is perfect prep and I was always going to do it. I owed it to the RAF really as they had support me with it all though maybe I did push it more than I needed. Still I had a good race and took lots of confidence from my run strategy so there are swings and roundabouts.

Bar the snuffles I continue to feel calm about this race as I have about all those since Ad went away. I can see that life is about so much more than these races - these are my hobbies. They are not that important - time will march on and the world will keep turning and very few people will care about 72 crazy athletes swimming, biking and running in circles in a Lichfield backwater. Now don't miss understand me, I want to complete the race and am motivated for it and I know how much it means to people, as it does to me too. What I have discovered though is I no longer have to be defined by these races, the world, even my world is bigger than these races are. Next year when I retire I look forward to my future as a wife and mother - those are the important things. (Disclaimer - only important to me - for others this may be their sole focus and I am not trying to take away from that AT ALL).

I feel ok about the swim - I am not good at sharing a lane, I don't like being held up and I panic about holding others up, I'd rather be in open water. But it is a long day and the last thing I ned to do is cause myself any stress over 2.5rs of it. So I will be calm and courteous to others and not get stressed. 10mins either way on the swim is not a problem - I'll be using that up just eating over the first few laps of the bike anyway!

The bike. I am a bit scared of the bike. It's long, it's going to be boring and probably uncomfortable and I have never cycled in darkness at all. Yep another numpty who has fastened all her lights on but hasn't tested them at all. They could be at completed the wrong angle or whatever. I could hate riding at night or I could love it and find that it is actually easier to concentrate, calmer than the bustle of daytime and easier to find peace and rationalise the crazy thing you're doing.

The run. Hmm, I have always been a poor runner. But I have stuck at it and have surprised myself with my capability in this. Both races I have run off the bike have seen me do really well (for me!) and have a comfortable time. I love run/walk. I think it is a super invention and helps me enormously. I am looking forward to the run. What will be will be at that stage and if I have to walk it all, I can do that. But I don't think I will have to. I am aiming to run/walk according to my schedule for at least 30-35miles. After that - who knows?!

Other thoughts? I must stayed focused on my own race. I can dragged in to trying to match others and get panicky when I cannot or overly confident if I can go past them. These things don't matter in this race. I just need to finish and I must stay steady on the bike as it can all go badly wrong on the run otherwise. I must stay focused and maintain momentum - every revolution takes me closer to the finish. And I must relax and have a good time, taking time to thank the marshals and my wonderful Mum who has come to support me (and has already been shouted out and we're not even there yet! I'm one apology in already!). I will only being doing this once so I need to savour the experience.

Bring on the Double Iron - it's going to be an interesting weekend!!