I'm feeling good. This is what I wrote to Coach Jim yesterday:
"I always ask myself before a race, if the race doesn't go according to plan, will I still feel good about the training that led up to it? YES! Will I feel like I wasted my time if it's a bad race? NO! I'm so happy for how the training has gone, what I got through, and what we have accomplished. The race is just the cherry on top of what I already consider to have been a successful season!! So I'm in a good mindset, the body is ready. You've got me ready!!"There are tangible signs of my readiness, of the taper, and of the arrival of race week.
My top 10 Clues That It's Race Week:
1. Perpetual inescapable feelings of imminent potential spontaneous combustion. (translation: race horse in the starting gate.)
2. Presence of things like chia seeds, kombucha, and coconut water in refrigerator.
3. Apology issued to coach for final short brick run done TOO fast. (Yet I do it before every.single.race. It's just part of the process I guess!!!)
4. Triathlon explosion on dining room table (also known as packing).
5. Waxing and admiring of bike. Cleaning and lubing of chain. Stealthily hiding CO2 and spare tube. (awww, pretty Roo!)
6. Buying things at the bike shop (whether needed or not, but I did need spare tubes with long stems).
Emma and Nate are not blurry in real life.
7. Attention span of a....goldfish? (drove PAST two destinations today, had to turn around).
8. Hyper aware of every body part. And hyper. And very aware.
9. Extra kale and spinach. (snacked on homemade kale chips with Cajun seasoning; yummier than pictured)
10. Toenails freshly painted to match kit. (kitty approved!)
Time to go stretch. Or eat. Or sleep. Or hydrate. Or notice something that feels odd. Or look at my packing list again. Or shine up the bike.