Suppose I don't make the swim cutoff. $450 entry fee down the drink without even the chance to finish the race.
Suppose I get scared and panic on the swim.
Suppose I have some major mechanical meltdown on the bike.
Suppose the nutrition I've trained with doesn't work anymore... or suppose it's just dumb, my gumdrops, Combos and string cheese when everyone else is slurping high-tech gels.
Suppose I'm just going along at my own pace but I don't have 4 bike lengths between me and the next person and I get penalized for drafting. When I'm just minding my own business.
Suppose my favorite tri shorts that I've been training in ("wear what you'll wear on race day") have had enough and don't protect me from my saddle on race day.
Suppose I can't figure out what to wear (even though I've been training in what I'll wear.)
Suppose I can't .... well.... just suppose I can't whatever.
Suppose I pass out on the run.
Suppose I drop dead.
Suppose I have to go to the hospital.
Note to self: Photocopy insurance card and tape to back of race number bib. Plant real card on my husband.
Suppose my shoes hurt (I can never get them right.)
Suppose everyone else registered for this race is supposing the very same things...
Scared Scared Scared Scared Scared
You'd think I'd never done this before.
8 comments:
After all you've done I wouldn't think anything could scare you. Or maybe because of everything you've done you know what could go wrong. I'm sure you'll do fantastic and look forward to the report!
I'll tell you what, I'd be scared too. But you have a lot of positives in your resume, so that should add up to another on race day. You can never predict what can happen on any given day (I'm testimony to that!), but with your training, you should be able to predict the outcome of your race, notwithstanding any unforeseen obstacles (is that legal speak or what??). Hang in there. Relax. You're getting to the starting line, more than a lot of people will ever do!
Suppose you do this every race of your life .... and then you've just used up 537 hours of your life worrying when you could have been having fun!!
Plan for every possibility - with confidence!
Ellie! Relax!!! You've done this before. You know you can do this again. You know what works for you. You're going to do great!
Can't wait to read about it.
Tear it up.
Suppose all your friends love you no matter what.
Suppose you PR after all this worry.
Suppose you ROCK the course.
Here is what Sally Edwards told us before my first trithlon: You've trained for this. You can do it.
Go Ellie! Feel free to repeat all this stuff to me when I'm tapering for IMFL next year. :)
Love you, Ellie, you're the most consistent taper-worrier I know.
... Suppose you repeat the Serenity Prayer every time your supposes start up again?
Please note: this is said with the greatest love and respect.
Suppose a meteor hits the earth and we all die!
Suppose they clone a dinosaur and it gets loose in Panama City!!
Suppose the world suddenly tilts and spins off it's axis!!
See my point, there are tons of things to worry about. You've done all the training, you've worked out all the details, you'll do your absolute best come race day. And if something goes wrong, it's not the end of the world. Like TriFiest said, you friends will still love you :)
One saying that I live by:
"whether you think you can do a thing or not, you are right" Henry Ford.
Ellie, you are the queen of taperitis! How about writing down all of your worries, then crumpling up the paper and burning it.
Lots of things can happen on race day. Disasters, problems, great euphoria and a PR.
Let it go. You'll be ok.
Post a Comment