The Schedule Takes Shape
Since the Rookie Tri a few weeks ago I’ve had a hankering for defining my race calendar. This transition to triathlons has been fairly smooth, but I’m missing the structure and direction that I’m used to with running. You see, with running I usually had two or three races queued up. My tri calendar, however, has been disappointingly empty. I’ve my eye on a few races but hadn’t pressed that “Register” button. Until now!
This week I decided to sign up for the Lake Pflugerville* Triathlon in the middle of June. Unfortunately, as procrastination would have it, all 700 spots are accounted for, so no race for me. Alas, I think I’ll sign up to volunteer for that race. As an aside, my procrastination was driven by my fear of drowning swimming. Not wanting to get caught in that position again, I basically got scared into registering for two races. That’s right, my fear of swimming was trumped by my fear of getting locked out of other races.
The first race I registered for is actually the big one. It’s the one I’ve been referencing now and again, and something I certainly didn’t want to miss: the Austin Ironman 70.3 in October. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. It’s a beast. I certainly have time to train and get awesome moderately better at swimming, but more importantly, I have a goal to target. It will let me dive into a structured training plan (instead of a “hmm what do you want to do today” training plan). I felt a lot better after getting that confirmation email, though the hefty registration fee made me feel worse.
Not wanting to miss another opportunity I used the momentum from Ironman Austin to sign up for the CapTexTri (Capital of Texas Triathlon… man are they creative). This fills an entirely different void in my race schedule. Where Ironman Austin filled my long-term emptiness like a hearty bowl of oatmeal, the CapTexTri satisfied my need for instant gratification like a triple-decker Oreo. What I mean is, the CapTexTri is in 17 days from now. It’s a legit Sprint Tri, meaning 750m swim, 20K bike, 5K run.
Like I said, I’m very excited to have some targets on the calendar. I may add a few other events over the summer to stay sharp. Now it’s time for deep breaths and figuring out how I’m going to swim 2.5x farther than my last race. Wish me luck!
*pronounced exactly like it’s spelled.
Evelyn
Mike
Will Run To Eat 
Awesome!
Yay!! So proud!
You should do the Austin Tri on Labor Day to help fill in the gaps! Olympic distance! (I only say this because I planned to do it and am not allowed to swim for a while, per the physical therapist)
Still figuring out Labor Day plans. If we’re in town, this is definitely happening. At that point I’d do the Olympic.
Good luck with your shoulder!