Reality Check (otherwise known as Oh. Shit.)

Week Seven. And I have pre-race jitters (yes, already). I'm afraid to count down the days until the big race - mostly out of fear that there is less time left to train than I can bear to face. You see, I'm a worrier (in my last post, I poked fun at my parents for worrying sick...and in this one, I resent them for passing such tendencies onto their offspring). In fact, my biggest concern upon signing up for this behemoth triathlon was that the self-sabotaging self talk would drag me down more than any hill, head wind, or distance. And alas - here I sit, icing my shins and imagining the most dire scenarios that could happen come race day. 


Here's a snippet- 

* I'll drown. Oh, for sure I'll drown. Woosah. Positive thoughts - that wet suit will totally keep me afloat. And there will be kayaks out there to pull me out of the water in case a sea lion attacks me. There are sharks in Santa Cruz aren't there?? Oh my god, a shark is going to think I'm a sea lion. Freaking wet suit...I'm training to get eaten alive. FAN-TASTIC. 

* Okay, so IF I survive my shark attack, I'll have to get on my bike. And pedal. For 56 miles. Maybe I should break it up into bits - if I make it to mile 26, that's only 30 to go. 30. thirty. THIRTY. Wait, not thirty. FIFTY-SIX. That didn't work.

* So I've survived my shark attack, AND manage not to pass out by mile 26 of the bike leg...I only have 13.44 miles to run. No big thing. Running isn't too bad. Just zone out and do it.  Hopefully my body and brain will be too tired to even realize I'm running. That's the idea, right? This is hilarious - FUNNY. Not scary. It won't be funny on race day, but I can laugh for now...

And yet, despite all that I've mentioned above and despite all of the stress and soreness that this triathlon has already imposed upon my life, I am still overwhelmed with the warm and fuzzy goodness of everything I've accomplished thus far:

* I've raised over $1,000 to benefit Leukemia Lymphoma Society! And I have $4,000 more to go. Yowza. You can help me hit my goal, you know. I can sense that you're just itching to donate. I'll make it easy for you - EARN KARMA POINTS HERE!

* Sometimes running feels like flying. For about a split second every time - so worth it. AND I've been running hills! This is a big deal because as you may know and/or imagine, hill seriously suck. 

* Swimming is kind of fun! Something about crawling and pushing through water, getting in a rhythm, 'perfecting' breathing patterns - it's so wonderfully empowering. With that said, I'm no stellar swimmer...but like I said, it's kind of fun!

* Biking keeps me sane. If you live in the Bay Area, get a bike. It's just so breathtakingly beautiful around here. The hills hurt like hell, and I have yet to reach the 50 mile mark, but I can't tell you how amazing burritos taste after a long bike ride. 

And most importantly, there's just undeniable awesomeness that even the worst pre-pre race jitters can't defeat. The TEAM - amazing peeps. The COACHES - kick serious ass. The honorees - those who have survived and those who have lost their battles. The most painful moments of triathlon truly pale in comparison to their battles. ALL OF YOU - I can't describe the power of your support and the power of your generosity.

Please continue to show your support and donate through my fundraising page. So many of you have shared your personal connections with Leukemia and/or Lymphoma. It feels great to give. 


And now, for your viewing pleasure:

This is the gauntlet. In this "drill," we're coached to abuse our teammates as much as possible (throwing kickboards- fair game) in effort to simulate triathlon swim start. It is awesome.

My beautiful team. All sorts of awesome - gathering in support of Zach. He's a fourth grade student of one of my teammates and has battled cancer. Zach is a strong kid and I can't wait to meet him soon. Sending him much love and strength.

Bike ride to awesome (Point Reyes). 

Some pre-sand ladder stretches

Thanks for reading. More to come. 

Goodnight,

Renata