Be Merging

My last big race before IMAZ is almost here….Sunday morning will be the Rev 3 Cedar Point Half Rev (a half Iron distance triathlon) up in Sandusky, Ohio. I'm looking forward to attacking this course with a better attitude than I had last year……..

Last year I went into this race negatively and it spiraled from that point. The swim start had been changed which meant all racers now needed to add a .25 mile run from the swim exit to the transition area…and guess who didn't bring a spare pair of running shoes? Yep, that "run" across the Cedar Point parking lot sealed my fate. The bike was incredibly windy, which is actually why the swim was moved. The wind that year was so crazy that the waves in Lake Erie made the original swim there too dangerous. The run wasn't horrible, but by that point I had been struggling for so much with the negative thoughts that I never really enjoyed it. My overall finish time wasn't horrible, but I had gone into this race believing I SHOULD get a PR, because that's what I wanted……period. When that didn't happen I was crushed. Looking back though I'm glad that happened…..yep, I'm GLAD I DIDN'T GET A PR. Wow, can't believe I said that.

I learned in that race that if I ever expect to stay in endurance sports for the rest of my life, I can't get hung up on time goals that I don't meet. If time is the only thing that matters, my enjoyment of marathons and triathlons will die very soon. Last year my coach really challenged me to think about all the things that went WELL in the race and focus also on the things I wanted to improve for the next time. Each race comes with its own set of rewards and challenges, depending on the day and the circumstances in our life at any given time.

Rev 3 2013: me and my badass tats! :)

So this time around I'm focusing on the process instead of the end result. I want to focus on the process of being in each discipline and grateful for the things that go well even if the swim is moved, the wind is crazy and the run is just monotonous. Even still, there are plenty of things to learn.  I'm going into this race coming off some VERY emotionally charged weeks, some crazy events at work and a heavy heart for a multitude of reasons. I plan to be kind to myself while also pushing for a great training day. I want to smile and really "play" up there this weekend, enjoying the gift of splashing in the water, riding a bike and wearing a funny helmet and running the streets of downtown Sandusky.

And plus, with the recent announcement of the merger of the Rev 3 company and the Challenge company, this will be the LAST Rev 3 Cedar Point race in history………so why not celebrate?

71 days to IMAZ.

Be Merging. Be Brave.