A New Outlook.

I have made a decision.

All season long, I've taken each of my triathlons excruciatingly seriously. This has been an error.

It's one thing to take your training seriously. In order to perform at a solid, finish-worthy level, you've got to be serious in training -- not skipping too many workouts, watching your diet, staying hydrated, etc. A series of missteps in training isn't good for the body, plain and simple.

But in a race? Why am I so serious? I have no idea, honestly.

Let's call a spade a spade: I'm not an "elite." I don't have the time, nor perhaps the innate physical ability, to become an "elite." But I can be -- and am! -- a darn fine middle- to back-of-packer. :) And I should celebrate that on race day. I shouldn't try to be what I'm not.

So, back to the decision.

This race, I will do my very very best to whack seriousness soundly about the head and have FUN. We have a time limit of 4:30 for the race. If I take until 4:29:59, and have fun, who cares about the rest??

So if I want to stop at a kayak or two throughout the race to thank the craft support, then I will. If I want to linger at the turnaround on the bike, refill my water bottle, and thank the support crew, then I will. And if I want to WALK instead of RUN when I'm tired on the final portion of the race, then I will! Who am I trying to beat, anyway? Nobody.

I want to do my best, for sure. But I'm beginning to realize that, like in every other aspect of life, doing one's best does not necessitate coming in FIRST. Instead, doing one's best necessitates coming through the fire with a newfound appreciation for everyone and everything it takes to complete a triathlon and recognizing both one's own ability and the abilities of others. I should stop and smell the roses throughout the triathlon. I've paid lots of training time and money for the privilege of racing this race. Why would I ever want to spend the whole time worrying about "running late" or fussing over potential slow times on the swim, or bike, or run? Why should I care? What do I have to prove to anyone?

I'm a triathlete, for crying out loud. I've paid my dues to become a member of this club. Now I need to just sit back and enjoy the ride. And that's what I'll do on Sunday.

:)