The nerves begin to set in

Today is Friday which of course marks the end of the work week, but also the beginning of the weekend. Now most Fridays, while exciting, do not make me as nervous as this Friday. I'm nervous because as I
previously mentioned, I am registered for the Maine half marathon this Sunday in coastal Portland Maine. I wasn't very nervous until about Tuesday of this week when I actually realized exactly what I had signed up for.

This reminds me of my first mini triathlon last summer at Winding Trails in Farmington, CT.  My friends Ashley and Hillary had been talking about triathlons and adventure races the previous year but it never really sounded like something I would be interested in. For one, the last time I had participated in a sporting event was probably soccer in 4th grade and I was generally not interested in beating myself up that much to spend however many hours were necessary for the race.

Even after I initially bought my mountain bike last summer there was still not really any interest for me. I would run a few miles every now and then, bike every now and then after work, but never swim. Well Ashley raced in one of the Winding Trails mini triathlons after work on a Tuesday and started talking up the race and told me I should try it. I proceeded to inform her that it had been forever since I had fully submerged my person in a body of water. She kept on me until I caved and decided to try it out for myself. I practiced a few laps at the local YMCA in Granby and then put my bike in my car on a Tuesday morning ready to go. The previous weekend I had gone to buy a pair of triathlon shorts. Everything was fine until I got there and I saw all of the thin and trim athletes in their wet suits readying their bikes and getting prepped at the starting line.

It seemed to me like all the other athletes had competed in the race before and knew exactly what to expect in the upcoming race. My stomach, with all the extra insulation (read: fat) was doing flips upon itself in anxiety. The sub 7:00min 1/4 mile swimmers were in the first wave so that gave me time to calm down a bit. I lined up on the beach with the 50 other racers and waited for the GO...I was hooked.

I have a feeling that after I start the race on Sunday, even if unprepared, the adrenaline flowing through my body and the power of the racers around me will make me hooked on long distance road races as well. Or I'll hate it, but I can't hate it, because I have to run a half marathon in the Ironman 70.3....so I have to suck it up.

Wish me luck on Sunday.

Swim, Bike, Run....LIFE