The last big training weekend is behind me. In a way it was a reflection of how the season has been going. Good weather, a strong, successful workout, accompanied by my wife Pattie. We even celebrated with lunch at Haleiwa Joe’s and picked up a half dozen Snow Puffies to take home. All in all a very satisfying day.
These are the things that make training worthwhile. Sure, the race outcome means something, but if that is all we look at we are likely to end up feeling unsatisfied. There are so many things that impact the race outcome. Maybe we just had a bad day, or our gut decided to have a tantrum. The weather could turn bad. There is always the possibility of a flat on the bike course, even though hundreds of bikes have just ridden the same course.
My goal for this race is just to finish and enjoy the day. I feel strong, but, realistically, I am not any faster that I was in the past. My heart feels like a new challenge, but the more I think about it the more it seems that it has been this way for a long time. I just didn’t know what was going on. Just to be at the start feels like a win.
My race plan is to swim as hard as I can and ride as hard as I can, as if the race ends at the start of the run. I plan to walk the run, and I know from recent experience that I have the endurance to finish. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it will all come down to having a great bike ride.
You know how Facebook keeps bringing up old photos from this time a few years ago? Naturally I have been getting a lot of Honolulu Triathlon and Honu memories bubbling up lately. What has changed for me is that when I see them now, and realize how long I have been doing this, I think how maybe the time has come to retire from racing. Maybe it’s just a natural part of aging. No decisions until after Honu. Retire from racing, but not from being active. I am convinced that the active lifestyle is the fountain of youth.