Monday, March 26, 2012

Thoughts that keep me awake at night.....

Why have I told everyone I was doing a triathlon this summer?

Why have I talked about my swim lessons on FB and included the fact that I am learning to swim for a triathlon?

Why did I decide to do it in the first place?

Why did I ever think I could do the swimming part?

Why do I think I can compete be in an event with most people being much younger than I am?

Why do I think I'll be able to swim in a wetsuit and get it on and off?

Why do I think I'll learn to use clipless pedals in time?

Why do I think I'll decipher the salesman bike talk and be able to pick out a road bike of my own?

Why do I think I'll do not one but perhaps three triathlons this summer?

Why am I still telling people I am going to do this?

Why aren't I willing to just keep doing half marathons, 5Ks, 10Ks and maybe even a marathon again?

Why have I told my co workers that I am attempting to do a triathlon?

Why do I think the race volunteers won't have gone home before I finish?

Why do I imagine I'll be able to fit even more training time into my already busy week?

Why haven't I kept this goal a secret?

Why am I going to do an open water swim without the safety of the pool walls next to me?

Why don't I just run and do a relay since that is the part I have no worries about?

Why do I think I'll be able to figure transitions out?

Why am I not more worried about what I am going to wear under the wet suit?

Am I nuts to be attempting this?

21 comments:

Suzy said...

You are not nuts! Remember, most people are a little freaked the first time they do an OWS so you are completely normal.

A Prelude To... said...

You are AWESOME for attempting this. And it's not going to be an "attempt"...you ARE GOING TO DO THIS THING!!!

I have all the faith in the world in you!

Darlene said...

Read p 27 in the current issue - http://www.adksports.com/currentIssueFB3.html - it's about swimming in a TRI.

Katie said...

nope, not nuts at all!

Liz said...

Because you might just love it!

Karen said...

Not nuts AT ALL! LOL at number one. There is something about telling the world that makes you so much more accountable, huh?

Marlene said...

The answer to all of those question is because you are strong and brave and you CAN do this!

Kandi said...

I think you'll surprised yourself! And of course you want to share your goals with everyone - don't you love to see the looks on their faces when you tell them?

Jill said...

You're going to do well, you truly are! I'm sure you had all these thoughts when you ran your first marathon, too... and look, you survived just fine :). Making your goals public is making you more accountable...we will NOT let you fail! Keep being strong, girl!

Ana-Maria RunTriLive said...

..because you face your fears and break free of your comfort zone:)

Paul said...

Why? Because you like a challenge! YES I KNOW YOU DO.

Don't worry about your time! Just have fun doing all three sports together.

I would try to do some open water swims before the big day so you are more comfy with them. Find somebody to do them with you.

RunningWhit said...

You got this!!! Just keep training and you will impress yourself. Everyone has a panic in the water at some point, just flip to your back and catch your breath. You'll be fine and you'll do great.

Ransick said...

I figured it out after my first one. Doing triathlons make me feel alive by making me step out of my comfort zone then completing what I set out to do.

After my first half marathon four years ago I decided to teach myself to swim with the goal of doing a late season sprint. Went to the pool and couldn't swim 25 yards without being out of breath. After a couple trips to the pool, I was ready to give up (which I had done once before trying to get into tris). Instead of giving up I decided to get a coach and go to the pool 2-3x a week for as long as it took. I didn't have a breakthrough swimming for 6 months! I had built up to be able to swim 300 or 400 yards then one day I did 1000 straight, then the next did a mile. 6 months meant I missed the first season and did my first sprint over a year after I set out to do a tri.

Hopefully your break through swim will come in weeks, not months. If you have any questions at all, just ask. I love talking about this stuff and few of my friends are into tris so I come to the blogosphere and beginner triathlete to get my tri fix.

Michelle said...

You keep talking about it to all of us so that when you have doubts like tonight, we can convince you and remind you that you aren't nuts. You are capable. And you WILL succeed! :)

Kate Geisen said...

Because you LOVE a challenge. Because you love talking about races with us. Because once you've said it on here you won't let yourself give up.

You will absolutely get the clipless thing down. Your swimming is getting better and better...just because it's not where you want it doesn't mean it isn't improving!

Doing something new is always scary, and that's what makes it exciting. You are going to do great. I absolutely believe in you.

Average Woman Runner said...

Imagine how great you are going to feel when you have successfully finished!

Char said...

Why are self-doubts so much worse at night? Why can't we just switch our brains off and get a good night's sleep.

You know a lot of people would just give up when the going got tough. You're not a quitter. You're tough and strong and you can do this. Maybe not the sleep part - but definitely the rest of it.

Amy said...

Whoa - just reading this got my heart pounding from the stress of all the unknowns! It reminds me of when I was getting ready to run that first half marathon and I was worried about everything... I bet, despite all those details and unknowns that are plaguing you now, it will go much better than you can imagine. At the very least, your worrying will have made sure you are super prepared!

Fran said...

No you aren't nuts and you are going to be fine.

You think too much. Try to think less and just follow your training. One step/bike ride/swim at a time. Only think of what your training tomorrow (or this week will be).

You will be fine Andrea, I have no doubts you can do this.

Ransick said...

I totally get the too many things to work on comment you left on my blog. I ended up getting a private coach and she listed what seemed like 25 things wrong with my strong and I had trouble remembering 3. I had her give me a couple things to work on then called her every few weeks to add a couple more things.

One thing that really helped me was a pull buoy. If you haven't seen one it's a Styrofoam thing you put between your knees to keep you level in the pool plus you don't kick with it so it allows you to work on your stroke and strengthen your upper body since you don't get out of breath by using your leg muscles. One thing that really helped me gain endurance was swimming until I was out of breath then grabbing the pull buoy until I caught my breath again, and repeating that to gain endurance and teach my body what it feels like to swim level.

You can do this!

Katie said...

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!