Feeling a Little Lost at Sea

I wasn't quite sure how to put a description on what I'm feeling today, but I think lost is the closest I can come to it. And it's all because I'm cutting back on the workout load in preparation for the training and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be thinking or doing for the triathlon on Sunday. It's probably how it's supposed to go... especially since I have a need to be in control of things in my life (or at least believe that I am in control of them).

Yesterday I called the woman in charge of the triathlon at the Sarasota YMCA because I didn't see anything online about packet pick-up, etc. Turns out there is no packet pickup. She said other triathlons do this, but they don't for this one because it's supposed to be laid back. But how can I be laid back if I don't have a map to look at for the route I'm supposed to bike and then run? Not that I'll be the first person in the race, but I'm not fond of the idea of just "following the other guy" or walking an entire 12 mile bike course and then 2 mile run to figure it out beforehand. So that's the first thing that set me moving slightly adrift. Then there was re-reading part of Joe Friel's Your First Triathlon last night before bed... he said to get up 3 hours before my race to eat. First, that would be 4am. Second, I tend to eat after I workout. So, I emailed my Team in Training Coach, and she told me I could wake up 1 1/2 hours before the race and that I had to eat before training and racing and that I had to start for the rest of this week's workouts. Happy about the news but then I wonder about why Joe who is the guru of the sport is telling people to wake up so darn early. Slightly farther adrift I went.

Then the fact that today's workout was so stinking easy I felt like a sloth put me at the end of my tether. The workout (also from Mr. Joe Friel) was a 20 minute swim that consisted of a 100 swim concentrating on form, 4X 25 meters at zone 3 (which was fun) and then swimming 25 m at zone 1 for the rest of the 20 minutes.... which for me was about 15 minutes of the 20 minutes. I felt silly swimming so slowly. I don't even swim that slowly during my warm ups. It was nice to focus on form and to catch myself dropping my wrist/elbow every so often during the swim so I could correct it... I only do that every blue moon, but when I do, I always feel it right away. It was so easy it was almost like I was swimming in a dream state. At one point, the song from "Sleeping Beauty" popped in my head. "I know you, I danced with you once upon a dream.." Not exactly kick butt swim music. (It is one of the girls' favorite shows at the moment - I think they like to say how "the mean lady is being not nice to Prince Phillip and Sleeping Beauty" personally. They both repeat it over and over while watching. My favorite is when Angelfish or Ladybug say that the "mean lady need a time out" or "Prince Phillip give mean lady a time out" as they are wont to do.) I actually was a little bored and had to reign myself in to prevent myself from swimming faster or doing speed drills, etc. Maybe its so you end up revved up for the race... like the calm before the storm?

I kind of like that idea. Like right now I'm calm but the day of the race I'm going to take the swim, the bike and the run by storm. Hurricane Kate. I rather like that, provided that I'm a category 5 and not a category 1 (and I don't really harm anyone, of course). I will have to ponder that... and focus on one thing at a time since this week is a little wild in general. Tomorrow I leave for NYC to teach a CLE for work, Thursday I teach the CLE and then fly back home, Friday I work and pack for our trip to Sarasota, Saturday morning we go to the Team in Training kickoff and then drive to Sarasota and celebrate my Dad's birthday, and then Sunday is race day and then driving home at some point and trying to make a special soon to be 5 year old's birthday party. Yes, I will have to take one day at a time and pull that anchor back in!

Oh, and at least as of yesterday, Ladybug was back on board with potty training. She didn't have one accident all day and slept with underpants on last night (at her insistence) but didn't quite make it all the way through to this morning, but did use the potty this morning and wore underpants to school. Let's hope it sticks! Angelfish was back to wanting her pullups... some day, some day.

Well, for now...Ahoy mateys!