Right now, I’m walking around a bit aimlessly.
This morning at around 4:30 am, athletes who were on Facebook found out that our sprint triathlon scheduled to start today at 7 am was being postponed until 9 am due to heavy thunderstorms. In addition, the race was being reduced from 750m to 300m for the swim and from 13.3 mile to 6.65 miles and the 5k would remain, pending weather. All of that is understandable. This exact same race in 2015 also had storms with a delayed start. So it isn’t my first time experiencing this. Here’s the thing…athletes train for weeks and months to prepare for a very specific race. For some it is a marathon, others a century ride, others a 5k, and for me at this moment, a sprint triathlon. Athletes train long and hard, they have support from family and friends, and they have a goal in mind. That goal might be to swim 100 meters straight without a break, or run a 10k without any walking breaks, or even to break a personal record or PR. Athletes wake up to early morning alarms (sometimes at 4 am or even earlier) to drive to the start line. The night before, we pack our tri bags while double and sometimes triple checking our list to make sure everything is there (swim cap, goggles, running shoes, socks, sunglasses, sunscreen, timing chip, running bib, etc.).
All of this happened for me. The bag was packed, the timing chip was on my ankle (otherwise, I know I’d leave it behind), water bottle was made with a tablet of Lemon+Lime Nuun Hydration, a small packet of Honey Stinger Strawberry Organic Energy Chews was put in my Skirt Sports running shorts, and all the clothes I would need during (and after) the tri was packed into separate Ziploc bags and labeled. Hey, I learned from my first race in a storm – trying to put on wet socks in the rain after getting out of the pool and trying to dry off with a wet towel is not easy. I switch shirts between bike and run because I can’t run with constricting shirts (see flat me for run portion)
With the new start time, transition was scheduled to open at 7:30 am and many were ready. At approximately 7:45 am I learned that the race had been cancelled due to the storms. As athletes walked around in a daze asking what do I do now, we slowly stripped off our timer chips and turned those in. Some went and did their own triathlon, whether indoors or outdoors because the storms never came. Some stayed to take photos then go to breakfast with mimosas. Others went to the volunteer desk to pick up their medals and see about a t-shirt exchange.
Going into a race weekend, I am better at knowing what to expect, eat, and how to relax after. It typically involves a large burger and beer for brunch with friends, shower, nap, then ordering pizza. 🙂 My house is clean (I do this before a tri because it is easier) so I don’t have anything to clean. I’m literally wandering aimlessly in my house trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do today and this week which is usually my rest week. Being in a race that has been cancelled is not fun at all. Not all races turn out the way you want them to. It’s okay to take a step back and just veg out, watch a movie, read a book, or play some computer games (yes, I’ve done all of that today). One day, hopefully soon, the ‘flat me’ will be racing again.
#stingorbeestung #hshive #theoriginalenergywaffle #nuunambassador #nuunhydration #skirtsports #skirtsportsambassador #flatme #skirtsportsflatme #REALwomenmove