Prerace Thoughts

I'm suffering from prerace depression.

One real reason, my left knee hurts again. I wrenched it yesterday at work carrying someone down some stairs. It hurts when I go down stairs. It has never affected my running or biking, but it is a bother nonetheless.

I was looking through the race instructions and found I am in the last wave of swimmers. I had thought I was going to be in the third wave, which is for men over 45 and Clydesdales. I was put in the fourth wave which is for late registratants and invited first-timers. Because I am in the triathlon training class sponsored by the Hartford Marathon Foundation, which sponsors the race, they have probably put me there. The idea is the fourth wave is less intimidating for newbies. The problem is the second wave has all the women and the Athenas. So they are basically getting an eight minute head start on me. Now, timing-wise it all works out in your final time, but since I am so slow on the bike and not swift in the run, I am likely to be the last person to finish the race. I will have to be 8 minutes faster than the slowest woman in order not to be last. Now I don't expect to be last, but I don't want to be running when they are dismantling the course.

They also have a one and a half hour limit on completeing the swim and the bike, which I should be able to make by ten to fifteen minutes. Still, I don't like that threat hanging out there.

The swim is twice as long, which should aid me, the transition is three to five minutes longer, and the bike is a bit longer, plus I have heard the course has a long uphill, which scares me some not having ridden it. I feel unprepared.

I just want to run the race and enjoy the day.

Its about the journey, but I don't like being last. Not at all.

I'll head down later today and won't post again until tomorrow night.