Triathlon worries

Only four days to go now until my triathlon, and the real fear is setting in now.

Up until this week, I had been worried about the big things -- could I get trained enough, would I be able to do this, how hilly is the course, etc. But now it's the details that scare me.

I learned this week that I have to wear a bathing cap during the swim. I have never worn one ever before. I bought a cheap one so I could try it on and practice, although since the race is this weekend, I really only have one swim scheduled during which I can practice. So I've tried it in the shower, and I hate it. It feels really tight, hurts my hair, and it feels really, really weird not to feel water in my hair. Hopefully the one they give me, with my number marked on it, is better than this cheapie one.

I also learned that I'll have a timing chip velcroed to my ankle. Another weird feeling I'm not used to. I'm sure neither one of these things is a big deal in the long run, but the swim was supposed to be my comfort zone -- it's the easiest of the three for me, and now I feel these things will make me feel ill-at-ease in the water.

The other big worry is the weather. Up until today, I had seen weather reports for Sunday saying it would be really, really hot. But today the reports say the really hot weather is actually three or four days back, so Sunday now has a 30-60 % chance of rain, with highs only just at 19-20 degrees. It's hardly cold, and I know I can bike and run in the rain, and have done before, but I planned my wardrobe based on hot weather, so now I'm having second thoughts.

Another concern is that the transition area, where I put my bike and clothes etc -- oh, it's outside. I have to plan to have my clothes in a waterproof bag now if it'll be raining -- closes at 7 am, so from that time until my swim start time, which is likely to be about 8:30ish, I have to stand around in my bathing suit. Worries of discomfort and cold come back to me now here again too.

I think if this weren't the first triathlon I'd ever been in, or even if I'd been smart and gone to watch one before this, I might be calmer about these details, but well, it is my first, so the little things are troubling.

On a brighter note, I am less scared about my ability to do this. I know I won't be fast, but I also know I can do this in less than 2 1/2 hours, maybe even less than 2, although not likely. I might be tired biking, and may even go really slowly up the hills, but I can do it. I've trained on my bike a lot, and hills around town that used to frighten me, that used to get me off the bike and walking up them, I can do now. And the run, the worst of the three sports for me, well, worse comes to worse and I walk parts of it because I'm tired. I keep going back to a 5K run I did in early June, where I was exhausted after a 2 hour bike ride the day before, my legs were killing, and when I did the 5K I felt like I walked more than I ran, but I finished that in 35 minutes. So if I could do it then, I can do it in the tri.

Four days to go, if I can survive the little things. Wish me luck!