The Start Of The Lasts

Today starts the “lasts” before my race. This morning was my last pool swim workout before the race. I will get some open water swimming in on Saturday when I get up to the race area. But my last pool lap workout was today. I swam 1,000 meters easy. Nothing hard, yet my pace was good – I maintained a 2:03 pace per 100 meters. I didn’t get as much sleep as I should have last night and I felt it this morning too. Actually all through the day…

When I got home I decided to take a nap before my last cycle workout. By the time I woke up I was still feeling foggy and it was getting dark so I road for a half hour on my stationary in my basement. It felt good to get some spinning in without much tension. Little did I know that Monday was my last road ride before the race. Tomorrow evening I will get my bike set up with my racing wheels, clean and lube the chain, and clean the bike too. By the way, I found a great bike cleaner from White Lightening that I read about here on All Seasons Cyclist’s blog. Definitely a good product.

I don’t know why I get melancholy about the last workouts before a big race. I think part of it has to do with the finality of it all. I have spent eight months swimming over 347,000 meters (216 miles), running 658 miles, and cycling 1,050 miles. I will continue to swim through the end of the year and hopefully get at least one ride a week in while the weather cooperates. But only running will be the sport I continue to race in through the end of the year. I feel as if a dear friend is moving away. The training I will do in swimming and cycling won’t feel the same without a race, just like talking on the phone doesn’t replace time spent with a friend. But I still have 70.3 miles of racing to do before my “friend” leaves, so I will enjoy the moments I have left and begin the anticipation for triathlon’s return in the late spring next year.