Gearing Up

Today is the day we start Carb Loading for our long course triathlon on Saturday.  It always makes me snicker a bit to even say the words, because it's a greatly mis-understood concept.  I didn't even truly understand the "why" and "how" until I trained for a Marathon.



Unlike Micheal in this clip from "The Office" -- the right time to carb load is NOT right before the start of the race!    With all the Pasta Feeds the night before events, it's commonly thought that a carb rich meal the evening before ought to do it.  In fact, it takes three to seven days of increased carb consumption and decreased activity to glean the benefits of Carbo Loading.

If all that is just making you bored to death -- I'm sorry.  Just know that I will be eating mostly whole grain bagels, bread, crackers and pastas along with drinking juice, chocolate milk and Gatorade while doing less activity than is healthy for my psyche the next few days.

I'm getting nervous, watching the weather and being pretty excited all at once.  I'm trying not to think any further than the event its self, because David and I are doing the drama for VBS starting on Sunday night.  We may not make it to church Sunday morning...I don't like to skip -- but we may need the rest.

I need to quickly consider what we are going to eat on Saturday evening and Sunday.  Other than ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON.  I don't want to spend a ton of money on take out -- but can't expect myself to cook those two days.  Standing and walking around may be a challenge, in fact.  I also, normally, grocery shop on Saturdays -- but may need to do that Friday evening.

When people at church have babies, we all sign up to bring them meals for two weeks.  Maybe my Sunday School class should bring meals for us for a couple of days!

I also have started a list of things for our back packs.  Unlike our fellow triathletes completing IronMan Kansas 70.3 on Sunday, our event is entirely unsupported.  We will be out on the highways of rural Nebraska for our bike ride with no aid stations and only two available potty/provision stops in those 56 miles.  I've added to the list a couple of times now, and am a little fearful of forgetting something serious -- like sun screen!  But after:

29 miles of swimming
876 miles of biking
and
257 miles of running this year,

I feel prepared.  I can't believe I feel that way.  A year ago when we hatched this plan, I was a little skeptical that I would feel anywhere near prepared by now.  I have really changed as an athlete and my endurance base is at a level that I am pretty proud of.  Putting in the hard work has paid off.

I have only lost 6 stinking pounds in the last 5 months, but I will take it. I'm still 25 pounds overweight these days.  No skinny triathlete, here!   I have 5 weeks in between the end of 70.3 training and the beginning of Double Half Mary training.  My goal is to lose 10 pounds.  It won't be fun, but it will make all that running much more enjoyable for my joints.

Well, that's it!  My next post will either be a freak out over the pending distance or a Race Report!  We've done the work -- let's enjoy the reward!