Time Keeps on Drifting

Take a peek at the countdown timer on the sidebar. Go ahead, don't be scared. Well, maybe a little, especially if you are one of the lucky participants registered for IM Louisville.

It's amazing how the simple move from 201 to 199 changes perspectives. When the clock read 201, there was all the time in the world to train. It was no big deal that swimming 4600 yards took enough out of me to lower my resistance and let me get sick. With 199 days, missing a few days training because of that illness is driving me batty.

When the race was 201 days out, having little more than rumors and broad generalities about the course was a minor issue. Now that we're down to 199 days, missing this vital information is nerve wracking. How do we train for a race that is just around the corner when we don't even know what the course looks like?

With 201 days to race day, I wasn't too concerned that the lake has a big sheet of ice on it, making it difficult to test my new wetsuit. With 199 days left, I'm doomed to wonder if spring will ever arrive and push the ice downriver.

There is, however, good news. I have a coach who also knows there are only 199 days until race day. And he has a plan to give me the tools to get from the starting line to the finish line within the 17 hour limit. This eases the "199 days" concerns in two ways. First, the advice provided prior to even being an official trainee paid huge dividends. Second, Coach Mike has had great success with triathletes at all levels. I trust his experience and my abilities. Though time keeps on drifting, 199 is enough, for today. Tomorrow, 198 will have to do.