RunMyssieRun

Today was another open water swim training with a bike brick workout at South Padre Island. It was the same course as the one I’ll be competing in October at the SPITri. I caravanned down there with two good friends, Maritza (who also completed the JTI program in the Spring with Coach Sandy Overly) and Lindsley (who just graduated Coach hector Gandara’s run class – Running 101). None of us know what we are doing. But we’ve been trained well.

To be SHARK BAIT

Oh… but wait… it’s not sharks we need to be afraid of…

While I have improved, I have to be honest, I really expected a little more of myself. I made it to the second green marker. I wanted to reach the orange. I wasn’t tired. I knew I could do it. I just didn’t. I held myself back.

Fear.

It still has a nasty hold on me. Really, I was fine and in hindsight, I can’t seem to understand WHY I didn’t just go for it. I get scared every time I’m doing a crazy workout but I complete it.  I gave up on myself. Maybe it was the talk of alligators. Maybe it was the talk of sharks. Maybe it was the slimy seaweed and algae. Maybe it was all the head games that a few people were playing with me all week. I wasn’t myself today.

I understand we all have good days and bad days… but now’s not the time to have bad days. I need to stay focused.

I’m disappointed. I could have done it.

I know I could have done it.

My fear was not unusual in the crowd training with me. It seemed almost viral. One after one, I saw turning back, stopping and catching their breath, giving up and retreating. I saw no one go out for the run. I saw just a few go out and take on the bike course.

The girls and I all composed ourselves on the dock. I rinsed off my wet suit (I know people were wondering why I had it on – it was part of my instructions). We mounted our bikes and shot off. The newbie, Lindsley, gave it all she had. She did awesome!

And just then, just like the attitude of giving up in the water was viral… so was Lindsley’s vigor.

I will return and master that course. I must.

Oh! and where was my coach you ask???? Why she was AT NATIONALS!!! Wearing my wetsuit!! 🙂

I’m really surprised that it fit her and she wasn’t swimming in that thing! It was such an honor for me to know she was wearing it. Just like I try to take a little bit of everyone who has supported me with me on my practices and competitions, I would like to hope people take a little bit of me with them when they do something quite phenomenal.

Congratulations Coach! I am so very happy for you!

This entry was posted on August 11, 2013 at 10:50 pm and is filed under Uncategorized with tags 2013 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships, alligator, bay, hector gandara, Mimi's Miles, myssie, olympic, sandy overly, shark, south padre island, south padre island triathlon, spi, spitri, sprint, triathlon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.