I knew it was coming. I have been wondering when the assigned bib numbers would be released. Wonder no more. Today was the day. My bib number is 4033. Doing it with my husband and a friend, Heather, whose last name is not Green so we weren’t side by side on the list.
Oh shit. It’s a month away. I’m *only* doing the swim but still, holy shit. I easily remember how hard one full lap was for me. Nearly impossible a few years ago. Even last summer, my goal at most triathlons I did was to swim freestyle for the full 5 lengths without stopping. The exception was the OBX event in September 2016 where I did about 1/3 mile in open water so there was no hanging on the wall or stopping as an option.
Why so nervous about this one? The distance. The swim start with 100+ people. Jordan lake. The temperature. The wetsuit. The time cutoff. Lots & lots of reasons to bee nervous. Plus it’s a HUGE -F event. And it’s an IRONMAN branded event. Me in an IM event. I feel like an impostor!
I heard a podcast today where someone referenced triathlon as the dumping ground for people who were having challenges in life and needed a distraction. My gawd this is so true! Tri was born out of a dark place in parenting for me and has grown into a gift and a way to connect with people in a meaningful way. And not just that, it’s really an equalizer around physical activity – there are now so many body types, ages, abilities, and such at these events. They are not reserved just for the elite athlete anymore. They are really for anyone wanting a really great distraction or goals.
Got work to do, that’s for sure! But it’s definitely possible.
CHANDRA GREEN 