Wildflower, here I come!

Saturday is Wildflower Long Course Triathlon.  That's a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run - all in one day.  This is a notoriously difficult course.  And, it will be my first half iron distance triathlon.  I should be a ball of nerves, right?  Freaking out, worried about what will happen this weekend.  Except, here's the thing.  I'm not.  I'm not terrified.  I'm a little nervous, but only because this will be my first attempt at this distance (its a healthy amount of nervous).  I've completed all of these distances, and more, in training, I've just never done them all on one day, all put together.

So, here I am, less than four days out from Wildflower, feeling excited and ready.  There is nothing more I can do, besides what my coaches tell me, to prepare.  I am fit and I can do this and I will do this.  I will finish this race and I will not feel like I'm going to die (okay, I'm hoping I don't feel like that).  I know it will be a long, difficult day, but I'm not scared.  This is just a step on the path to Vineman.  I will pay Wildflower the respect it is due, but I will not let it intimidate me or push me around.

Map of the long course.  See that elevation chart - look on the right side of the image, in green is written "Nasty Grade"

Nasty starts at mile 43ish and gains 1000 feet of elevation over 5 miles.
I've done that before, and more.  I've definitely got this.  You hear that Nasty?
You don't scare me.  I respect you, but I don't fear you.

I have no time goals for this race.  I honestly don't know how long it will take me.  I can guess about how long each piece will take, but I don't want to put any time pressure on myself.  I want to beat the course cutoffs and finish strong.  Whether this race takes me 5 hours (lets be honest, there's not a snowball's chance in hell I'l finish in 5 hours) or 8ish hours (far more likely), I will be extremely happy, overjoyed even, because I know I will have put in the work and given it what I've got.  (Besides, no matter what my finishing time, its an automatic PR! Gotta love starting out in a new sport!)

There are some things I don't want to have happen.  I don't want to blow up on the bike and go too fast, but based on my last couple of rides, and last weekend, I know I've got more in me than I've put out there in the past.  I also don't want to be overly conservative on the bike ad not push myself (I have an idea of what my average MPH should be, and I'm going to shoot for it).  I also don't want the run to feel like a death march, but I think I should be okay.  My only actual time goal for this day, besides beating the course cutoffs, is to run the half marathon portion in under three hours, I've never run a half in more than that (even sick, under-trained, etc), I hope this is reasonable, I believe this is reasonable (based on my training recently it shouldn't be too difficult.  This is where I show myself what I'm made of.  I will manage my nutrition and hydration and I'm preparing for heat.  If it happens to not be crazy hot, then so much the better, if it is, I'll be ready for it.

I have a plan and I'm sticking to it.  I've already laid out my transition gear and thought about exactly what I'll be packing.  My laundry is done and my bags will be packed tonight, car tomorrow night.  I leave early Thursday morning for a drive up the 101 to face Wildflower.

For those of you who know anything about Wildflower, you know that this is a "camping" event. I will not be camping, I will be RV'ing, so there will be some measure of comfort. :)

Also, this weekend is the PCRF Cinco de Mayo half marathon.  A group of my SMCOL Ragnar teammates are running for TeamGab.  And, after speaking with Heather, since I can't be at the PCRF half, I will be swimming, biking and running all 70.3 miles of Wildflower long course in honor of Gabby.  Go #TeamGab!  While I'm doing this day for me, I'm also still fundraising for LLS, and Gabby will help motivate me (all the way from SoCal), cause no matter how hard this day may be, its not nearly as hard as having cancer.

Not long ago the idea of ever completing Wildflower seemed far-fetched, impossible.  Today is a different day.  I am strong, capable, ready and excited.

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination." - Tommy Lasorda

If you want to donate and support me on this quest (it'll be like virtual high-fives and cheers!) use this link:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/vinefirn13/ewallersco

Thanks!