Race day is almost here. And I feel ready. I’ve been tapering this week; my swim today was just 550 yards and I worked mostly on technique.
It’s different training for sprints. Obviously you don’t have the massive time commitments that come with training for long-form triathlons, but the workouts, while short, are intense. You are only out there for an hour or so, and you have to be ready to go full gas. And if you have one bad element there’s really no time to make up for it. I learned that two years ago at New Jersey Sprint Tri, when I absolutely floundered in the swim. I crushed the bike and held on for the run, but that swim put me in the bottom third of all finishers.
This time I’ve worked hard on my swim. I know I’ll be fine in the bike and run elements. I do think I’ve gotten better, though I’m still slow in the water. I just hope I’m not buried after the swim this time. It helps that this is a pool swim rather than open water, much more manageable. It’s a whole different ballgame in open water.
Bottom line I think I’ll be fine in this swim, and then I can go to work on the bike. Running, which really should be my forte, has been a struggle for me but I see signs of turning the corner to something more like my old form. Looking forward to see how it all goes.
