Friday, August 22, 2008

She LIVES!

After mourning the loss of the Iron Horse for four days that could have been mistaken for eternity, I got the call. "Your bike is ready to be picked up, we're here till 7." I worked that day, so I wasn't able to get to the bike shop until 4:45 in the afternoon. It was a 1.7 mile trek from the hospital, which was a mere hop, skip, and a jump compared to the by-foot ventures I'd made over the previous four days. When I got there, the man I'd spoken with when I dropped her off wasn't there, which was probably good, sometimes I can be emotional at the end of a day. They wheeled her out and propped her against the counter (she lacks a kickstand.) I looked her over-- only one thing was obviously different: her tires. They were no longer the knobby and obese mountain bike tires. She now sported sleek and firm tires that honestly made her look like she'd been on a crash diet. Even in her sickly appearance, she was alive. I paid the fine establishment (and it GENUINELY is a fine establishment that provides fantastic services for triathletes, I recommend it highly) and left. Out on the sidewalk I dug my helmet out of my backpack and got ready to try and ride the waif home. I didn't care how weird she looked, I refused to not only walk home again, but I refused to walk my BIKE home-- veto. To my surprise she rode rather smoothly. First thing I noticed was that she was in a crazy easy gear-- my legs were spinning OUT OF CONTROL, so I thought "SHOOT! I have to shift and this hunk of metal doesn't shift!" I tried anyways-- I was quickly losing my balance and a fall would just twist the jagged rusty dagger that was already in my heart after this whole bike ordeal. Lo and behold--- she shifted!! I was beaming! Perhaps my bike just might work! Perhaps she would get me through the triathlon in a somewhat efficient fashion! My hopes rising, I pedaled home with jaw-dropping ease. No longer were my chunky tires gripping the pavement, refusing to let go until I pedaled as hard as possible. Now, I was almost floating over the road, pedaling with EASE. I shifted up higher than I usually ride at and was CRUISING, keeping up with cars (...so what if it was rush hour grid-lock...) and rejoicing in the resurrection of my loyal steed. I don't think I can honestly say that I am confident in IH to help me ride the absolute best bike leg I could possibly ride in the race, but I feel so much better about it now than I did before. Her gears slipped once on that ride home, which made me want to burst into tears, but once compared to every turn of the petal is a phenomenal improvement. I'm not as worried that she will completely stop working a couple of miles into the bike leg, forcing me to finish it running with her (you don't have to ride your bike in the bike leg--- you just have to have it WITH you... so if she did break or something, I could keep going. But let's be honest, it's a 24.8 miles bike and that's a long way to run even without a bike, much less with my awkward one-- and especially when there's still the run leg afterwards!!!)

Speaking of the race... it is in two days. Less than that really. HOLY TOLEDO! I may be flipping out. I feel SO unprepared!! Tomorrow I will go to the expo downtown to pick up my race packet and everything. Then tomorrow evening is the Team in Training pasta party. There is going to be a lot of travel between downtown and my apartment. Saturday downtown early to get my packet then back home to get ready for the race, then down and back again that evening for the Team in Training pasta party that we were told will "change our lives." It's hard to skip something with that promise! Then I'll venture down crazy early Sunday morning for the race (!!!) and back afterwards. Sunday evening I'll go back down AGAIN for the Team in Training after-race party! I'm exhausted just THINKING about it! I wish I knew someone who lived closer to downtown that I could stay with or something, but I don't. It'd probably be more of a hassle than it'd worth anyways. I have to remember to load up my transportation card though!! I don't go downtown more than twice a week, much less twice a day for two days straight! It'll be exciting, no doubt.
I cannot believe race weekend is here. I don't have any words for the feeling that is brewing and growing in the pit of my stomach. I feel utterly unprepared and nervous. I know I've been working out all summer, but it's funny how those workouts fade away and I only remember the workout I skipped or modified because 'I don't feel like biking today...' or 'I'd rather run on the treadmill where it's air conditioned...' Regardless of my training sins, I know this will be a very memorable experience and as nervous as I am, I am almost equally excited.
If you want to follow the progress of the race and are unable to attend, the race website is very spectator friendly in the sense that you can like check the progress of any athlete, and I think you can even get text message alerts... that kinda weirds me out. But, if you are in the city and looking for something to do on Sunday morning, I encourage you to come down and watch the festivities. It will be a huge event, 8,500 participants are expected (or so I'm told), and the course is made to be spectator friendly. There is a spectator guide on the website as well.

1 days, 21 hours, 4 minutes, and 44 seconds left until the 2008 Accenture Chicago Triathlon... but who's counting?

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