Less than a week.

Five days actually, before the Degray Half. Am I prepared? Not really. Am I excited? Not so much. Am I scared? Kind of! Why am I doing it? Good question. I want to see where I am with a longer race. I am using this as a gauge for my Ironman training. Is that sick or what? Well, at least I got a free entry!!

I am just tired of training. It's also been HOT as SHIT in Dallas. Who wants to train at the ass crack 'o' dawn every morning? If you don't you can feel the heat coming up from the ground and I swear, if I run any slower my shoes will literally melt to the pavement!! Imagine what it's like when you step in a big pile of chewed bubble gum.... that's what my shoes would look like if I ran after work! I haven't been swimming as much as I'd like. Let's face it, I haven't been taking this race seriously. I decided it would be a training day, and well that was it. If I didn't feel like swimming - I just didn't! This may bite me in the ass on Saturday.... I'm a little nervous. I did go to the pool today and the thought entered my head "what if I had to DNF during the swim?!!" Oh geez, I can get through this. It just seems funny that I haven't been too worried about this race. I remember when I trained for my first and second halves.... I really focused on my workouts, my peak weekend and my taper. I've kind of made up my own training schedule (which of course fluctuates based on how tired / bored I get), but now I'm just kind of winging it. Again, training day. I just need to keep telling myself that. Training day, training day, training day. Long training day.

So, I've got the rest of the week - then race day. Then the next weekend is HHH100. Then I get to rest!! Woo HOOOOO!! Party time!! I can NOT wait to take some serious time off. I need a break. I am thinking about taking some time off work too. Just to spend quality time at home getting my stuff in order. I'm just burned out on everything right now. Work has been extrememly busy and stressful for the past couple of weeks. I knew it would be - I just didn't expect to feel so down in the dumps. Literally, I've felt like I could just start crying at work for the past several days. I just need to get through this busy time. It doesn't seem to ever be at the right times - if I'm busy at work it just happens to coincide with a busy training schedule - then something has to give. Why can't I have the busy work week when I'm not training for a race?? Why can't I be near my peak training when work is slow? Oh yeah, Murphy's Law. Right.

It doesn't matter anyways. Who cares how long it takes me to finish the race? At least I'm doing them, dammit. Too bad I spent a small fortune for my bike though. That alone makes me feel like I really should try! Why would I invest in a piece of equipment, then not use it to it's full potential? Poor LeTigre. He needs to run fast. I'm going to work the bike this weekend. I love my LeTigre. I just hope me and LeTigre click next year! I guess we hadn't established a good relationship during the Ironman training this time around. With the multiple chain breaks, then the dreaded crash. I thought LeTigre was a lemon. Maybe he just needs to be tamed.

Okay - this is really going off the deep end....

Need to get rest. This is the taper week, less is more when it comes to workouts, quality not quantity. BUT - more is more when it comes to sleep. and I need some!

night night, little tiger.