Pre-Race Jitters

So I have my first Olympic triathlon this Sunday. I'll be swimming a mile, biking 24 miles, and running 10k. I've been out of the pool for a couple weeks because I tweaked my shoulder, and I haven't gotten any open water practice this season aside from a few minutes in Galveston because everything around DFW is flooded and closed. If Anxiety Brain would STFU for, like, 10 seconds, I'd be fine. But Logic Brain can't get a word in edgewise about this stupid triathlon, so I'm mostly just freaking out.

Hey, Moniqa, the course is well supported, and the kayak to athlete ratio will have greatly increased by the time you get tired, so you're really not gonna drown.

Hey, Moniqa, the only cutoff is 90 minutes for the swim, and there's pretty much no way it will take you that long.

Hey, Moniqa, you're really fucking stubborn and tough no matter if you're slow as hell. Remember that time you slugged it out through a 15-mile Spartan course over 7 hours when you were dead-certain going in that you'd drop out by mile 9? Well, you only have to jog, walk, or crawl 10k on this course.

Hey, Moniqa, remember that time you finished a 5-mile Spartan when your ITBS flared up after the first mile and any sane or reasonable person would have asked for a medic and sat her ass down?

Hey, Moniqa, remember that time you finished a half marathon (13,1 miles) in tears because the ITBS flared in the last 3k and the finish line was UP a motherfreaking hill?

Hey, Moniqa, remember that, like, 95°F triathlon you did on Labor Day last year without a proper bike fitting and outright cried through most of the 15-mile course and had to call your mom for help getting back to your car? You finished that god-forsaken race, too.

Chill the fuck out, yo. The weather's gonna be WAY cooler than it should be for late May. Your knees have been quiet all season and you've logged plenty of miles on the bike and run even if it's not as many as you'd planned on. Your shoulders are tweaked but not actually injured. The cold-ass water will help, and it's okay to be miserable and uncomfortable, because you won't be hurt.

 You already picked up your packet, so you already got a really cool shirt and socks and bag!

And you have a brand new, BOSS BAWG kit to wear. It makes you look super sexy AND strong.