Feeling Nervous

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Sunday evening, I started to feel nervous.

Up until now, I've felt quite confidant about my physical training and my mental preparation. One never knows what race day will bring, but I've been fairly certain that I will cross that finish line. Then, Sunday evening, a friend who is also doing the race mentioned that she was "freaking out" about finishing and the weather and what clothes to wear and..and...and...

...and then MY mind started to spin and my stomach started to churn.

Monday morning, I headed to the pool for one of my last peak swims and tried to get reacquainted with the gal who knows she can do this.

Geez, girlfriend, chill. The race is still a week and a half away and you're ready. Focus on getting over this yucky cold. Enjoy your taper and breathe. You're ready. You have done the work and YOU ARE READY.

During each of my 400 repeats at race pace, I thought of my friends who, over the weekend, conquered their own nervous butterflies: Joyce ran 10 miles for first time ever; Libby rode 167 miles on a bike she'd never ridden before to raise awareness about cerebral palsy; and Sandra successfully crossed the finish line in her first triathlon as her kids and husband cheered her on.

In talking with each of them over the last few months, I've expressed zero doubt in their abilities. I've confidently extolled my you-can-do-anything mantra. And this weekend, they did.

So, I closed my eyes, thought about their accomplishments, pushed off the wall, and visualized a strong, prepared, relentless self on November 1.

Thanks for the reminder, gals.