Race morning

It's hard to explain race morning. A mix of nerves, excitement, anxiety, fear and delight. If you've experienced a race morning, you know. Triathlons have 3 events you are planning for which makes it extra stressful. You have to get there super early to make sure you get a spot in transition and set everything up just the way you like it. Then, it's off to body marking where you stand in line to get your number "tattooed" on with Sharpie. Somewhere in the midst of this, you have to pee like 500 times. As you leave transition for the last time, you are just hoping that you left everything you needed at your transition area. As you make your way to the swim start, you need to make sure you are prepared with wetsuit, goggles and swim cap before your wave goes off. Before your swim, you are already fast-forwarding to the bike and then the run. You start coming up with weird scenarios like, "What if I get stuck in sea weed? What if some girl drags me under water? What if I trip and fall as I get out? What if I don't make it? What if I barf?" Oh, race morning.
When I first started doing triathlons, I was looking forward to a calm and casual race morning where everything went smoothly and I wasn't a big ball of emotions. As time goes on, I am more confident with my racing and I have learned exactly what I need to pack. I even have a CD with my motivational music. But every race morning, I am still a ball of emotions ranging from elation to utter fear. I decided if I ever show up on a race morning and I am calm and casual and I really have no emotions about it, that will be my last triathlon. Race morning is what makes it real. It makes me realize that I care and that's why I feel these things. And if I don't care, then I'll hang up my wetsuit, my cleats and my Zoots. For now, I look forward to my race mornings.