It's Called a Race....

Triathlon season is in full swing. Each weekend there is a race whether it is a sprint or a 70.3 (soon the 140.6s will start). The usual Facebook posts go up on Wednesday: Who is racing (fill in the blank)?

The responses follow. People check in as to who is racing and who is volunteering and who is cheering.

And then the comments start to go like this:

• I'll be there
• Are you racing?
• I'm participating. I wouldn't call it racing.

Raise your hand if you are guilty of down playing your race? Me!!! Me!!! I'm right here!!! I truly JUST had this conversation on Facebook about 20 minutes ago. Why? 

Why the hell did I just down play my participation in a race this weekend? I'm not ill. I'm not injured. I'm not unprepared. Hell, I've been busting my butt since December. I thoroughly enjoyed my off-season of November, but then it was back it. 6 days a week. 7 days a week. Early mornings to get it done before long travel days. 

Is it because I fall into that whole comparison thing? Am I thinking I'm not really racing because I'm not as fast as those other people? So they get to race and I don't? I just participate. Screw that. 

Truth: I'm not as fast as them and they will beat me across the finish line. But I am racing! I'm racing the voices in my head. I'm racing the doubts in my mind. I'm racing the ache in my lungs. I'm racing the soreness in my legs. I'm racing. 

Coach gave me a race plan. No where is it called a "participation" plan. So that's what I plan to work with on Sunday: my race plan.

I will finish well behind some and I will finish well ahead of others. When I finish if I have followed my race plan to the best of my ability on that given day, then I win. I will have won the Shawna Block division and that is the only one I am competing in.

Looking forward to seeing everyone racing, cheering, and volunteering on Sunday in Chattanooga!

I'm bib 1276 if you are looking to cheer from afar.