List of steps taken to get ready for the trip:
- Work (a variety of tasks)
- Flu Shot
- Airplane Tickets
- Car Rentals
- Hotels
- Co-ordination with Grandma and Grandpa who will be joining us in Florida
- Co-ordination with Nana and Pappy who will be looking after our dog
- Friends who will be looking in on our house
- Letting the kids schools know
- Getting the car ready and loaded for the drive to the airport
- Event Registration
- Bike Shipping
Despite the disappointment with the 2009 race I decided to make the 2010 event part of my plan for the 2010 season. I felt that the overall event was worth repeating especially if combined with a family vacation. The location and weather are great this time of year.
I qualified for the 2010 Clearwater event by placing second in my age group at the Mooseman 70.3 in early June in Newfound lake, NH. In July I switched my focus from triathlon training to just training for cycling events. I had finished third in the Peterborough Time Trial race in July and felt that I needed to make Time Trial training my main focus if I hoped to win the Provincial title in September. I responded well to the change in focus and put some time between myself and my main competitors, claiming the provincial TT title.
I am now more determined than ever to improve on the bike and challenge for a national title and possibly compete at the Masters World Championships in Aug of 2011 in Austria. I have also really enjoyed being part of the Wheels of Bloor cycling team in 2010 and look forwards to riding with the team again in 2011.
Despite a change in focus to cycling, I don’t just want to participate in the 2010 Clearwater event taking place this Saturday Nov 13th, I want to finish preferably in the top ten this year. That may be a difficult feat considering that I have only been in the pool twice in the past 4-months. I did start running again 4 weeks ago after taking three months off. I committed to 4-weeks of run training because I wanted to do my best in the race and I wanted to be able to walk the days following the race as my family is planning on visiting a theme park or two.
Here are the questions that I have going into the race:
- Can I do better than last year?
- How much time will I loose during the swim?
- Will I get boxed in behind a pack of riders?
- Will my body (left hip) give out before the end of the run?
- Do not panic in the swim, give a solid effort but not too much
- Torch the bike course and take in a lot of fluids
- Survive the run