Do The "Du"

It is the day before my first race as a member of Dare2Tri Chicago. The group will be heading to Wisconsin on Sunday to take part in the Pleasant Prairie Triathlon. Some members will tackle the olympic distance triathlon. Others will try their hands at the sprint distance. Still a few more will attempt the duathlon. That is the event I will be trying. It consists of a 2.5 mile run followed by a 20K bike ride then topped of with a 3.1 mile run. I have competed in a couple triathlons, but this will be my first duathlon. I am excited to be getting out there almost a month after the Soldier Field 10. After tomorrow, it will most likely be one month before my next race which is going to be the Denver Triathlon. I have never attempted a duathlon and look forward to the opportunity to have one under my belt bright and early tomorrow as the race will begin at about 6:30a.m. From what I understand, I will be a part of the first wave, but we shall see. I look forward to meeting the man who will be my sighted guide for the race. My only communication with the man, Todd Smith, has been via email. It is always fun to meet new individuals and make new friends. One of the aspects of racing which is both fun and challenging is meeting my sighted guides a day or two before the race, finding some commonality, then building up trust rather quickly. After all, whether I am swimming, biking, or running, it truly is a case of entrusting the person with my life. Often, he or she who guides me is volunteering as a guide for the first time so I know the person is anxious. I do my best to make them feel at ease as quickly as possible so he or she will be able to perform at his or her best. Most of all, I hope that the person enjoys the experience so that guiding will be something he or she will consider doing once more in the future.

My wake up call for tomorrow will be 3:15a.m. so I will be ready by the time Todd arrives to drive me to the race so I better go enjoy the rest of my day as I relax, get plenty of liquids, and prepare my equipment for the event.