Week 8 and all is good

OK, now that the dreaded week seven is now safely behind me, a little celebrating was in order. To commemorate the occasion, I signed up for a couple more races. I'm now officially entered in:








Avia Wildflower Olympic Triathlon- Sunday May 3








Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon at Uvas- Sunday May 17











Vineman Ironman 70.3 (Half Ironman)- Sunday July 19 (ok, so I'm on the waitlist for Vineman, but everyone always gets in, so I'm assuming I'm in).

There are several more races that I'm still contemplating, but this is the official list for now.

All three of these races hold a special place in my heart. Uvas was my very first triathlon. I still vividly remember standing on the shore of Uvas reservoir in near-panic as my swim wave was about to go off, and then the complete and utter joy as I crossed the finish line. I must have grinned ear to ear for a week after that race, and I still have my race number pinned up on the wall in my office at work.
I raced at Wildflower in 2003 (half Ironman distance that time) as a run-up to my first Ironman, and had an amazing time, despite racing the entire day in a torrential downpour, suffering two flats on the bike, and having to run the last 1.5 miles of the bike course with my bike back to the transition area (who the &^%$ plans for TWO flats in one race). Fran was there with me that day, and she definitely earned "IronWife" status. If there's anything worse than racing for 6+ hours in the pouring rain, it's standing around in the pouring rain watching other people race. Wildflower is nothing short of a spectacle. It's billed as the Woodstock of Triathlon, and it is, indeed, all that. This year we're making it a family outing so I've opted to do the Olympic-distance race instead. We won't partake in the full spectacle, including camping at Lake San Antonio. Instead we're planning to stay in nearby (somewhat) Paso Robles and make a weekend of it.
Vineman 2003 was my "A" race that year, and my first (and only, so far) Ironman. The half Vineman is basically the same course- just one loop of the swim, bike, and run instead of two. The thought of going back and racing on the same course where I completed my first Ironman gives me goosebumps. The swim is in the Russian River in Guerneville, and the bike and run courses are both very scenic as they wind their way through the local vineyards (hence the name of the race). The run course actually goes through the grounds of the La Crema winery. To this day, every time I see La Crema wine on a wine list or at a store it makes me smile a little bit.

I'm cautiously optimistic that I haven't jinxed all of this. If history is any indication, as soon as I say "everything is shaping up nicely" things invariably instantly go to shit, but I have a feeling that this year is different.