Homestretch!

Just 4 days till the Mountain Medley Triathlon, and I've already had a nightmare about not being prepared enough: losing my goggles, having to do the swim in a 25 m lap pool and being made to share a lane with a large man who kept hitting me in the face with every stroke, needing someone to drive me through the run because I couldn't use my legs anymore... You know, all the usual mishaps that could happen to anyone during a race. Sure.
So if any of you are suffering silently in anticipation for this weekend, or are battling similar worries that my subconscious apparently has, this post is all about how to get yourself prepared, mentally and physically, during these next four days. Also included are more details about the course and tips for how you can prepare for this particular location.

SWIM COURSE: 

For the Advanced triathlon-goers, the swim starts at the Camp Mondamin docks and goes for .5 miles under the bridge through the channel, and lets out at the entry spot for the Novice triathlon race.  The Novice swim is a .25 mile-loop around the lake opening near the transition area which comes back around to where you began.  (The pictures for the running courses show the channel and opening where the green marker is labeled.)

BIKE COURSE:

The Advanced bike course is a 10K (6.2 miles) over terrain that will elevate you upwards of 700 ft, all throughout Camp Green Cove's trails.  The .5 miles of this course is an up-hill climb, so heed the experts' advice and take it easy.  That hill won't even cover all of the elevation you will have to climb throughout the course, so don't expend all your energy thinking you will help yourself in the long-run by getting ahead of the pack right away. Perfect way to k-e-e-l over.
The Novice bike course is a 5K (3.23 miles) with a total incline of about 500 feet. This course overlaps with parts of the Advanced course, so both races will be facing a mix of gravel and dirt roads, as well as single and double track stretches.  As it says on the website, there will be bike rentals available in the transition area for those who need a mountain bike for this portion of the tri.

RUNNING COURSE:

5K Run through Camp Green Cove

The runs, outlined in the images, are pretty self-explanatory. The morning Advanced run will be going through Mondamin, and the Novice run in the afternoon will remain in Green Cove. And both runs end on a down-hill, so rejoice in that small miracle! Lord knows you'll be wanting those...

10K Run through Mondamin and Camp Green Cove

HOW TO TRAIN WITH ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE RACE: 
It will help to know beforehand what the experience will physically feel like come race day.  Speaking as someone who has only recently practiced in open water for the first time, I can strongly recommend you practice in as close to race conditions as possible as much as possible before Saturday. Any anxieties you have now about the race will be greatly reduced when you can sample what the experience will feel like.

This week, your main focus is on preparing your mind; it is not to fit in those missed intense hill-interval workouts that you didn't have time for last week. Keep your body loose by doing plyometrics for a bit every day. Jog an easy 3 miles; do a leisurely swim for a 45 minutes; power through a few hills on the bike and then coast for a few miles. Do enough to keep your body in constant remembrance of what it will be expected to do soon, but there's no need to overwork it. Also, remember to check your equipment!! Make sure bike tires are pumped and seat/handlebar heights are appropriately adjusted. Are your goggles in working condition? Are your shoelaces going to make it till this weekend? Checking and double checking before the race will be one less thing to stress about come Saturday.

***Helpful hint: Here you'll find a suggested packing list and a recommended nutrition regimen for the day before and day of the race.  Take note of what time your race starts, be it in the AM or PM. If AM, take in just enough carbohydrates to replenish your body's energy supply. If PM, go ahead and eat a big breakfast - if you don't, you'll surely hit a wall that will be near impossible to get over once the race is in motion.

The worst thing you could POSSIBLY do during this taper time before the race is freak out. (I know, I need to eat my own words...) Those of us who are doing this for the first time, we need to remember that we trained hard thus far - now all we have to do is race how we trained.  BeginnerTriathlete.com reiterates what I've been saying this last month: "Remind yourself how well prepared you are, do positive self talk everyday leading into race day, and simply draw strength and confidence from your hard work. This mental preparation is as important as the physical preparation!"

A great mental exercise to help your mind accept what your body is about to do in a few days is visualization. Take fifteen minutes before you start your practice, or do it during your post-workout stretching, close your eyes, and imagine the whole day as it will play out:

• Imagine how you're getting to the race. Visually list all the items you will need to have with you.
• Walk yourself through what the initial set-up will be like: arranging your bike and shoes in the transition area, taking in the faces of racers bustling around you. Feel the temperature and energy others are giving off soak into your skin (prepare for a wet day). 
• Feel your heartbeat rise as you envision plunging into the lake alongside 50+ other individuals, who are just as prepared yet just as nerve-wracked as you. Go through the race in your head. Imagine you are calm, making strong and intentional strokes with your arms, your breath is heightened but not spastic, the water is carrying you forward. Take deep breaths during this part of the visualization, so you associate calm breathing with the visuals of chaotic motion. 
• Go through the steps of getting to your bike, being mindful of others around you, and pushing your hardest up that first hill. 
• Imagine you've completed two out of the three legs of the race, and now you're dropping your bike off to complete the last and most taxing portion.  Envision yourself starting and ending strong, with a tall spine and a tall spirit. Think about how you will boost your confidence during the race in case your morale drops low.  Will you have a gel on hand? Is there a mantra you've memorized to replenish your confidence? Is there someone waiting for you at the finish line who you want to finish for? Imagine the finish line, think of everyone who will be cheering around you, think about all the incredible effort you put into your training to get you to where you are. 

Open your eyes. Take a deep breath. Smile, why don'tcha?  You gotta be excited for this! Get ready for the adrenaline to blast off when you eventually hear those gut-wrenching words, "On your mark...get set.....GO!!"