This is the best and the hardest time before a race...

John and I are sitting on our Alaska Air flight to Portland right now. I spent the first hour trying to relax, breathe and read my Yoga Journal. Sadly, Yoga Journal makes me want to get up and stretch and move and I just get twitchier. Plus my mind is just racing between work and race weekend. The work part is good because I actually hit a great benchmark this week; I made up for the salary cut in commissions. This is amazing as there are 3 months left in the year and I actually will make up for the loss. And I am over the fact that I would be sitting really pretty had they not cut me at all. Ah, it is so cool that I continue to learn about business and how my brain and experiences work in a business setting.

Anyway, we are on the same flight as Jewels, Steve and Andrea and Steph Poplar. Steph is such a pleasant gal and she is also the #1 woman in my age group. It is very cool to have such regard for someone who is such an amazing athlete. She is very down to earth and warm. I only wish I had her running ability! J Saturday I will spend the race happily knowing that we will both be in Australia next year and we will be in different age groups! Yahoo!

The best news about my mind racing is that all my thoughts are positive. I am trying to visualize different parts of the race and the day and these are the moments I always come back to:
1. Running out of transition feeling fast, relaxed and focused
2. Climbing the hill up from the ranger station strong and easy
3. Feeling my shoulders relaxed as I pull with each stroke
4. Sitting in a quiet spot before we start to conserve and chill
5. Signing my name on the dotted line for the YES, I want to participate on the Worlds Team…Finally!

As I said in my last posting, the key for me is to remain quiet, calm and conservative so that when I let it go during the race it is just a blast of energy…which of course will be spread like the very best peanut butter ever! Spreading the PB will be critical. First half of the ride and run need to be paced so that I can come back faster and stronger than the rest! YAHOOOOOOO!

Ok, I better stop before my computer runs out of juice on the plane. See ya’ll Saturday afternoon!