race

See that picture on the left? That’s me out running in -27ºC. I posted the pic to my Facebook fan page and the general consensus revealed in the comments is that I’m bat crap crazy.

Achieving a goal involves a strange mixture of elation and questioning. For nine months, I trained toward completing a triathlon. On Sunday, the day of reckoning arrived, and the race proceeded almost as I'd imagined it in my dreams: I didn't drown in the lake; I didn't have to change a flat tire by the side of the road; and my legs (and mind) held up during the run.

Yesterday, I wasn't Carrie — I was number 1463. It was inked on my arm in black. Yesterday, I competed in my first ever triathlon. Put it all together: 1500 metre swim, 40 km bike ride, and 10 km run. Let's just say there were a lot of buff bodies at the race site.

Don't talk to me. It's the countdown to race day, and I'm a ball of nerves — prickly, anxious, snappish, and guilty. Sorry, kids! Sorry, husband! What was I thinking when I signed myself up to compete in a triathlon? Someone remind me, please.

In three weeks, I will stand at the start line of my first triathlon, confidently clothed and geared up. But a triathlon is not only a multi-sport race; it is also a test of endurance, and what's on the inside — quite literally — could make or break a performance. It's time to consider: what food will fuel me on race day? The short answer is: nothing new!