Oh hai, I've gone off the crazy end again.

[katinthehat]

I think I'm going to ask to step down from the oly distance tri to the sprint distance.

And do an oly in two weeks on Labor Day.  Which is 20 days before the other one (September 2nd vs 22nd.)

I am so freaked out by the swim in Galveston.  Brackish water and chop.  Today, just for giggles, I put my HRM on, did random stuff around the house, then looked at the website for 5150 and my heart rate shot up above 100.  I'm seriously mental about it.

I can do the distances for the race already.  Kristie and I rode the Galveston oly course last weekend with no problem and followed it up with a 2 mile run, easy peasy.  I've run 5 miles multiple times, so throw in a 6 miler next week, and I'll be good.  I was planning on run/walking the run anyway.

I've done a 1200 straight OWS.  I'm regularly doing 1800 yard workouts in the pool twice and this week I did a 2000 yard set (my longest.)  I'm racing Saturday and will be doing a 500 m brackish swim.  I can next week and do a 1600 OWS if necessary.

If I do the sprint at the end of September, we won't need to make a weekend of it, so the money we save on hotel + boarding our dogs will be more than the cost of adding in this other race and switching to the shorter distance, so money isn't a factor.

Josh did the Labor Day olympic last year, so I'm familiar with the swim course.  It's a subdivision lake, flat and easy.  When I think about it, I'm like, oh, I got this, NBD.

Am I completely and totally insane or is it worth this crazy change of plans if it means that I feel much calmer with my decision?

[sadlebred]

I think you should do what makes you comfortable! We are behind you no matter what!

[kams]

Go for it, girl! You're ready!

[finallykrisb]

You have to do what you know works for you.

[Susie]

Remember that this is supposed to be fun. Challenging yes, but fun too. If you will enjoy this plan more, do this.

[katandkevin]

Are you going to step down from doing the 5150 to the sprint that is the same weekend? You still have to get in the same water. Yes it is brackish, but there is no chop. I promise. It is nothing like swimming in lake houston. I would do clear lake this weekend and make a decision after that. The water this weekend will be similar to the water in galveston, without the 10 ft ladder climb.

[finallykrisb]

Aug 23, 2013 8:59:50 GMT -5 katandkevin said:

Are you going to step down from doing the 5150 to the sprint that is the same weekend? You still have to get in the same water. Yes it is brackish, but there is no chop. I promise. It is nothing like swimming in lake houston. I would do clear lake this weekend and make a decision after that. The water this weekend will be similar to the water in galveston, without the 10 ft ladder climb.

We took a look at the swim course last weekend and it was all kinds of choppy. Could have been a fluke since the wind was killer that day. But who's to say race day conditions wouldn't be the same?

[katandkevin]

Aug 23, 2013 9:05:30 GMT -5 finallykrisb said:

Aug 23, 2013 8:59:50 GMT -5 katandkevin said:

Are you going to step down from doing the 5150 to the sprint that is the same weekend? You still have to get in the same water. Yes it is brackish, but there is no chop. I promise. It is nothing like swimming in lake houston. I would do clear lake this weekend and make a decision after that. The water this weekend will be similar to the water in galveston, without the 10 ft ladder climb.

We took a look at the swim course last weekend and it was all kinds of choppy. Could have been a fluke since the wind was killer that day. But who's to say race day conditions wouldn't be the same?

It may have been a fluke. I have done 3 races in that water and it has never been as bad as other races. Last year I did Kemah and tri girl and both of those swims were a thousand times worse than the half ironman. There is some chop, but no waves.

[katinthehat]

katandkevin, it would be the same day as the oly. I can handle chop, for 500 m. Or 1500 for flat water. But I don't know after TriGirl last weekend that I can handle both together. I just...I really have never been so scared in my life as I was last Sunday and I am just so freaked out about it that if I got up to the start line of the 5150 and saw anything other than perfectly smooth water, I'd just quit right there. I think I'd rather do the Lonestar sprint and get out of the water and be like, totally could have done the Oly than to get pulled out of the water trying to do the oly.

[katandkevin]

Aug 23, 2013 9:25:35 GMT -5 katinthehat said:

katandkevin, it would be the same day as the oly. I can handle chop, for 500 m. Or 1500 for flat water. But I don't know after TriGirl last weekend that I can handle both together. I just...I really have never been so scared in my life as I was last Sunday and I am just so freaked out about it that if I got up to the start line of the 5150 and saw anything other than perfectly smooth water, I'd just quit right there. I think I'd rather do the Lonestar sprint and get out of the water and be like, totally could have done the Oly than to get pulled out of the water trying to do the oly.

I totally get this. That's how Kemah was last year. Had I not been on a relay and had other people depending on me, I would have quit during the swim.

[katinthehat]

I think it's better for me to do the sprint this year and come away with a positive experience then do the oly next year as part of my buildup to Oilman 70.3.

Kemah, I don't know how crazy people do it. I mean, seriously, that's absolutely insane.

Did you hear any reports back about TriGirl this year?

[katandkevin]

I heard that the swim was long and super choppy. I had a long ride so I couldn't come out and watch. I did the swim for the Kemah sprint last year. I actually think the oly would have been better since they didn't have to swim into or against the waves.