Calculated Risks: Haircuts and Triathlon

First things first - the results of the haircut poll. It was quite close, but ultimately the majority said 'Yes, cut it shorter!'. And today, I did just that...well, only 1/2 - 1 inch shorter. I chickened out. There was no way I could chop the hair I have been trying to grow out for well over a year. Each time I have gone in the past year, the thought of hacking it all off was VERY tempting. But I displayed restraint and stuck with the painful growing out process (ladies - you know what I'm talking about!).

When I started the poll 3 weeks ago, the whole idea was to have something more manageable for my athletic pursuits. In the end though, a ponytail will just have to do the trick. It's worked this long...no need to hack it off on a whim.

I do very little on a whim. I'm not very impulsive and usually take well calculated risks. Triathlon is no exception. It seems that many people just fall into being a triathlete. It usually goes something like this: Friend encourages/dares non-triathlete friend into doing a tri. The non-triathlete friend agrees thinking 'No Problem!'. The day of the event comes and the non-triathlete shows up with a Huffy from Walmart, a swimsuit (but no wetsuit), old Nike running shoes that will be used for biking and running and a sense of adventure.

For me though, well I just don't function like that. I knew full well what I was getting myself into before my first tri. I had all the gear, the swim classes, the bike classes, the nutrition. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right the first time.

Ironman was no different. About this time last year, I still hadn't decided if I was going to do Ironman in 2007 or 2008. I knew I could do the bike and the run, but I had no confidence in my ability to do the swim. After our final Open Water swim class last year - just 4 days before Ironman - I discovered that I could indeed swim the distance. With some hard work over the next year, I too could be an Ironman. So the journey began.

One year later, it's here. Ok, so it's not today, but it's only 8 days away and it's definitely here. Between now and Monday September 10th, all of us doing IM WI 2007 will think of not much else.

- What will I put in all my special needs bags?
- When will I go to registration - Thursday or Friday?
- What will the weather be like?
- How much is it really gonna hurt?
- Will I have fun?
- How great is it going to be to see my friends and family out on the course?!
- What is it going to be like to finish?
- What time do I need to start getting in the water so I can get to my desired position?
- Will it be hard to bike up the helix after 112 grueling miles in the WI countryside?
- Will my nutrition and hydration plan hold up?
- Gee, I wish they could play my favorite songs while I'm out on the course!

These are just a random assortment of questions and thoughts that are flying through my head at any given moment.

This has been an interesting journey so far. Signing up, the training, the racing - all for one goal. To arrive at the WI IM starting line healthy and ready to complete the journey. I'm ready. I'm excited to see what I'm truly made of. Through the past year, I've learned that I'm tougher than I thought. On IM Sunday, there will be no doubt - there's a lot more where that came from.

Forecast Variance Report for IM Sunday:
8/31/2007 Temp: 73 degrees, Partly Cloudy
9/1/2007 Temp: 73 degrees, Partly Cloudy

Congrats to those forecasters. Let's keep this forecast for the next 8 days.