Jitters? What is this feeling you speak of?

A little something to help me stay motivated!

Facing your 2^nd Ironman is so much different than your 1^st.  Gone are the days of just wanting to finish.  You’ve been to this rodeo before and this time, you want to stay on the full 8 seconds and get the best score possible.  For me, I want to PR.  I want to have a big PR. I want my finish time to start with a 13.  I have a lot of wants as you can see. 

The stress this time around is different.  For this Ironman, I know exactly what to expect.  I know that anything can happen.  I know there are people who had horrible 2^nd Ironman races.  They were just as prepared as me.  They were just as confident as me.  It didn’t matter though because the day dealt them a hand of cards they didn’t want.  The same thing can happen to me. 

I continue to be challenged by the balance of setting my expectations cautiously while still believing with all my heart that I will achieve my goal.  It’s a hard thing to do!  Can you believe in yourself while at the same time telling yourself the day may suck? 

I remind myself hourly that I can only control a few things come race day.  That’s what I need to continue to focus on.  Execution.  Race my race.  Be smart.  If I do all those things, I will have the best day possible. 

One thing I’m worried about is coming away from this race disappointed.  For my 1^st Ironman, I was beyond thrilled that I finished in under 16hrs. I had no expectations for that race other than to not die.  I only wanted to cross that finish line and hear that I was an Ironman.  When I realized I was going to have a time that started with a 15, I was beyond happy.  And when I finished, I kept repeating over & over that I finished in less than 16hrs.  You would’ve thought that I won the damn race.  Do you lose the first timer’s excitement for your 2^nd race?  I have to believe that in some small part you do or at the very least, it’s different.  I could finish in the 14hr range and still have a huge PR but will I be satisfied because I want that 13? 

There you go, the source of my jitters.  One thing I know for certain, as soon as I get in the water and the cannon goes off, all I’ll be thinking about is swimming and nothing else.  Then my day will start.