PRE-RACE "ISSUES"

Probably the only way to put it mildly. Don't want to jinx things. But here's the way the week has worked so far:

• Tri friend from work breaks arm--probably having surgery just before race. So no tri for her. (As it turns out, she likely will be stuck casted for 6 weeks and either out-patient surgery to "line things up" or none at all).
• Being told by a "well meaning sort" that I probably don't have enough training to do this race when I said I wasn't volunteering this year. (Okay, we'll see about that!)
• Rear bike tire has leak at tube stem. Stem bent and no longer allows pumping up. Basically I can't change a flat tire, let alone get the back tire on and off without totally screwing up the bike chain or wanting to pitch the whole thing in the road. So I take it to the bike shop and let them deal with it. I'm not telling Don.
• Bike computer doesn't work. Most likely battery. But I forgot it didn't work last week either and still, day before the race, don't have a battery because I couldn't even figure out how to get the computer apart to find out what size to get or how to put a battery in. We finally figured it out after almost tearing the whole thing apart, so I'm glad it wasn't just me struggling with it.
• Brand new pair of goggles--"guaranteed to not leak"--leak. I wasn't going to swim this morning, but some shred of wisdom told me to try the new goggles before tomorrow. While it was wonderful to actually see through the new, clear lenses (my old ones are so scratched and dull I can't even see my watch), there's no way I would want to deal with leaking goggles in a race or otherwise. Its one thing in a clean, chlorinated pool; quite another in a murky lake. No thanks. I'd be imagining infection setting in at every bike mile.
• Bike tire is flat after riding on it one time. Crap. Get Don to help me with it and find a split on the seam. I blame it on a bad tube and the bike shop should have known. We patched it up but who knows if it will hold? I definitely will be checking that tonight and changing to a new tube if necessary. As I told Don, I don't do flat tires. He laughed when I told him I'd find someone to change it for me. Nothing to laugh about. Oh so true. I'll bring money.
• Swim suit butt is so thin from wear, I worry about when it will finally wear through, so won't be wearing that in the tri. Also, no elasticity left, so it either bags or clings, neither of which I want to be seen in. Either like an old lady with loose skin or a wet t-shirt contest. Wetsuits cover a lot, but I'm afraid the whole thing will rip apart when I take it off.
• Tri suit fits again, so most likely will wear that, even with the rough seam that will chafe me raw under my arm (why is it those spots are always near the armpit??). Hard to get on though, like a straight jacket. Have to put it on dry. Once its on, I'll be wearing it for the day. Shorts have a small hole in the seam, and the last time I wore those even to spinning, it rubbed me raw, so I will either have to sew those up or find another pair of shorts (not bike shorts) to wear that likely won't match. The budget can't handle a new pair of bike shorts right now.
• Eight women out of the maybe 50 in the race are in my age group. Some newbies too, who likely will be on the podium. Just one more notch to add to their belts as they smugly take awards more deserved by those of us who actually train. Can't they find a garage sale or something to go to that day??
• All training deficits aside, I will survive this tri and hope to do some more this summer.