So, race day is coming up. I've been trying not to get too worked up about this. After all, if I've trained, it should go okay. If I haven't, its too late to worry now.

Until just now, looking at the participant list, and noticing the women in my age group, I was pretty much okay with being last in the age group, last maybe overall. I've been close before. Looking at the list of names, I don't see anyone who is likely to be slower than me, unless it is one of the older guys, and if he starts before me, that will not be apparent until looking at results, and it is doubtful anyone will look that low on the stats.

So what is bothering me? What's bothering me is there are 8 women in my age group of a total of maybe 50 women. Eight. The biggest age group of women. None older either. And also what's bothering me? I've been doing this for a while now. Never was fast, just get out there and do it. There are 3 new women joining the 50+ age group ranks who have done 1 inside tri this past winter and/or ran their first 25k race this past spring, and all of a sudden they are triathletes. I'm not trying to lessen their desire to compete, but these ladies are tough! They will divide and conquer, that's for sure. What used to be my chance to show them up is now being reduced to nothing. No longer will I be able to distinguish myself from their running by claiming to be a triathlete. Now I can only say, Oh yeah, I do triathlons.

I know I shouldn't lessen my abilities either, but they will surely pale compared to theirs. No matter how long I am out there, it won't count. It will be negated by them stepping up and claiming victory over the sport of triathlon. Now I will have to share the spotlight with them again, as I did in my competitive running days, always being a distant figure behind them.

Ah well, its just for the fun of it, right?