Training schedule? I don't need no stinkin' training schedule!

As much as I have thought about it, talked about it, and blogged about it, I still have not put a formal training plan together for Redman. Why not, you ask? Good question. I honestly don't know why not. I've printed out a calendar. I have a training spreadsheet set up from NOLA. I just look at the days and... nothing. The last issue of Triathlete even had a 70.3 training plan. I still couldn't bring myself to do it.

Even without a training plan, I have been training consistently. 40 mile weekend rides, intervals on Mondays, long weekend runs, two days of swimming a week, and whatever else I can fit in between 90 degree days and thunderstorms. I just can't seem to commit to a training plan. At least I have a couple 70.3 races under my belt and I know what I need to do to feel comfortable.

After thinking about it for a little while, I think I might know what my problem is. It was a the swim at NOLA. The swim was so rough for me, I actually took almost 3 months off of swimming completely. I hadn't gotten back in the pool until just 3 weeks ago. Even a turquoise pool with a solid black line didn't feel safe. That swim... it was awful. It was beyond awful. I have never seriously considered throwing up my hand and ending my day in the water until NOLA. I have never been that SCARED in the water. I had no desire to do any race of any kind after that one.

But that changed. And I am racing. I am swimming. I just need to get over my fear and have faith in my abilities. My swim at NOLA wasn't that much slower than Boise or even Kansas, so even if I felt it was that much harder, either I'm exaggerating or getting better, or some combination of the two.

Training plan or not, I'm hoping for calm waters in OKC. Even if it's not a PR or a fast race, I'm just hoping to have some fun.