Training Tuesday: It's getting real, people

It's strange - when I signed up for the triathlon, it seemed like a long time away. Now, it's less than two weeks to the finish line. Kate asked me yesterday how it was all going, and I can say quite honestly that I'm ready and I feel great. I've been buddy-buddy with my foam roller lately and icing an occasionally sore ankle, but I'm feeling pretty fierce.

That's actually become the word that I meditate on during running: Fierce. I did a practice 10K over the weekend, because my next race after the tri is the Cosley Zoo 10K. I was pretty casual about my pace and was signing along to my Pandora station  ... yes, I look like a nutcase when I run. Still, I finished the 10K faster than my 10K last summer. With any luck, I'll be able to smoke that time in June. The best was how I felt running: free and not giving a damn. I even remember thinking that I live for this shit. And it was true. That moment of exhilaration is why I run.

It's pretty exciting for me to be in a place where I know I can complete the distance, maybe even with a decent time. I had to contact the race director of the triathlon this week to change my swim wave. Initially, I had no idea how fast I could swim 450 yards, and just threw out 15 minutes on the registration form. After my swim lesson and lots of practice, I've timed myself a few times and consistently clocked in at 6:30. With that time, I have a fighting chance of finishing the tri without embarrassing myself.

But let's talk about weight, briefly. I decided to stop weighing myself and obsessing about a month ago, but bad habits die hard. I haven't been eating well and the scale showed it, as I'm up to 129.2. Time to buckle down and get to racing weight between now and May 20. The Meatless May Challenge may have something to do with this. So far, vegetarian dishes have just been so tasty that it's hard to hold back. I don't even miss Taco Bell ... yet.

This week's mantra: In it to win it.