Headwind

I have a sprint triathlon coming up in less than two weeks- so my training has kicked into high gear!

A 400m swim... a 12 mile bike ride... and a 2 mile run. Sounds easy enough... right?!

The hardest part for me, always, is the bike portion.

A lot of people in the "tri circles" (HA) find that baffling. When I'm at the pool, everyone laments that swimming is their biggest challenge. No one really minds a quick 2 mile run. And the biking? Absolutely NO ONE has a problem with the biking. In fact, for many- that's their strongest sport.

And then, there's me. Swimming has become the easiest for me. Running, a close second. And biking? Always an uphill battle. I feel like I'm always facing a strong headwind.

In Oklahoma, that's halfway true. You're always battling wind- either going out, or coming back.

But lately, it seems that headwind is making an appearance even when I'm not pedaling.

Life has thrown me a few curve balls this year. Some have been so surprising in the best way possible. And some have made me question everything, made my heart hurt.

I've hit a few potholes in 2012. And the headwind seems to be finding me on both sides of the ride.

So there are two ways to look at it. The first being, life is tough. We get the wind knocked out of us. We ride uphill, into the wind, 24/7. No breaks, no relief. And no fun, no enjoyment, just grinding away.

Or there's the second way to look at it. All of this pedaling into the wind makes us strong. We're building stamina and resistance to the wind. We find that little spark inside that says this isn't just another grueling work-out; this is kind of fun. I'm proud of myself. I'm looking forward to reaching the finish line.

And eventually, doing it all over again.

Life is a bit uncertain for me these days, but I'm finding my groove again. Either the wind is easing up, or I'm just getting stronger.

And that's off of the bike! I'm still working on finding that sweet spot when I'm pedaling down Riverside, straight into the headwind.

But I have a feeling come race day, I'll be ready.