Tri Prep always freaks me out

For those of you who aren't familiar with preparing ones gear for a triathlon... here's a synopsis

Go to packet pickup to get your numbers for your helmet, bike and for the run. Return home, pull out your travel bag of choice - some folks have a tri bag, which is a big backpack with all sorts of nooks and crannies for shoes (cycling and running), sunscreen, spare tubes and Co2 cartridges, gloves, sunglasses, hats, fuel (power gels and clif bars - kind of like hi-tech granola bars), pockets for water bottles, a wet dry bag to keep clothes in for after the race, deodorant (necessity also afterwards) and a secret bottom compartment really designed for swims that allow wetsuits, so you can store your wetsuit afterwards without soaking everything.

There are multitudes of checklists - of which I have one - that I follow - but invariably - I check my packed bag three, four, ten times the night before.

With tomorrow being my first tri of the season and the 40 in 40 - tonight has been no different.

Getting to packet pickup was a bit of a stressor tonight - b/c the main interstate to get to the race (which is an hour north of home, and I was at work) was a parking lot...always is on Friday nights - but was worse because of a few accidents.

Why do people always slow down to look at accidents - especially if it is APPARENT it was barely a fender bender? Come on now....but I digress.

Got there and got my stuff - then came home to set up. Picked out my race gear - will be proudly sporting the TnT tri suit - GO TEAM!!! tomorrow and packed the bag.

Now tri suits are a combination of cycling shorts and shirt, but slightly different than regular cycling gear - the shirts have no sleeves, and are slightly tighter fitting than a cycling jersey, the shorts have the much needed chamois for dryness and the essential padding. On the right athlete - they can be very flattering...note - the right athlete. Thank goodness tomorrow isn't a fashion show.

After bag check # 3 so far - I can proudly say that I am packed and ready to go tomorrow. After several more checks...

Wayne Bourg - a fellow TnT'er and also - who is doing Tri Latta in a month as his SECOND tri - tomorrow's his first - will be there - ironically - he is # 201, I am # 202 - so we'll be in the same bike rack (they organize bikes by number so you can find it after the swim a bit more easily) and he jumps in the pool immediately before me - this is a pool swim tri vs open water - where they send you off one right after another. Open water tris send you off in waves based on your age group..this is based on estimated time for the swim. Tomorrow is his first tri...he's gonna rock it.

So - off to eat, hydrate and get to bed. Will let you know how this turns out - and We get to ride 60 miles on Sunday.