Rules!

For this entire season tri training has been pretty relaxed. Intense, but relaxed. We can mix things up for training, switch rest weeks, and more. Now it is less than 10 days to the event and....we learn the rules. Most of them are with regards to the bike: no drafting, you must stay 4 lengths behind anyone except when passing, when passing you have 20 seconds to pass, you must remain on the right side as far as possible or else you are blocking, et cetera. At three penalties you are disqualified. There are time penalties for violations. You actually have to go sit in a penalty tent.

You must put on your helmet before taking your bike off the rack, and leave it on until it is back on the rack.

Other rules include you can not receive any external help and people can not join you at any point along the course.

All these rules make me a little nervous. I don't want to mess something up and get disqualified.

And so, in less than 10 days I will be participating in my first triathlon. Besides being nervous about the rules and possible mechanical failures on the bike, I am pretty excited. It's all new to me. I have loved training, and think this will be a fantastic experience. I hope so as I have signed up for more next year!