The Hay is in the Barn, or is it?

You have to rely on your preparation.  You got to really be passionate and try to prepare more than anyone else, and put yourself in a position to succeed, and when the moment comes you got to enjoy, relax, breathe and rely on your preparation so that you can perform and not be anxious or filled with doubt. -- Steve Nash

The most common phrase around the Ironman Louisville Facebook boards now is "the hay is in the barn."  The work is done.  The training has been banked.  Nothing you can do now will make up for the missed ride or the crappy run.  What you put in the barn is what you will have for race day.  It's time to relax.

But I don't think my work is all the way done yet.  I know the training is done - well, sure, there are still swims...and bikes... and runs...and core work (c'mon Coach - core work!  please stop!) on my training calendar.  But the long training sessions are a thing of the past.  The key to training now is to get me from now to race day feeling energized and ready.  

The work I have to do, though, is mental.  I need to be ready to rely on my training, trust my coaching, and be ready to enjoy the moment.  And I'll have to admit, that doesn't come easily to me.  I love to obsess about things up until the last moment...I'm the girl who cram studies until the test starts and edits papers until they're due...but that sort of attitude isn't going to serve me well here.  I need to do the training my coach gave me, but also trust in the training I've done.  I can't go into race day anxious or filled with doubt.  Getting comfortable with my mindset and getting ready to enjoy the day - that's the work I have cut out for me for the next week or so - so I can enjoy and experience race day.