Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. -- Alan Lakein
Men plan, God laughs. -- Yiddish Proverb
We're planners, IronSherpa and me. We plan things out way in advance - because that's what planners do. In fact, even before we went to IMLOU, we were contemplating our plans for 2017. It's not really a bad idea - because balancing two kids, three triathletes, and one competitive year-round soccer player...not to mention our jobs and our kids' school...is not an easy feat. (I love my children and I will miss them when we are empty nesters...but sometimes I'm super envious of my no-kids-at-home friends for whom race planning is SO MUCH EASIER.)
So anyway, the IM race of 2017 was supposed to be IM North Carolina - or the old B2B. In fact, it was supposed to be the IM race of 2016 for our household, but then IM bought it (not a problem) and then IM Maryland was postponed and then because I couldn't do the postpone I got 50% off a 2016 race...but IMNC hadn't opened for registration yet for me to use my discount code...and I had wanted to go back and actually finish IMLOU at some point, so it made sense (financial and otherwise) to pick IMLOU as the race of 2016. And IMNC would be 2017.
But earlier this fall, the rumors started to fly...would there even be an IMNC 2017? All of our favorite Internet gossip sites were aflutter (yeah, there are triathlon Internet gossip sites...). It would be cancelled, it would be on but a different weekend, it would be cancelled a year and then reincarnate as a spring IM on the east coast, it would be gone forever in favor of a later season 70.3, and so on. WTH. So the grand plan we came up with for 2017 was now in utter chaos.
We can roll with it, though. IronSherpa is better at rolling with stuff than me, but we can roll. We pick an alternate IM (Chattanooga). Not ideal, because it's a little earlier, it's a little hillier, and it's in September which isn't ideal for the IronGrandparents who come to watch the girls. (The girls, who of course can't come with us...because school...and soccer.) OK. If we do that, what happens to our summer race plan - I check with the Coach, she says go with it.
So we get our mind all set for this year - and here's what I was thinking:
March - marathon (already registered)
Spring - oly
July - 70.3 Williamsburg
August - 70.3 Steelhead
September - IMChoo
See...Steelhead is on IronSherpa's bucketlist since that's near where he grew up and it would have been such a convenient roadtrip - because as planners, we were going to turn this into a midwest thing with USAT Youth Nationals - because remember, we have a third triathlete in our house.
But then even planB went to hell-ina-handbasket. First, Steelhead wouldn't provide info or open for registration, and now that Steelhead is open, we're not sure of the dates for USAT Youth Nationals (because it seems they are moving back a week from previous years), and this screws up EVERYTHING. Everything. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Man plans. God laughs. And boy, is He laughing at us. What was a super-sweet, well put together, solid & built for success race plan for 2017 is now just a mess. (Oh, and the spring oly I was counting on - not on the schedule this year because the race location is closed. Damnit. One more thing.)
Oh, and did I mention sometime in the last 24 hours, it became less clear than IMNC was truly off the table? Because now the website says 2017 IMNC "opening soon"...which makes it look less like they're cancelling the whole shebang, but doesn't really say anything else. Jeez Louise, people. Cut me some slack. I just want to get a race schedule on the books so I can start looking forward, not back.
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