Wildcoward

Yes, I am freaking out a bit about Wildflower. Mostly about the logistics. I am not an infrequent traveller; but usually when I go some place there is a bed waiting for me. That's not the case at Wildflower. Typically, I can find food wherever I go. Not at Wildflower. I have to pack all the food I'll need for 4 days, drive 4 hours to the middle of nowhere, and set up a tent where overnight it should drop down to 38 degrees. Oh, then I have to a half-iron at some time.

I'll be there for 3 nights and although I may be sharing the tent for part of the time it's mostly just for me. I was looking to rent a tent, and scoffed at what they call "2-man" or "4-man" tents. If I'm gonna be stuck someplace (with a chance of scattered showers) I want to be comfortable. I went with a "Family Tent". An 8-man tent may sound like overkill for just one person, but it really is still kind of small.

It's hard to predict my times for the race because the Axis of Evil has instilled the Fear of God in me regarding the hills. But I'm hoping a conservative estimate will be: 45 minute swim, 5 hour bike, 2:30 run. That has me finishing around 5:00, and the course closes at 5:45. That's a bit tight, but I'm hoping my bike will be considerably less than 5 hours.

The scariest thing about the weekend is the sense of isolation. I can't just skip down to 7-Eleven if I forget to pack Saline solution. I'm so worried about all the packing I need to do it's completing overshadowing the idea that "wow, Saturday's race is REALLY gonna suck!"