Living on the edge + the Golden Ticket

Good morning from the Missoula Airport!

I am off on another trip. This time: Kansas for the Kansas 70.3, then over to Victoria to see Coach Lance and race the New Balance Half and last stop will be Coeur D'Alene for a wedding. The logistics of packing for all this were a bit sloppy, but one bike case and a suitcase later (each under 50 pounds, of course!) I am all checked in and ready to go.

Part of the reason I have been racing so much this summer is so I can get the hang of things. I want to show up in Kona as prepared as possible when it comes to racing all the other women. Racing this much has been great, as it is no longer such a "big deal" to toe the line with current and past World Champions or other talented women. I have developed a great routine of doing my mental prep, packing (and unpacking), refining the perfect race taper, and practicing how to handle different race situations.

Before each race, Coach Lance and I come up with a "theme" for the race. Something for me to tuck away in my back pocket and return to when the going gets tough on race day (which it always does at some point). My theme for Kansas is "living on the edge". While doing a treadmill run last week and really pushing my physical limits this Aerosmith song came blaring out my iPod. It made perfect sense for a race theme! I always tend to take the safe and conservative route when it comes to racing. "I need a Kona Slot", "I don't want to blow up", "I don't want to bonk", "I can't get injured".

Kansas 70.3 is all about pushing the envelope and living on that edge. In fact, I have promised myself to take 3 big risks during the race. I am not sure what those risks are at this point, but I have some good ideas of how they may play out come race day. Stay tuned!

Oh! And how can I forget about my golden ticket? Two nights ago we booked a ticket for Chris to come to Kansas and watch the race! He is an awesome super-fan and I always seem to race great with him waiting around every corner. And yes, his fly rod somehow managed to find its way into my bike box :).

Off to the yellow brick road,
Linsey Corbin