1 Week Until My First Olympic Triathlon… But I Don’t Want to Race

It’s officially race week! I’m one week away from my first Olympic-distance triathlon, and while I started the week feeling excited and ready for my final workouts, things quickly took a turn. Honestly? I’m struggling. What began as pure excitement has shifted into intense anxiety, low sleep scores, and a heavy feeling of dread that had me questioning why I’m even doing this. But as the week went on, I realized this race is about so much more than the swim, the bike, or the run. It’s Father’s Day weekend, and this journey has become a way for me to process the grief of losing my dad last September. Completing this Olympic distance feels like things are coming full circle after starting my triathlon journey when he first became ill. In this vlog, I’m taking you through the raw reality of my final week of training—from testing race-day gear and new shoes to those quiet, vulnerable moments of reflection on my "why." It’s been a week of physical challenges, but also deep growth and finding closure during one of the hardest chapters of my life. Thank you for being part of this journey with me. It means more than you know. ❤️ 👟 My Running, Triathlon & Cycling Gear Altra Women’s VIA Olympus Road Running Shoes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47ZQF5X Altra Women’s Olympus Trail Running Shoes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DN7N7ZSH SLS3 Women’s Triathlon Shorts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082FPMDY6 Five Ten Freerider Women’s Mountain Bike Shoes: https://www.rei.com/product/200590/fi... 00:00 The Reality of Race Week 1:21 Triple Discipline Test 2:54 Father’s Day Reflections 4:35 Fueling & Gel Strategy 5:50 Recovery & Sleep Scores 7:42 Swimming Breakthrough 9:04 New Cycling Techniques 10:37 The Horsefly Incident 12:15 Finding Balance 13:41 Risking New Gear (The Shoe Swap) 15:11 How We Really Feel 17:29 Dealing with Race Stress & Inflammation 21:00 A Necessary Mindset Shift 23:17 The Deeper Meaning of This Race #OlympicTriathlon #TriathlonTraining #GriefAndGrowth #RaceWeek #FirstTriathlon #Vulnerability #Over40Fitness