The First Workout

Butterflies plagued my stomach this afternoon as I struggled to focus on work, anxious about my first IronTeam workout at "The Track". We were scheduled to run a marker set - a timed effort used to record our progress later in the season, and to determine which group we will train with. I debated with myself: "Would I be in the slow group? Would it be better to be the fastest of the slow group, or the slowest of the middle group (the fast group wasn't even a thought in my mind)? How many laps must I do in 30' to get me into the middle group (14 was the magic number)? ". All of my fears subsided as I approached the IronTeam group gathering on the bleachers beneath the waving red and white Ironman flag. I suddenly felt like part of the team and remembered that it is not about being fast or good, just strong. Before I knew it, people I've only just met were cheering me around the boring brown oval, and I them. I realized then that The Track is not something to love or hate (I've always hated it), and that it is only as fun as the people who are on it. It is just a "thing" that moved steadily beneath me for 14 easy laps. All of the butterflies flew away, and I was lighter, faster. IronTeam seems to rely more on self-motivation, which I like a lot better than having a coach standing on the side of the track barking out lap times. I think it will be a good fit for me.