Thought on my Journey to the 70.3

As most everyone knows...I am doing my first 70.3 half ironman six weeks from today. I literally can not believe it is so close. All day a chill has run down my spine at the short distance away this race is. Part of me is terrified..and part of me can not wait to see what 20 weeks of training and selling my soul to it will do. I honestly hope that I love it. I love the fitness involved in this sport. I actually love the training...but the question remains...what will I think of the race?? I will say it has been an interesting journey. I stepped away from my tri group quite a bit and had a coach write my workouts for me. The positive things I have learned from this method of training is that growth happens within ones self when you are only relying on you to get something done. I believe I have become a much stronger athlete mentally through this walk. The negative is that it has been so very lonely at times. It is alot of hours to log inside of ones own head day after day. It has taken a ton of self discipline at times to log those workouts on days that weren't great days. But I am a list maker or box checker so it has been an effective method for me. Six weeks to go...I will continue to put 110% into the final stretch....I will say (rough days, which there were not many) I have loved the journey. If given the choice, I would do it this way again...if nothing else..for the personal growth..one of my favorite sayings I read in Triathlete magazine that I have chanted in my head many times on this journey is "Pain is just weakness leaving your body"....so I hope as I close out this journey and as I face the inevitable struggles of race day.. that saying along with the many others I have banked in my mind, along with the hours of training, and the extreme desire to compete and finish well and strong...will give me the desired result I am looking for!!!