By @miketarrolly
Ahh, Goosepond. She had me at hello. 
The peaceful waters of Lake Guntersville, the serene terrain of Sequatchie Valley, and the friendly folk of Scottsboro, Alabama. A recipe for love.
This wasn’t my plan. In fact, two weeks ago I broke it off with the Rev3 Olympic in Anderson, SC because I’ve been a little fatigued since Ironman Wisconsin. Then, last week, I reluctantly agreed to do the bike portion of the Goosepond relay. Then yesterday’s events turned that plan upside down.
Robbie was gonna do the swim leg of the relay, but as “luck” would have it, he’s now signed up for a Ten Mile Swim the day before our Half. I’m assuming he will be a bit tired on Sunday and since I am not one to take challenges lying down, I decided I would relieve him of the 1.2 mile swim and do Goosepond by myself. 
All of this takes me back to the beginning of my running. I always put something on the radar to keep me engaged and this has ignited a much needed fire.
The Wisconsin glow lasted about two weeks before I started half-assing a workout here and there. It wasn’t the same. I couldn’t focus without a defined target. Now I have one, but feel severely under-trained.
It would be logical to treat this race like a fun adventure, but that’s not really in my DNA. I ran 10 miles on Sunday and I’m still sore, so I’m thinking rest may be the best preparation for my second 1/2 triathlon.
It’s another one-day-stand, and as we all know anything is possible. But can I beat my Muncie 70.3 time of 5:16? My only option is to get lost in first date magic and let Goosepond’s powers of seduction work their magic.