off very early on friday to head to phoenix/scottsdale/tempe for IMAZ...on the flight with notcoachamy, paul and coachamy...nice easy flight with a little studying of nutrition along the way...picked up the rental car and it was off to the folks second home in scottsdale...paul and notcoachamy went to sedona to check into some wedding locations while coachamy and i worked on a menu for the evening meal...went to AJ's to shop for it...did a bit of napping and working out...40 minutes in the gym 35 minute run...cooked salmon on the grill, barley salad from this month's food and wine and some green beans...some gin and tonics and a bottle of wine made for a nice evening with friends...
up saturday to head to the anticlimactic volunteer meeting...here are you shirts and wristbands...be here at 4.30 am...bye...then met up with whyiron who was racing the next day...met mum and dad and the wife and chatted to try and relieve some pre-race tension...but you know what...i couldn't really detect any...he was so calm and collected...he knew what he needed to do and was just taking the steps to get there...
lunch at the local chuy's type tex-mex place...off to the botanical gardens...totally amazing...humming bird...bunnies...cacti...lizards...wild flowers...hung out there for almost 2 hours then back to the ranch for some pool time...did just over 30 minutes in the pool...all of us...that was fun...there were two lap lanes in the pool so we all took a half...no one else out there wanting to use them...just some sun worshipers...and a few kids...
off to AJ's to grab some chicken to throw on the grill and some lettuce for a green salad...we rounded out the meal with some more barley salad and a nice zin...then to bed with us...alarms set for 3am...ught!
up and to the race site by 4.30...transition and athletes arrival around 5am...armed with a big marker our job began...read the number off the bracelet...mark on both arms and age on left calf...i asked a few easy calming questions...and gave a lot of kind encouragement to those who came to me shaking...you will have the best race that you can have today...you have prepared for this...it's just like a really big brick...:) i tried to help...i think i did for a few people...some where smiling when they came...some were stoic...one guy said it was his first triathlon..._seriously_ not his first ironman...his first tri...wow...i can't remember his number or i would tell you how he did...i did get to mark mr. cully of t3..that was awesome...he finished in 10.30...and chrissie...she finished in 11...got to see them both out there...and cheered my little heart out for them...saw whyiron in transition...cool as a cucumber...then out on the course many time...every time we saw him he was smiling...it was amazing...he finished in 11.50...he was spent but thrilled...and so was his entourage...
the whole experience was amazing to witness...emotional and thrilling and exciting...i had a lot of thoughts running through my head...what i need to start thinking about...and how much mental preparation i am going to need as well a physical training...i need to practice the swim starts as much as i can...that i think is going to be tough...all those bodies all wanting to go the same place at the same time no matter who is in front of them or under or behind...no matter how good of swimmer you are...i need to get my head in the game for this one :)...it is going to be tough but i know i can do it...
home monday afternoon...b-line to j's office just to say hi since it felt like a million years since i saw him...home for a few then off to running...~45 minute workout of hills...6 repeats...2 repeats backwards...
barton springs this morning...in the wetsuit...good fit...4 crack lengths 2 danskin lengths...~35 minutes...not a whole lot of rest between...i need to practice drafting and keeping my head down...it's harder in a wet suit...
school...thermodynamics...and a nutrition test...not bad...then out on the bike...seeing the conditions in AZ i opted for something flat and windy...did the backward marathon course thinger...with the wind/flat on shoal creek and great northern...1h10m...now time to cook dinner... :)
1 comment:
Jess! I'm so glad you had a great weekend! It was great having you out there cheering ... it's an amazing feeling seeing friends' faces in the crowds, cheering and smiling. Thanks so much for being there :) Enjoy the training and racing process and you'll have a memorable 6 months! :)
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