Less than 2 days…

I might be having my first real freakout about this whole Ironman thing.  Being forced to stay off my feet all day, while nice in theory, is really boring, even with aids like a television and a Kindle.  It’s left me with way too much time to think and ponder what I’m about to undertake.  And darned if I’m not thinking just a little bit “OH SHIT!” along with just a little extra pitter-patter of my heart.

But really, I know I can do this.  None of these distances is new.  I’ve swum 2.4 miles in one stretch.  I’ve biked up to 120 miles!  I’ve run 3 marathons.  And when you add up all my training in 2009, I’ve covered this distance over and over again (completely ripped from Trishie’s blog).

This year, I have swum 143.59 miles.  That means I’ve done the 2.4 mile Ironman swim 60 times.

This year, I have biked 3,371.67 miles.  That means I’ve done the 112 mile Ironman bike 30 times.

This year, I have run 723.5 miles.  That means I’ve done the 26.2 mile Ironman marathon 27+ times. 

As my legs complain and ache and yearn to do something, I know all this waiting and resting is only for a little bit longer.  The big day is nearly here.

I’ve Been Banded

I’m officially marked with the M-Dot from now till it’s all over on Sunday.

The day started out with a short run in the cold and dark.  After that I grabbed my gear and headed to Tempe for the first Gatorade swim of the race weekend.

People seemed so nervous when they announced the water temperature was 64 degrees – and moaned and groaned their way down the stairs whereupon they shrieked upon jumping in the water – but I was glad I had done so many ocean swims with low 50-degree temps.  This water felt perfectly comfortable to me. 

I was in and out of the water with a quick 20-minute swim and happy to be finished before most people started.

From there, I dashed to the car wrapped in a towel and raced home with the heat blasting at 80 degrees (if I’d gone straight onto a bike, I’d have been fine but just standing around was not a warming activity) to shower and change.

An hour later I was back in Tempe and in line for athlete check-in roughly 10 minutes before they opened.

One hour after THAT, I was near the head of the line.

USAT check-in was easily the slowest part of the process.  A few additional volunteers in that area could have saved time and moved things along a bit faster.

After signing my medical life away in a waver, it was on to the fun stuff of getting my chip, swim cap, gear bags, numbers, and so on.

From there, I took advantage of no lines at the ART tent to get a little tune-up done on my calf/shin before race day.  Jeff finally got to see the torture I go through to stay healthy!

A little zap with a laser for good measure

After a long time spent waiting for my new tires to be put on my wheels (dropped off before we ever got in the check-in line), Jeff and I escaped the expo madness for home.

While waiting for the athlete check-in line to crawl forward, Jeff had held my spot in line and I made a dash for the Ironman Store to snatch up some race logo gear I’d eyed last year and promised myself this time when it was my turn.  I won’t wear it until I finish the race, but there was no way I’d wait till they were half-sold out on Monday to buy some – and besides I have a spa appointment that morning!

Bike kit – I opted for the teal one over the orange.  Orange is SO not my color.

A brown t-shirt, a purple running shirt and a visor

I took all the gear I’ve had sitting on piles on the kitchen counter and sorted it by gear bag, then walked through each step of the race and all associated articles of clothing to ensure I wasn’t missing anything.  And then of course double-checked with my race plan and gear bag lists.

Damn, that reflective tape really IS reflective.

The bike has fresh tires, race numbers, and is ready to GO.

In case there was any doubt about who I am…

The rest of the day and most of tomorrow, pretty much will be spent in this position!

Not a creature was stirring…

EXCEPT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I’m so darn twitchy with energy and achy legs that want to do something, I can’t believe I have to wait another 3.5 days!

Holy Crap, They’ve Set Up Transition!

It’s all becoming a bit more real.  I had my pre-race chat with Coach and went over the plan.  I feel ready and I was glad to hear what she had to say.

And then Jeff and I thought we’d take the dogs down to Tempe to walk.  I was NOT expecting to see half of Ironman Village set up when we drove over the Mill Ave Bridge!  I figured they’d start on it tomorrow.  Holy sheeeet, it’s really happening!

Bike racks and rows of portajohns!

Bike racks are not labeled yet though, so I can’t tell you where your spot is.

The stairs into the lake are installed!

Future site of shopping, check-in, and med tent

It’s almost time!!!!!

You Guys Are SO Lucky

The things I do for my friends, so that together we can all have a little laugh at those “dog show people.”

First of all, I’ll have you know that I do NOT wear sneakers with a skirt in the show ring, or appear to be missing major support garments while running the dog.  I actually try to emulate most of the pro handlers and wear nice comfortable but nice dog show clothes.

Exhibit A: Stanley and I at the BCCA National last year

But occasionally at a show, there is someone who pushes all those fashion boundaries to the limit.  You can’t help it when your jaw drops as this person walks by.  Yes, the judge will never fail to notice them in the ring, but is it the dog they are noticing? 

D, this one is for you.

Exhibit B: Dreadlocks past her waist, full length FUR COAT, walking a male bloodhound in a sequined pink snood

Exhibit C: The front view.  Please note her full length sparkly evening gown and – it’s hard to see but – PINK sunglasses.

I’ve seen her at shows before and every outfit is more outrageous than the last.

So there you go, a little Best In Show moment from me to you :)

2333 in the house!

Yes, it’s true, come race day, I will be athlete #2333.

Live tracking instructions:

On November 22nd, go to http://www.ironman.com- right on the front page will be an Ironman Arizona box with some links.  If you click on Athlete Tracker, you can track me via last name or bib number (#2333).  Just refresh to see updates.  The race begins at 7am Arizona time (6am Pacific) so there likely won't be an update from my swim until a couple hours after that.

You can also click the Live Video link to watch as they follow the pro race and show scenes along the way.  Once the pros are finished, they will switch and leave the camera running at the finish line all the way until midnight.  Once you see on the athlete tracker that I'm on the last leg of the run, it's a good time to turn on the video and see me finish.  :)

Also, please please please cheer and send out vibes for my blogger friends doing this race as their first Ironman also – we’ve supported each other all year and we finally get to celebrate!

Barbara: 2240

Susan: 2884

Brandy: 2334

7 Days To Go

In which I am a lazy bum… 

Hmm.  I’m pretty sure there were workouts on my schedule for this weekend.  Oops. 

I’m going to blame that on the 8 hours spent between Saturday and Sunday driving back and forth to Tucson.  Plus the 3 hours spent sitting on the interstate waiting for fatality wrecks to be cleared off the road.

Oh heck, at this point, it’s not like it will make or break my race, right?

We have had fun at the dog show in Tucson the last 2 days.  Stanley and I accomplished all of my goals – have fun, get back in the groove of showing and behave well in the ring.  He free-stacks and moves so nicely, I can’t possibly complain no matter who the judge picks!

Stanley LOVES shows!  Cookies and running around with my mom? Fun stuff.

His coat just sparkles!

Today we had the pleasure of meeting rockin’ Jen Lynn and her awesome kiddos.  Seriously, I haven’t seen kids this well behaved at dog shows in a long time! They were a hoot.

So, um, I’ve got this whole race thing next week.  By my calculations I’ll be out there running a marathon right around now.  The dog show has been perfect, because I’ve been too distracted to really think about it.  We are going back to Tucson for one more show tomorrow, so I don’t really have to face it fully for another day.  Sweet!  I am getting the impression my support crew has a lot of fun stuff planned.  Note to friends: if my husband wears a cheerleader costume, that might carry me for miles.  Just sayin’  :)  Anyway, it’s going to be a very exciting week and I can’t wait for friends and family to arrive, to see the Ironman village be set up, to check in, to get weighed and see how many pounds I’ve packed on during taper, all of it.  Bring it on!!!

Training totals for week 47 (November 9-15):
Swim: 2800 yards
Bike: 23.6 miles
Run: 10.3 miles
Total time: 4.5 hours