T-minus 2 days

For a brief trip update first…promise there will be more fun pictures after Saturday.  For now, you are resigned to looking at my bike. 

Bike ready to go!

My energy for Saturday.

The past 2 days I’ve done very brief (60-90 minute) workouts to practice transitions and get my cadences down on the switches.  My training has been decidedly simple for the past few months.  I don’t use a heart rate monitor (although I do recommend it for others), I don’t use a power meter on the bike that many do.  I measure my progress by stopwatch, feel, and cadence.  For me, I try to push about 95-100 on the bike and on the run go steady at 95.  Higher cadence means more aerobic zone, less anaerobic, and hopefully less fatigue in the process.  

The past few days of “training” have gone about as well as they could have.  My foot is feeling better and my legs are starting come back under me, and I’m actually getting excited for Saturday as opposed to wishing I had more time to prepare.  During the past couple days, I’ve actually cut a little off each workout as well since things are feeling good.  There is nothing to be gained by going an extra mile now, only draining energy with any possible fatigue.

Lunch yesterday overlooking the bay in Kona.

Random Thoughts

Today was a day off again from training.  The crew left me to relax at home by myself so I could finish preparations and kick my feet up under the lanai.  All the training & effort I’ve put into the last year has helped me realize a couple things, or at least given me a lot of time to think about random thoughts…

-- people enjoy being a part of someone pushing themselves to the brink.  I can’t imagine doing all this training along with work without the support of Melissa, my family, her family, my friends, and even strangers who have read this blog and sent a note along wishing me well.  It’s that energy I’ll carry with me 48 hours from now when I’m running out on the Queen K. 

-- I will miss the long shadows of the quiet morning hearing nothing but footsteps or my wheels under the road.  I don’t know what is in store for my “athletic career” after this race, but I don’t imagine it will be another one of these for a while.  I have loved this journey but know it’s time to focus my energies on other things in life. 

-- I truly love dessert.

-- Pain is subjective.   
-- There is no way I would have been able to prepare for this race with out the love & support from so many people.  Most people doing this race have a coach who guides their training or at least someone they discuss training and racing strategies.  For me, I don't have a coach.  My training failures are my teaching tools and I have tried to be very diligent about listening to my body this year.  Okay, I'm getting off track...my point of this statement of not having a coach is that I do have so much unwavering support from so many people.  For those here and those who couldn't be here, your encouragement has helped me make up the handicap of being self-coached.

-- Sacrifice, however big or small, makes the journey that much sweeter.  Much to the chagrin of Melissa, I’ve committed myself since January to have one dessert day per month (with the exception of vacation in the early spring), and essentially no dessert for the past 4 months except for celebrating a birthday or other similar occasion.  Alcohol for the most part has been ruled out as well.  Looking forward to a pint of Guinness when I get done with the race on Saturday night.  Last year after Ironman Wisconsin I didn’t have an appetite & I could only stomach a sip when it was placed in front of me. 

My Motivations

*the energy I get from other people who I see pushing themselves to be there best.  Or when people say I had a part in giving them some motivation to be healthier.  That is ultimately my career goal, to help people break down barriers that prohibit them from living healthy lives.  Sometimes it is motivation, sometimes circumstance, sometimes time, money, or education.  This is what I’m excited to work more towards after this endeavor.

*a desire to represent my family & friends well, along with those who strive to do something like this but can’t for one reason or another. 

*pushing myself farther and faster than I ever have before.  As masochistic as it may seem, I know I will enjoy some part of Saturday because I will never have pushed myself as hard as I will on that day. 

*various people throughout my life who have been influential or pushed me in some way.  As I have done with my past Ironman races, I will again right the names of 26 people/groups who have given me some sort of motivation on my arm.  At each mile on the race, I will draw upon why that person/groups of people has given me motivation to get me through that mile.  Some of these people are as far back as 5^th grade or as recent of friends as this year.   I’ve gotten more support for this endeavor than I ever could have imagined, and it has made everything that much more enjoyable.

Support Crew

All of the support clan who was able to make the trip will be here in Kona as of tonight:

-Melissa

-my dad & his fiancé Doris

-my Uncle Roger, Aunt Laurie, and cousins Luke & Sam

-Lynn (Melissa’s mom)

-Cheryl (Melissa’s aunt)

-Dave (friend from work)

-Chris (Melissa’s cousin)

Dave, all smiles...before the incident.  I'll leave the details of how he was swept under the undertow while body-boarding and hauled out by an native Hawaiian to him.