Final day

Just wanted to get one final post to run through a couple things. 

First of all thank you for everyone reading this and those not for the support, calls, emails, texts, being here & those not here.  I was asked yesterday by Dave why I'm doing this.  I actually had to think for a minute of the true essence of why I am here.  My answer was fairly simple...to push myself as far as I could go; over the past year and for one day tomorrow.  My overall goal in doing well tomorrow (which I will define more clearly after the race for all those who I've evaded that question--I promise) is really to justify to myself the efforts I've put in and the inconvenience it has placed on those closest to me, and to honor the support that everyone has given me in doing well.  Again, thank you.

Start & finish line behind it.

Secondly, happy that all my support crew made it safely with the final addition of Chris Lalla last night.  Thanks to the support of the Champaign Statefarm RDC for pushing the blog count up!!! Also, bike thanks to my good friend Todd who has been given me great tips on preparing for the race after living here and volunteering at this race for a number of years. 



Today got the bike checked in with only a minor glitch.  It went fairly smoothly but after checking in and getting my bike in order, I had to let out some air from the tires (which they tell you to do so the tire pressure doesn't rise to much and burst your tire) and I dropped the valve extension into the rim of the wheel.  So I had to uncheck my bike, go find a mechanic who could fish out the stem and then go through the whole process again.  Glad to have that happen today rather than tomorrow.  The tire mechanic at TriBikeTransport said that thought of taking air out of your tires is largely unnecessary.  Argh!  But again, not a bike deal. 

Final practice swim

Overall, I feel as good as I can heading into tomorrow.  I'm as ready as I can be at this point.  The agenda for the rest of the day is a quiet afternoon with the feet up, the family is coming over for an early dinner, then watch a couple old ironman videos on youtube and get to bed early.  Tomorrow is an early rise, 3:15, out the door at 3:45 and check in at 4:45 and then relax (as much as one can an hour before traveling 140 miles under one's own power) before the race starts at 7am. 

Will try to get a post up by Monday.  Plan on sticking around till midnight tomorrow to watch the last finishers come in...hopefully I'm not still out there until that point. But ultimate goal--finish at all costs.