Pre-Ironman Chores

The time has come to put our weary bodies to rest.  Yes, I said REST!  That is in the physical sense, except there are chores to be done.

We were able to get a swim in at Tempe Town Lake thanks to a 3000 meter Splash and Dash being scheduled.  One week before Ironman should give us a good idea of what conditions are going to be for race day, however, a cold front arrived in AZ this weekend.  We were spared the predicted rain, so the swim proceeded as scheduled with 67 degree water temps and 56 degree air temps.  Everyone was wearing long sleeves except a few brave souls in their speedos and myself and a few others in their sleeveless wetsuits.  I wondered if they knew something that I did not know because I always wear my sleeveless in all AZ water temperatures (because that is all I own and I also do not want my shoulder motion restricted by a piece of tight rubber).  I knew the water was going to be warmer than the air, so all was good.  I had a decent swim despite the water being choppy.  It was not my fastest as I am still battling arm pain, but it was fast enough.  My coach preferred that we switch our run and bike, so we ran a final loop of the IM course around Tempe Town Lake (8.6 miles).  We ran with wind and through lots of dogs as there was an ANIMAL WALK going on in Tempe.  I was afraid that I was going to get a chunk of leg removed by a hungry canine, but I survived the furry critters and the windy conditions.  We were lucky to have the swim on Saturday because the frost arrived that night and we woke up to temperatures in the upper 30s.  My husband accompanied me on today's final long ride (which was not really long) as I declared that I had to go and that the cold was not going to stop me.  We have to be prepared for whatever happens on race day, but the good news is that the temperatures are going to warm up again during the week and the predicted conditions on race day are 56 to 80 degrees and sunny.  The lake temperature will probably be in the low to mid 60s.  Of course, part of the test is being prepared to respond to whatever happens.  SO.....the preparation begins to be able to react to conditions and performance at any moment.

CHORE CHART:  So for this week, I decided as part of my getting ready that my blog was going to include lists of what I need to do this week.  Here we go.
Sunday:  Wash bike, lube chain, practice tire changing
Monday:  Prepare Gear and Divide into race bags
   Swim:  wetsuit, goggles, cap, glide, swim suit
   Bike:  bike, helmet, glasses, gloves, shoes, socks, nutrition, fluid, bottles, bike shirts & shorts    
   Run:  shoes, tri shorts & shirt, socks, camelback, nutrition, number, race belt, hat
   Extra:  Special Need Bags, Warm clothes, clothes for before and after
Tuesday:  60 min ride, 3 mile run
Wednesday:  Rest, Breakfast with my tri-angels
Thursday:  800 yard swim, pick up race packet
Friday:  30 min bike, 3 mile run, Massage, Welcome Dinner and Athlete's Meeting
Saturday:  Final bike and gear check, Check Bike and Transition Bags In, Team Lunch
Sunday:  IRONMAN
Monday:  RECOVER, AWARD CEREMONY AND POST RACE CELEBRATION
Tuesday:  Haircut
Wednesday:  Post Race Massage
Thursday:  Thanksgiving

DAILY PREPARATION:  Ice massage to arm, stretching, eat, rest, eat, drink, rest, stretch, sleep, eat, drink, visualize, mental practice, tire changing, how to transition out of a bag...practice, pack, rest, eat sleep, SHOW UP ON RACE DAY and JUST DO IT!

VISUALIZATION:  Imagine the perfect Arizona day...not too hot, not too cold, not too windy.  On race day, I wake up around 3:15 to go through my morning race day rituals.  I arrive at transition at 5 am and check my bike, pump my tires and gather with my team.  I donne my wetsuit and my coach says a few words.  We stand in line to enter the water among 2500 people.  There is a lot of chatter followed by silence.  The national anthem begins and my eyes are full of tears because I made it to the start.  I take a cleansing breath and focus on the job ahead.  There will be a few minutes of excitement while everyone finds their space in the water.  I will remain calm and let everyone around me flail until I find my place and I will focus on following the crowd and swimming straight.  I love to swim.  I will remind myself to enjoy this hour because it will come to a quick end and then a long day will begin.  I will enjoy the cold water surrounding my body.  It will provide healing and calming to my overused muscles and help me start off my day.  I will slowly be passing a lot of people and finding my way to the steps.  I will be sad to get out of the water but happy because I need to use this head start to beat the cut offs.  I will grab my zipper and pull my arms out of my wetsuit and find the nearest wetsuit stripper.  I will enjoy running with my wetsuit over my shoulder hearing the music and the crowd to T1 and call out my number "1010" to receive my transition bag.  I will find a spot in the changing tent and fumble to get my bike gear out of my bag.  I will call out for help as needed.  I am planning on putting on my SKINS long sleeve shirt for warmth and sun protection, my racelab bike jersey and biking shorts, helmet, sunglasses, gloves, socks and shoes.  Then I will run toward the bikes and find my SCOTTIE and run him to the mount line.  Me and Scottie will take off and I will pass the racelab tent and get my first surge or energy, then I will mellow down into a comfortable heart rate to get warmed up for a few miles until I settle into a rhythm.  In all the excitement, I will take a breath and focus on getting into a routine of eating and drinking on the bike to fuel the day and keep my muscles happy and able to keep going through the day and night.  On the bike, I will remind myself to look at the scenery, enjoy the people around me (keeping 4 bike lengths between of course) and when times get tough, I will focus on my technique.  I will use the CALM strategy that my bicyclologist taught me:  cadence, air, leverage, and momentum and pull the rabbit out of my hat when I need a trick to get me through any "rough patches".  I will daydream about my family, my friends, my heros who inspire me, my favorite places, the end of the race, hibernating like a bear when it is over, and many other things.  I am sure my mind will go blank some of the time as I just BE and just PEDAL.  That is the feeling that cannot be beat.  When you reach that part of becoming one with your bike.  I will wake up out of my trance to count my loops and see who has come out to watch the race and try to remember that they were there.  As I head home on my 3rd loop, I will mentally prepare for T2 and the 26.2 mile run ahead.  I will hand off my bike, pick up my bag, change into my tri gear and running shoes. Then I will throw my camelback on and personal supplies and head out onto the course.  The crowd will distract me from the wobbly legs that are trying to reconnect with the earth.  I will break that run into 4th, into 3rds, into halves and I will run from mile to mile, eating, drinking, taking salt, and celebrating one more mile down.  Luckily I will pass the racelab tent 6 times during the run and hopefully be able to count that high to remember when to turn toward the finish.  The run is going to be step by step, mile by mile, loop by loop and I will have to dig deeper and deeper.  The turtle plans to run very slow and very steady and who knows maybe wings will sprout and she will fly into the finish.  I will be thankful for the gift of health and the ability to to keep moving.  The sound of number 1010 finishing at 10:10 at night is my vision with people cheering and screaming and a big smile and then a b-line to the medical tent for the most delicious cocktail of the day, the IV.  If not the IV, I will need my family to put a blanket over me and just let me lie on the ground until I can make it to the next best seat.  Maybe I will be able to find the strength to get up for a picture, but I am sure the photographer can lie on the ground next to me and shoot me.  Tears will stream down my eyes and into the dirt.  BETH KOZURA, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN.