The IMAZing Race: 3 days till Ironman!

True to form, even 3 days before the Ironman I am tweaking my schedule rather than doing the training exactly as planned!

Remember this? No? My training log from DECEMBER! I haven't changed a bit!

I planned to do a 45 minute ride yesterday, but I had to adjust the height of my bike seat (I noticed an issue on Monday's ride) and change out my back tire for a new one (the other one was worn) and riding around the neighborhood testing the adjustments took so long that I couldn't get in a real ride before dark. I didn't want to put the brand new tire on the trainer, because that wears down tires and is the whole reason I got a new one at all. So I changed tomorrow's planned 20 min. ride + 15 min. run to a 30 min. ride + 10 mile run. But I did tonight's 3 mile run with a couple faster portions as planned. I know it was only 3 miles, but my "easy" pace was under 9 min./mile, when it used to be 10 min./mile! And picking it up to 8 minute miles for a few minutes at a time wasn't even a big effort! I FEEL SO READY!

Here I am heading out for my last run before Ironman!

Today I went down to the venue just to scope out the possibilities for Karin to set up a "base camp" for spectating.

Reconnaissance photo. All this prime spectating real estate up
for grabs...but it's first come first served!

I am not checking in until tomorrow. I can't wait! there were so many people walking around with the Ironman backpacks, and walking their fancy bikes, and doing tune up runs! I got out of the car, saw someone with an Ironman backpack on, and immediately teared up!

So you can imagine what happened when I saw THIS:

THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN SWIMMING, BIKING AND RUNNING
TOWARD FOR A YEAR! (And YES, I am crying while I type this.)

As I walked around the "Ironman Village" I could barely contain myself! Last year when I volunteered, as I walked around the village, filled with tanned, toned Ironman athletes I thought, "Next year I will be one of you." And now it is here!!!!