great floridian pre-race report

gosh, i don't even know where to begin so i guess i'll do a 2 parter here and do a pre-race report today and then the real race day report tomorrow. friday, the day before the race was almost as exhausting and mind draining as race day. it isn't just a physical feat, it is one where a lot of thought, planning, strategizing, and organizing is just as important. thank goodness my wonderful coach, J-man, was there to help me calm my mind and think straight. i'll tell you, getting my run and bike gear bag felt like rocket science but i'll chalk that up to being a first timer. now i totally get it, so next time (and yes, i’m already for a next time) it won’t be so daunting. it is hard to comprehend how much planning goes into what you put in each bag, and that's not including your special needs bags, which i decided i did not need and, as it turned out, i really didn't need them at all-good call on my part. i've always tried to keep this 140.6 deal as simple as possible, that’s how i roll. speaking of keeping things simple, there are several things i want to point out from the get go that really helped keep things into perspective for me:

• this article written by endurance nation: The 4 keys to a Successful Ironman distance race. i came across this article about 4 months ago and as i read it for the first time, it made complete sense to me. i made several copies and kept one at work and one at home. i read this article at least once a week because i wanted it to become burned into my mind. i knew this is how i wanted to tackle this race. now that i have, i swear by it and highly recommend reading it and most importantly, applying it.
• another thing that i always kept fresh in my mind was a comment left on one of my blog posts back in july by Mike at Hungry like the wolfgram. he wrote, "Nutrition is tricky, but people also make it a lot more confusing than it needs to be. Take in as many calories as you can handle, especially on the bike. Also, play around with different things and don't get too hung up on the 'rules'. thank you Mike for that sound advice as well as your awesome great floridian race report from 2009 – you can see it HERE. one more thing that stuck with me was that when Mike did the GFT last year, it was super hot, even hotter than this year and he mentioned that had he known it was going to be so hot, he would not have used his aero helmet, since they tend to not have as many air vents. i remembered that and decided to go with my normal road bike helmet. i’m so glad i read that.
• and lastly, the squirrel whisperer, a wise man that i ride with who has completed 7 ironman races left me with this sage advise: “Come Saturday it’s all about getting into a rhythm and maintaining it, even through the transitions.  Do your visualizations of the order of everything so that each step is methodical and goes smoothly.  Be quick but don’t hurry especially if something unforeseen occurs.” And of course his most famous words, “you take what the day gives you.” Thank you Jeff!! I’m happy to report that nothing unforeseen happened and all went as planned, but more on that in tomorrow’s post.

ok, back to the pre-race drill. the first thing i did when i got there was go check-in, pick up my race packet and do the weigh-in. i felt like i was getting ready for a boxing match. i weighed in at a hefty 122 and 55% hydration, whatever that means. the guy said that it meant i was well hydrated. then i walked over to some of the different vendors that were there. i finally got to meet Mike Brady from Trinity Multi-Sport. Mike and i have been corresponding via email and we were finally able to connect. he totally hooked me up with a cool kit that you see in the picture below. it may or may not be a coincidence that the outfit matches my bike…
the outfit above is from their Virtuoso series and you can check it out HERE. i will be using Trinity gear for all of my 2011 races. Thank you Mike for sponsoring me. if you are interested in purchasing tri/cycling apparel from Trinity, you can go to their website by clicking on my picture above and join the website to receive a continuous 20% discount on all clothing everyday in the future. you can also LIKE them on Facebook by clicking HERE and you will see yours truly on their page.
so after walking around a bit and getting a feel for the lay of the land,  i got my gear bags all organized, took them to their designated resting spots where they would be spending the night and also left Mandy Q. Roo in her comfy spot…she really enjoys hanging from a pole. went back to the hotel, took a calgon bath and fell asleep. i kept waking up every hour and one time had a dream that i was swimming really fast, like never before and when i was done, someone said the reason we were swimming so fast was because it was a downhill swim. crazy!!!
until tomorrow my friends…stay tuned for the real race report. this was just a little warm up so to speak. also, a big thanks for all the awesome comments before and after the race. it meant so much to me.
much love and peace out.