Race Week

Race Week: 9/16/13 –9/22/13

I can’t believe it’s race week. I’ve done all the training, and it is almost game time.  I have been getting a ton of questions from people about how I feel. Julie is the only one who really understands me when it comes to my pre-race anxiety. I sort-of shut down and head into my cave of thought.

How do I feel? Tired, anxious, excited, ready, not ready, nervous, get it over with, exhausted, fit, trained, sore, slow and fast all at the same time. Sometimes I wish I would have the whole Ironman course to myself. No other athletes. No clock that ticks off the seconds. Just Mother Nature and me left alone to suffer. I am safer in my own little world. I do not sleep well but as I lie awake at 3AM, I picture the race in my mind. I look at the calm water sitting there before the flood of 3000 athletes. I think through my swim in the washing machine and how I will slowly close down each Bouy. I experience my feeling on the bike as I shift gears and the ache in my legs as I run the marathon. I think through the transitions, my nutrition plan, and pray that God brings me some good weather. Much like my long solo efforts in training, my nights are full of thought.

Packing up the race gear

I packed up all my race gear Monday night. This gives me Tuesday to pack up my clothes for the trip. Worst-case scenario -  I forget my clothes but at least I can race. Tuesday morning I went to the gym for a short 1000-meter swim and 3-mile run to keep my body loose. Easy.

I had a full day of work to wrap up some things before the trip, so it was time to hammer through my long list.  

WEDNESDAY

We woke up around 4:50 in the morning to get the car packed up and get Micah ready to head to the airport. Our flight out was at 8:30 AM, but it is no joke flying with a toddler. Four large duffle bags, two backpacks, a diaper bag, jogging stroller, and car seat just about filled Julie’s Escape. “Don’t forget the kid” I joked.

Not even 1/3 of our luggage

 We made it to the airport with no issues. We checked the bags at curbside and flew through security. Amazing. I had my aero helmet attached to my backpack, and several other athletes came up to me in the Denver airport asking if I was racing Ironman.

The buzz that surrounds an Ironman race is like nothing you will ever experience. It is the pinnacle of triathlon, and the respect everyone racing has for each other is amazing. We all have the same nervous feeling in our stomachs, and the same excitement about the weekend.

Micah checking out planes

Rock star traveller

Micah was the best I have ever seen him on a flight. We bought him a seat this time and put his car seat in it so he would be strapped in. We brought games to keep him occupied and he did amazing. Thank God!

We landed in Reno, picked up our moving van worth of baggage and headed to our rental car. From there we went to Safeway and bought a bunch of food for the next several days. Julie bought me a six-pack of my favorite New Belgium beer ‘Shift’ for after the race. Yes, that would be motivation enough to race 140.6 miles!

Our ‘cabin’ in Truckee was a 4 bedroom, 5 bath, 4000ish sf house on the golf course at Old Greenwood. We would not be roughing it the next 10 days that for sure! It pays to have relatives with the free hookups! Thanks Liza!

Old Greenwood "Cabin" in Truckee

We headed to Julie’s sister Liza’s house for dinner. We got to see their 3-week old son Jax for the first time, and Micah played with his cousin CJ until it was time to go. Julie and I watched a movie and then crashed out harder than I have crashed out in a while. A semi-truck could have hit our house and I would have never known.

Julie, Micah and baby Jax

THURSDAY

Thursday we all woke up around seven and headed to the main Pavilion for breakfast. Typical continental breakfast, but free coffee and food was enough of a draw for me. I filled my belly.

A couple of hours later I headed out for a short 4-mile run to keep my legs warm. The run felt amazing. I am so ready to race!

Mentally I am doing fine. A little stressed out, but not nervous.

We loaded up the car with our stroller and headed to the Village at Squaw where the athlete check-in was. It is about a 20-minute drive from where we are staying. Squaw was the host of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games and the backdrop there is nothing short of spectacular. Mountains jet out of the valley in every direction and the lush meadows breathe fresh air 365 days a year. The finish line will be there on Sunday.

Checking-In

I went to the check-in tent. I remember at Ironman Canada I misted up a bit heading into the tent. This year was a bit different, but the butterflies were still there. Checking into race an Ironman is a big deal, and you try not to think about the feat you are about to accomplish as you sign the waiver forms.

My family

The process is somewhat lengthy. Get your number, sign your waiver forms and medical information, get your timing chip, get your athlete bracelet, and grab your bags and swag. Of course, after all of this, they filter you into the massive Ironman Official Merchandise tent. It is like Disneyland I guess. See the attraction; buy some stuff in the gift shop.

It was a zoo in the tent. More shirts and Ironman gear than you can imagine. All overpriced, but we buy it up anyway. We need our 't-Shirt bragging rights' post-race. I am a sucker too, and bought a few things in the tent of bragging rights.

Lake Tahoe from my friend's house

We walked around the Village for a few and then we headed home to regroup before dinner. A few athletes I know from San Diego were renting a house at Kings Beach and were having a big dinner at their place. Their house was right on the water, and with everyone bringing a side dish, there was more food than we could eat. It was awesome to see some friends I have not seen in a while.

FRIDAY

Friday morning, we woke up about seven. I headed to the Pavilion for breakfast and coffee. Today was a day to take it easy with a couple of light workouts. We headed down to Kings Beach so I could get a feel for the water and get a light 20-minute swim in.

Micah Playing in the Sand

The water in Lake Tahoe is amazing! Crystal clear and about 65-degrees, I could see the bottom all the way out. It is the most amazing water I have swam in by far. Excited for Sunday.

We let Micah play on the beach for a while and then we went back to Squaw so I could get my bike from Tribiketransport.

We picked up my bike and headed back to the cabin, and I noticed huge wind gusts hitting my truck. Not ideal for an afternoon spin, but I would risk it anyway.

Dumb Idea.

I headed out for a short spin, and shortly after leaving the house, the wind was blowing me all over the road. I rode about 6 miles before deciding to take a shortcut home. Dumb Idea #2.

My shortcut took me up over a dirt jeep trail full of rocks and sand. I looked like such a kook out there in my aero helmet and TT bike riding a mountain bike trail! I made it home in one piece though, wiped down my bike, and rolled my eyes at my own stupidity.

The Athlete Dinner

Friday evening was the athlete dinner. I headed there with my friend Seth and his girlfriend Lauren. The athlete dinner is at Squaw, and close to 2000 athletes and their families file into a huge tent for Ironman prep talk. They go over the course, race day rules, and pretty much pump you up for what you are about to do. For me, it’s just part of the Ironman experience.

When we left that evening, we noticed a huge m-dot (Ironman logo) projection on the side of the mountain at Squaw. Like a batman symbol in the skies over Gotham, it called out to the athletes for a day of adventure.

 

M-Dot over Squaw

SATURDAY

Saturday morning, Julie let me sleep in. I woke up around eight, took a shower and ate some breakfast. I had to drop off my bike and run gear bags along with my bike at transition in the morning. The weather will be cold tomorrow, presenting a challenge to predict what to pack.

Temperature at the start is expected to be high 20’s or low 30’s. Even though the water is warm, getting out wet and heading out on the bike in those temps is sketchy if not just dangerous. I have a good jacket, some gloves and arm warmers I am going to wear. I am going to change into my dry trisuit in transition instead of wearing it under my wetsuit so I can have dry stuff to start the ride.

I am hoping the temps warm up and I can drop my jacket, but if not, I’ll wear it until the clothing drop at mile 57.

I am nervous this morning. Primarily due to the expected temps tomorrow, but I am praying for a nice day. I do well in cooler temps, but not stuff below 50 degrees.

It was raining heavily Saturday when I dropped my bike and transition bags off. No rain in tomorrow’s forecast thank God!

Raining outside the cabin

I am spending the day indoors, off my feet, and trying to relax and think positive thoughts. I will pack up my special needs bags, have a big pasta dinner, and head to bed around 9PM.

My heart is starting to pump a little harder. I hate this part the most. The waiting game is horrible.

Have faith in your training Tim, respect the distance, and stay within yourself. It will all be fine.