I sat in a meeting today for nine hours. Long meeting. I am one of the very few people who brings a laptop and I am able to work on spreadsheets and other important work during that time. As it began to wind down in the final half hour and 50 people started getting punchy, I began closing down my open files. The final one, a .pdf , had been up all day and I hadn't even looked at it. As I called it up I saw the front page of my Ironman Athlete Packet that I'd downloaded last night.
RIGHT ON!
Scanning the document, page by page my excitement began to bubble over. Words like 'Gear Bags', 'Special Needs', 'Check In Times', even 'Rules and Regulations', flashed in my eyes. I remembered to find my race number online. 854. All my Ironmans have been three digit numbers. I began to mentally go through my checklist:
Slow down.
Don't eat or do anything I haven't done in that last three weeks.
Train.
Meditate on my race day, go through every process in detail.
Relax.
What is my race morning rituals.
What is the right mix of calories on the bike.
How will I eat on the run.
What did not work last time.
What did work last time.
Balance: work, rest and friends.
Sleep.
Don't sabotage yourself.
I've come so far, don't stop believing.
It's only 2.4 miles, 112 miles and a marathon.
Its a not a dream, its my reality.
I am ready.
I am ready.
I am.
Ironman.
RIGHT ON!
Scanning the document, page by page my excitement began to bubble over. Words like 'Gear Bags', 'Special Needs', 'Check In Times', even 'Rules and Regulations', flashed in my eyes. I remembered to find my race number online. 854. All my Ironmans have been three digit numbers. I began to mentally go through my checklist:
Slow down.
Don't eat or do anything I haven't done in that last three weeks.
Train.
Meditate on my race day, go through every process in detail.
Relax.
What is my race morning rituals.
What is the right mix of calories on the bike.
How will I eat on the run.
What did not work last time.
What did work last time.
Balance: work, rest and friends.
Sleep.
Don't sabotage yourself.
I've come so far, don't stop believing.
It's only 2.4 miles, 112 miles and a marathon.
Its a not a dream, its my reality.
I am ready.
I am ready.
I am.
Ironman.
4 comments:
Exciting!
Way to go, Comm!
Coming forward from your last horrific experience, what have you developed now to use during the race for:
- Periodic checks of hydration/mental status
- What are the objective criteria you're going to use during the race to determine whether to "CTM" or terminate the mission in favor of racing another day?
Just checking, it would make an interesting essay!
Now I have your number I can obsessively track you all through the race (but in a non-creepy way of course) and cheer you from around the world!
Motivating! Why didn't I sign up for an Ironman this year?
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