contemplating (ironman-eve)

Fourth day here in Penticton and I’m finally taking a bit of a rest. Probably a mistake to do so much training while I was up here, but just sitting around relaxing made me anxious. Well tomorrow that will be remedied. Up by 4am, racing at 7am, and trying to finish the race before the various cut-offs throughout the day with the final one being at midnight in Penticton. Frankly, my goal tomorrow is to enjoy the race and finish. I’m pretty excited.

The atmosphere here is amazing. Just being around all these folks makes you believe that anything is possible (world peace, cure for cancer, my first ironman). What adds fuel to this fire is the amazing support from the town and community. It’s truly a four day festival of food, art, and competition. Be prepared if you ever show up to one of these events that you may have to do one the following year.

So as I was walking down Lake Shore Drive, I was contemplating what the circumstance might be like tomorrow. First the weather is predicted to be amazing, although being a day away I find it surprising that the crazy winds we have been having will go away by then. Assuming low-70s and a minimal wind day, what are my possibilities? Likely I will finish in something less than 14hr or not at all is my guess. My three biggest concerns are completing the swim, keeping up with nutrition, and knee pain during the run. After my last post I was able to complete two decent long runs, 17 and 21 miles, without much pain; although, I’ve never done a marathon after a long bike ride. So we will see. Here are my targets for sub-14hrs:

Swim – 1:45

Bike – 6:30
Run – 5:30

I wonder how it all will work out. I guess I will know tomorrow.