team butterkup

Here’s the facts -

Swim: 1:13.16
T1: 11:36

Bike: 7:33.10
T2: 16:52

Run: 6:51.28

FINISHED - 16:06.20

Race report to come…

Okay… it’s official. My race number is 1306. A total of 2,787 participants will be at this event.

I kind of like it… it’s my lucky number on the 26th.

You can track lucky #1306 at IronMan LIVE - But you have to wait until Sunday, August 26th… right now I’m still in training.

Less than a week until we pack and leave… only 12 days until I visit the start line for the 5th time in Canada. Nervous, just a little. It would be appropriate to say I know the course very well - there will be no surprises, which will allow me to focus on body and mind management. 90% of the event is mental. 10% is physical strength. Given my current mind - it will all be good.

“I think” that the day will work out as follows:
7:00am - start with the fast swimmers and draft, draft, draft.
8:20am - out of the water.
8:30am - on the bike course (have to change, ya know).
11:00am - approaching Richter Pass - the first big climb
1:30pm - approaching mile 76 - special needs area
3:00pm - approching mile 90 - and the Yellow Lake climb
4:00pm - cresting at mile 100
4:30pm - off the bike (after a faaast downhill).
4:45pm - starting the marathon
11:15pm - finishing the Ironman

You can follow the race at www.ironman.com - and look for the ironman live links.

Thanks to Rob Mardell and La Dolce Velo - I now have “transformer bike”… Rob got a new frame and used the components from the old bike to create a machine that will get me across the Ironman finish-line. It won’t be the prettiest of finishes, but I will finish (my mantra).

I spent Sunday riding through the South Bay on transformer bike, it does a great job of getting up and down hills, takes a bit of the harshness out of the road, and handles just great. I rode 65 miles that included riding Mt. Eden twice - which was the big test for bike and man. We both passed the test. It was quite a windy day also, which wore away at my mental stiffness - found myself internally cursing many times throughout the ride, actually turned around about 5 miles early… I just couldn’t deal with that wind anymore. Funny though, had to deal with it all the way home too… ugh.

With all the work and travel lately, I’ve felt the typical “too little time to complete a workout” syndrome (mixed with a little procrastination). I had to tap on Coach Wayne’s shoulder for help and reassurance - I asked and he set up a 21 day schedule faster than most people could even imagine. Wayne’s always been an unbelievable resource for me and has saved my Ironman race more than once.

On to brighter days. In two Mondays we start our departure to Canada and in 3 Mondays I will have completed my 5th and FINAL Ironman competition. Oh yeah, and I’ll be a year older.

Visit La Dolce Velo - http://www.ladolcevelo.com/

Well, I didn’t read the sign… I’ve seen it a million times before… and I just didn’t remember that I had the bike on top of the car. It left a nice black mark on the sign, I’ll see that for a long time to come.

Now I have to find a new ride, a short 47 days before the event… a variable that I wasn’t planning on this year.

Leading up to the bike’s demise, I joined Jen and Joe on a great 65 mile ride through the peninsula and south bay. We had an awesome ride, the conditions were perfect, and I was happy to know I could keep pace with Jen and Joe.

My ride pace seemed fine for completing Ironman, just need to keep up the work on hills.