One more sleep

Now it's time to shake things out. I had run into one of the fellow swim club members last dinner, so we made a plan to meet for an OW swim this morning. I started off by attending a brief clinic put on by Lifesport coaching about OW tactics, then was off to get wet.

The first thing you notice swimming in the ocean is the extra buoyancy of the salt water. The next thing is the taste of salt water, which is not anything like pool or lake water. It's also the last thing you notice, since it's not going to leave you for a while. I just wanted a reasonably brief effort, so I went about halfway out on the course, cut across to the homestretch, then back in. It was around 8:45 am at this point, and coming back the beach was directly into the sun. It made navigation pretty tough. I'm not sure how that will play out tomorrow. I hope the sun is low enough at 7:30 to 8 (my expected swim window) that I can see all the way through.

After a quick bite to eat and the athlete's meeting (brief course description and pleads from the head referee not to draft) I went for a short bike ride to make sure everything was in working order. I didn't go to the actual course, but followed some other roads south of the hotel. My position felt fine and the effort was good. Of course, there were a ton of other bikes out on the road. Big race weekends always have a neat feel when you can see so many of your fellow competitors out and about. There's a real feeling of camaraderie there, even if it's just a nod as you pass on the bike.

Then I went for a short run along the beachwalk to shake out the running legs. It was almost noon, and getting pretty warm. I felt loose, but the sun seemed to be draining my energy pretty quick. I'll need to stay up on my nutrition and hydration tomorrow if the weather is going to be the same.

A couple of "celebrity" sightings: I put on my wetsuit this morning fifteen feet away from Sister Madonna Buder. She was the oldest female competitor in the race, as she is in almost every race. It's hard to believe she's 78 when you see her. I almost felt like I should apologize for listening to Children of Bodom on the iPod while she was right there. Then, on the walk back to my hotel, I passed Dick Hoyt out for a walk with his wife. Another of the IM inspirational stories, and I'm right there in the same race. How cool is that?

Now this afternoon I'll pick up my wife from the airport, drop off my bike and T1 and T2 gear bags, and try to find someplace for the customary pre-race meal (spaghetti and meatballs). Can you feel the excitement?

Swim: 20 minutes
Bike: 30 minutes, zone 1-2, 2x90-120 seconds zone 3-4
Run: 15 minutes, EZ