IMAZ 06, Let the party begin...

[Running Mommy]

Just got back from the open swim and race registration.
First off we were really late getting there- logistical nightmare this morning. Anyway, we only had 20 minutes to swim so I didn't go far. I wore my sleeveless and was fine. I must say though that I lost my breath when I first put my face in the water. That is not a fun feeling. Now I know how it feels to have asthma. I kind of freaked, but then reminded myself to stay calm and just SWIM. Once I got going I was fine. Gonna go down tomorrow morning- get an earlier start that's for sure! I haven't been in open water since last year so I have to get used to the sensation of not being able to see anything again. The water was a nice light moss algae color. But really was fine. I felt like I wasn't moving but when I stopped and looked back I had gone farther than I thought. Just maybe I *can* do this thing... sigh... All I know is I need your prayers BIG time between 7:00 am and 9:00 am pst. on Sunday.

Then we (had a girl from TNO w/me) went through registration. Seemed like my line was the longest. My bike guy was right in front of me so we chatted. It was a nice diversion. As I had to be weighed in front of god and everybody! And to make matters worse everyone was saying the scale weighed them a good 10 lbs heavier than they are. NICE! And yeah, it was about 8 lbs off. I couldn't help but think how useless a scale that doesn't weigh correctly is. They do it so they can judge dehydration if you bonk out... Well they are gonna think people are worse off than they really are if they were weighed wrong??!! :confused:
Anyhoo...got all my race stuff ready, got some swag, spent 200 clams at the race merchandise store... Oh yeah, I'm lovin this!
I put a couple of pics from the expo on my photo site. I'll put more on tomorrow.
ciao!
denise:)
http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/tony66denise69/?sc=1

[tprevost]

oooh, its getting more Exciting! heeheeheehee
T~

[Running Mommy]

I know Tracy, I can't wait to meet ya! I may still be down there when you roll into town. SO call me on my cell when you get in.
Also Sat morning I'll be there at 7:00 am for the kiddie run. Your guys can do it too if they want. It's gonna be cool. The kids get to run over the finish line and they get medals! I also plan to get in the water for a few minutes. Again, just to get really double- triple- quadruple used to the water! :D
Anyway, gotta go get ready to head back down there. We have a big pre race dinner planned tonight for my buddies from trinewbies online..

[Lise]

I am so excited for you! Swag! Clams spent! Posing with the M-dot! AAAAAHHHHHH! My favorite part of any race :p !

You look great, your bike is gorgeous, and the energy of the race will carry you through. You've trained, you've rested, you're healthy, you've got so much support--have a GREAT TIME!!!

Would you please post an estimation of when you think you'll be taking off--in T1--in T2--crossing the finish line. And then...AZ is what? Two hours behind Central time? I would hate to miss you because I goofed the time calculations, for which I am famous. Thanks.

Thinking of you much, and enjoying it vicariously! Have a blast with Tracy and Melisa, too--only wishing I could be there! Tell you what, if I deliver a baby while you're on the course, I'll insist that they name it Denise. Boy or girl. Only seems fair! :eek: ;) :p L.

[btchance]

good luck, good luck, good luck. I know you'll do great. :D I'll be thinking of ya while I watch my friend do the Powerman duathlon the same day. Let us know how it went.

[Trekhawk]

Good luck for the weekend. We will be thinking of you.:)

[Nanci]

Just standing next to the freaking mdot would cause my heart to fail...Be sure to save many more clams for finisher merchandise!!! Geez, I don't even know what to say, except you have way more cajones than me...

Nanci

[Running Mommy]

Unless something wierd happens, and this is Ironman... Even the motto is 'Anything is possible"... Sooo... ya never know...
But I have been VERY consistant in training, so my times should be pretty even... Remember that Seinfeld where no matter what he did Jerry came out even? Even steven.. lol Well, thats me. I have one speed. Mine. Slow to some, fast to a very select few, normal to me.. :D
Oh and our time zone. Well technically we are mountain time. But since we don't play the daylight savings time game, right now we are even w/California. So think of it as pacific time. Two hours ahead of central, three of the east coast...
Swim - goes off at 7:00 am. I should be exiting the water anywhere between 8:45 and 9:00. Yeah I'm slow. If I don't make it by 9:20 I'll get pulled and my day will be over.
Bike should be 7.5 hours to 7:75 hours. I hoping for 7.5 and judging from the course should be able to do it. So depending on when I start the bike, just add up 7.5 hours from there and it should be close. Of course, lets not forget possible mechanicals. I can change a tire fine, just not very fast...
Run. Here is the big ???. In training I managed a perfect run/walk combo that came out to 11:30-12:00 minute miles. I should be able to keep that up for at least the first half. My first half should be about 2 hours 40 minutes. Then add on a good few ticks on the last half as I KNOW I'll slow down. This is based on my marathon history. So first 13.1 should be 2:40, last 13.1 around 3 hours.
So if you add that all up- figure 2 hour swim + 7.5 hour bike + 5.75 hour swim with a couple of 10 minute transitions somewhere in the 15.5 to 16 houtr range. I would LOVE to be in the 15 hour range and that's what I'm shooting for. But realistically will prolly be closer to 16. Of course as long as I make it by 16:59:59 I'll still be an Ironman and that will be just fine for me!:D

So there you have it. Don't forget www.ironmanlive.com
Athlete # 794. :D

And a quick update. Went to dinner w/ the trinewbie folks, some of whom have become friends-locals. It was great. The energy was electric! All of us talking at once! And only a handful of us were actually RACING! ha ha
Saw lots of athletes out training. Wondered what the point of riding at 8:00 pm was?? DUDE, SETTLE DOWN! TAPER!@@@!!!!!!! :p
Saw some pro's, and just absorbed the energy.
Well, off to bed. Gotta be out the door early to get to the swim in the morning. I never realized how bad the west valley commute traffic really was until this morning! OY!!
Stay tuned for another update tomorrow. And thanks all for your well wishes. I've been bragging about the positive energy here all day! You girls ROCK! :)
nighty nite...
denise

[Nanci]

Listen to you!!!

What pros are going to be there???

Nanci

[crazycanuck]

Hey denise,

Good luck on sunday!!! I have no idea how to cheer an ironman participant on other than letting them know we're behind them no matter what.

I received the braclets today and am wearing them (ian was quite surprised that i was wearing jewelry). Way cool chickie!

Good luck and i'm looking forward to the stories/story..

cheryl

[Lise]

Thanks, Denise.

I wrote down all your times on a sticky, then converted it 2 hours in the wrong direction. Looked at it. Thought, that's not right! I swear, I have a broken part of my brain. Anyhoo...the good news is that you'll cross the finish line before I go into work--I start at midnight PST. I was worried that I might not be able to be near a computer at work. No worries, I'll be right here at home, glued to the screen!

I had to smile at Nanci (who just rode the distance from Chicago to Mpls on her bike) commending Denise (who's put in an amazing number of hours and miles training for an incredibly demanding event). You both have my admiration and respect. I can barely fathom doing the endeavors you've done/will soon do. But that's how it is with what we've come to love, right?

Looking forward to it all, vicariously! :D

Lise

[ladyfish]

Good luck, and you'll do awesome!! We're all wearing our bracelets and I hope we don't crash the server as we all watch your IM!

By the way, remember to put your face under water before you start the swim!! It will help your body get acclimated and you won't have that out of breath feeling!!!

You are amazing!! Enjoy it! I guess it is probably like what a Naval Academy Cadet said about the Academy "It's a great place to be from" (meaning it was tough to finish, but worth it). So I'm sure the same will be true of your IM. YOU GO GIRL!

[jobob]

How thrilling ! Have a fabulous time ! :D

BTW, for anyone who is time-challenged like me, this is a really good website, you can set up your own Personal World Clock which shows the current time in 2 or more locales (say, oh, Tuscon & Chicago ...) ;)

http://www.timeanddate.com/

[KSH]

WOW! This is so exciting!

Thanks for all your posts along the way and keeping us "right there beside you" throughout this entire process.

Even though I don't "know" you... I feel like I have a friend going off to compete!

*Wipes a tear* I am truly excited for you and in awe of what you will accomplish this weekend. You have made me think that *someday* I might be able to think about an Ironman. Who knows?

If I am not on a bike Sunday morning, I will certainly check in on your progress. Just keep your pace and don't blow yourself out on any of the 3 events. Don't let the excitement, or others around you, take your off your pace. Slow and steady!

*Hugs*

[aka_kim]

I remember how thrilling it was hearing the booming announcment "so-and-so YOU ARE AN IRONMAN" while spectating at Ironman Canada when my BF competed. I'll be another one checking IronmanLive tomorrow to cheer on your progress. Go Running Mommy, this will be an awesome achievement!

[mommelisa]

Denise!!! I am so excited for you! Tracy and I are going to catch up when she gets into town and we'll find you on the course. I'm going to try to get down there for the swim start.

Only 2 days to go!!! You're going to do AWESOME! The best thing you can do is run YOUR race, and you've got it in the bag!

HUGS!!
Melisa

[maillotpois]

GOOD LUCK!!! You'll be great!

[Running Mommy]

Hey guys. Just checking in... Did another swim today. I'm fighting some mental demons. Once I settle myself down I'm fine. Now I know why atheletes always talk about the mental componet. It's huge. I just have to remind myself "I'm a strong swimmer" and "I can do this. I belong here". and "keep moving forward"!! wheeewwww. Adn really concentrate on my stroke. I think if I keep in the moment and concentrate on my stroke, and not how far I have to go, how I'm a little speck in this huge lake, etc... I will be ok.
Also having goggle fogging issues and I'm not happy. These are brand new goggles. I'm having trouble w/ them fitting as well, so I may go back to my old stand bys. I got new ones because I wanted mirrored lenses sinse we are swimming into the sunrise on the outbound leg.. sigh...
UGH!
Water is suppose to be 68. Feels colder, but I think I'm just a weenie. I get an icecream headache for the first few minutes then I'm ok. But yeah, the cold takes your breath away at first, so I'll have to deal w/ that as soon as I get in.

Anyhoo... While I was writing this the UPS man made a little delivery.. It was a good luck gift from a certain someone here.. I'm all weepy now. You girls have really reached out to me and taken me under your wing. You have no idea how much it means to me. You are the BEST!! And I'll try my hardest not to let you down.
I added a couple more pics to photobucket and will try to add some more tomorrow afternoon.
Ciao!
Denise
P.S. Let it be known NANCI is my hero!! And she talks about me. Psshhaaahh! I'm not worthy! 380 miles, 27 hours... WOW!
Heck come to think of it, anyone who steps out of their comfy box and puts themselves on the line to test their limits is a hero to me! Be it 25 or 250 miles! Rock on girls!! :)

[Adventure Girl]

Denise:

I want to add my "me too, me too" to the well-wishers here. I hope you have a great time! Don't let those mental demons get you down.

Shouldn't you change your name to Swimming/Biking/Running Mommy?


I remember how thrilling it was hearing the booming announcment "so-and-so YOU ARE AN IRONMAN"

"Swimming/Biking/Running Mommy
YOU ARE AN IRONMAN"

[Nanci]

Denise,

Calm down. By this time tomorrow the swim will be a thing of the past. You'll be riding your bike, having a blast! New goggles always fog. Sometimes washing with toothpaste, and rinsing well, makes that stop. You know spit makes them not fog, right? You can always wear one pair, and carry the old reliables around your neck. One time, BF did the whole race with his goggles around his neck! (Forgot to take them off!) Looked great in the pics :-)

I hope you make time for a nice relaxing bath tonight!

Good luck! I _know_ you'll do great tomorrow. I can't wait! I wish I was brave enough to do what you're doing...

Nanci

[Nanci]

The cold water making you stop breathing for a minute is completely normal. I used to ice dive- I KNOW!! I was taught that, in the water, if you think the word "relax," it will calm you and slow your breathing. That not breathing thing is part of the mammalian diving reflex- pretty cool. Keeps us from drowning is we fall in the water.

And a nice pleather swim cap is just the ticket for ice cream headache! You gorgeous babe, you!!

Nanci

[Running Mommy]

Got another day to STRESS OUT!!
Your so funny Nanci! Yeah the pleather cap is quite fetching. I tried it on but didn't use it. DUH! Think I'll try it out tomorrow. I'm going to swim for a few minutes after the kids run.
Thanks for the advice on telling yourself to 'RELAX'... I KNOW this... I just... well you know... sigh...
Tracy is coming into town tonight. Hope to meet up with her. We have the official athlete dinner and manditory meeting. good stuff.

[LucyBrown]

I'm a total newbie here, but wanted to say good luck on Sunday! You did all the training, now comes the fun part! I can't wait to read your race report. :)

[KSH]

These are brand new goggles. I'm having trouble w/ them fitting as well, so I may go back to my old stand bys. I got new ones because I wanted mirrored lenses sinse we are swimming into the sunrise on the outbound leg.. sigh...


Go with your old ones. The ones that fit and you are use to. Don't change what you know, now.

Plus, you won't have your head out of the water that much. When you spot, you should just glance up and keep going. The sun won't be as big of a deal as you think it will be.

You are going to do great!

[KSH]

I used to ice dive- I KNOW!!

Now... that's just nuts.

I wear a full wetsuit with a hat.. SCUBA diving in 70F water! HA!

[Running Mommy]

Yeah Nanci is nuts... And that's why I LIKE her!!!:D

[Nanci]

That's dumb that it's on a Sunday. Then when do they do the awards and all that, MONDAY??? Whatever...How am I supposed to stay up till 3AM watching for you now???

Nanci

KSH, I wear a drysuit and a hood in 70F water!!

[Running Mommy]

I told the class that I would stop in and show them my bib today before school dismissed.
Well when I got there they had made me two huge posters and a card! I was so touched I almost cried!!
The kids were awesome. They all came up to me individually and wished me good luck. It was cool!!
I also did a last minute talk to a second grade class. Those kids were so cute. They all bragged about their mom's and dad's accomplishments. I've found in doing this that kids love talking about things like that! So if you ever get a chance to share your tales from the road with them.... do it. It's very rewarding!
In the meantime there are a couple of more pics..

http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a157/tony66denise69/?

[Running Mommy]

You wanna know why it's on Sunday... You may laugh...
The bike course runs through reservation (native american) land.. And they have a garbage dump out there that is open on Saturday. Last year they threw a stink (parden the pun) and wouldn't let the bike course go by the dump as it would hurt their business. So IMNA offered to reimburse them for lost revenue, but they still said no. So since the dump is closed on Sunday... we are racing on sunday.... All because of a garbage dump and some grumpy native americans...

[Lise]

That is funny. When I read "Native Americans", I thought, violating sacred traditions or something. Not garbage dump!

The kids are wonderful. I am so glad you got to be "their" Ironman.

When all is said and done, Denise, I'd love to hear about what lead you to this dream. And...of course...the race report!!! :D :p :D

You've inspired me to go swim and run at the Y tonight.

And Nanci...ice diving! Wow! You're a natural for the brevets! What an honor to be getting to know such fascinating, brave, and adventurous women. L.

[Grog]

You're fully prepared Denise. Good luck. I'll be thinking of you.

[fixedgeargirl]

Yay Denise!! I'm so excited for you and look forward to your report!!! You're ready to rock and I hope you have the time of your life :D !