Thanks all. I knew I could count on you. And I apologize for my multiple freak out threads this week.
I think more than anything I'm disappointed by the weather. You know when you have in your mind how things are going to go, and then the wind comes in and blows it all away? Even today. I'm heading down in the next 30 mins. to swim in the lake and then register. I was looking forward to hanging around the expo and soaking in the IM vibe. Well if the predicted 40+ mph winds hit I think my vibe will get blown to New Mexico! Maybe Corsair mac can catch it there!!
I guess it's like a bride on her wedding day. For months she imagines what the day will be like. And then she wakes up to rain, and she gets in a fight with her mom, or her dad isn't doing what she expected and before you know it she's in a puddle on the floor.
Last night I had a good meditation about all of this. I went inside myself and had a big talk.
First of all, last year I got lucky! I believe in god(just for reference, I know some don't) and I think that he gave me that finish last year. Yes I did the training last year, but I was also pitifully slow on the bike. But somehow I managed to avert disaster at every turn. Think about it. I finished the bike with 13 minutes to spare. If I had gotten a flat out there, I would have never made it. So I got lucky.
This year he wants me to EARN that medal. It's not going to come easy. This is Ironman, if I truely want to call myself an Ironman then I will have to fight through adverse conditions to get it.
So I asked myself. DO YOU REALLY WANT IT. And of course my answer is YES! So I have resigned myself to the fact that my bike split may not be an hour faster than last year as it was in training. I'm still gonna try, but if I'm getting buffeted by 20+ mph head or cross winds, well it's not gonna happen.
The thing between someone who DNF's and someone who finishes an IM usually comes down to whether or not they could adapt and overcome. SO that is going to be my mantra, adapt and overcome.
Along with that rose colored picture in my mind of what race week was going to be like was me finishing in under 16 hours. Now I realize that I must adjust my goal. So I have. I'm going to try not to keep ya'll up til midnight like last year, but once again I'll just be happy to finish.
But if the winds hold off, I'll be ROCKIN that bike course!!!
Well I'd better get on the road!
Thanks again girls!
Denise
Oh- check this chart out. It's data from the weather station that is here in my neighborhood. The wind chart is scary! UGH
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/wxpage.cgi?call=KD7YAT-3