I'm using the breathing techniques a pregnant friend of mine is learning in her child birthing classes to get through the week.

Swam in the lake (not the same lake as the IM, we had technical difficulties locating and affixing our kayak rack and opted to stay local). Yeah, it was cold. My fingers and toes were a little chilly in the deeper water. I did not wear a neoprene cap, but will be buying one to wear for sure next weekend - I think that would help with the extremities. Not sure on the booties. Maybe I'll order some up to have just in case, and try swimming with to see the difference. Once I start swimming I can't really pee in my suit to warm up, though I imagine if I stopped after a hard effort I could. Something in my body turns off that reflex once we're moving...

I wore my heart monitor for some objective information. When I first got in, OMG cold, and swam some breaststroke and tried to switch, it was in the 140s. After I was comfortable swimming and would stop to talk to my husband, in the 120s. That "expose yourself to the shock before you start swimming" technique has a measurable difference. For my first OWS (yeah yeah, I know it's close to d-day, but everything was so cold), it felt really good. The wetsuit sure is a pain in the rear to put on, and take off, next step practice removing top while still wearing watch and running out of water.

Wetsuit lesson learned: bodyglide the poop out of the back of my neck (and wrists, and ankles). I learned this lesson last year, and forgot. My neck looks like it has hickies all over the back because of the chafing in my hairline. Ow ow ow... using some Burt's Bees magic to help me get over that ASAP so I can slap the suit back on. I will wait until it's healed (can't afford to make it worse and be MORE uncomfortable) - should be fine tomorrow.

Yesterday's brick felt good! 2 hrs bike, 30 min run (then an hour or so of swimming... too bad it wasn't in the right order, it would have been between a sprint and oly!). Riding Lucy sure does benefit my legs on the run, they feel tired (relative to starting a run fresh), but not stumpy. That or my brain has also adjusted to the concept, and that's just what we do, run after we bike. Who doesn't do that?

Lucy needs to go to the bike shop for some tuning in her "standing while climbing a short climb or riding into terrible wind" gears, not the super granny but the set right above. One or two of them want to slip if you apply too much pressure, which doesn't really help in either of the above situations, it's hard to get rhythm. We'll be going in tomorrow, worst case have to leave her overnight. Thank heaven for small (good) shops.

We saw an IM commercial on TV last night. Signs everywhere now. At lunch, we went to our local sandwich shop, who also know about my IM... love them to death, but "so are you excited about Sunday?" sure is a loaded question to be asking at t-minus 6 days!

Easy week this week, I am adjusting my sleep schedule earlier so the 4-5am start on Sunday doesn't seem so rough (you know it's going to anyway, but I'm going to TRY). I don't think too much about what's coming or I get the butterflies. Stick with the plan! As I told my husband, this is first-timer's syndrome that I have right now, I've felt it before. Everything is so unknown... after I get through it, the next time (if there is a next time) won't be like this.

Hanging in there... I think?