IM Training... Let the taper BEGIN!!

[mommelisa]

Denise - you are my IRON IDOL!!! I am so psyched for you - now you can taper!! You'll probably go nuts the next couple of weeks as things wind down toward the race, I always hate the taper time - I look forward to it, but then I drive myself crazy over-analyzing everything during that time!!

Are you all set? Clothes, nutrition, gear, etc? I think it helps to write it all out and I'd like to know what your plan is (cuz I'll be taking notes :-) ) so if you get a chance, will you indulge me and put it down? When I did my 1/2 I wrote everything down, when to eat, when to drink, and then just followed it religiously and it really helped. I didn't have to think about it - I just had to do it.

As a side note - I watched that same show on E! yesterday!

Tracy - are you going to be at the swim start? We need to decide where to meet up!
- Melisa

[Running Mommy]

Thats funny that we were at opposite ends of the valley watching the same show!
Yes, we need to coordinate w/tracy on when her and the kiddies are hitting town. I want to be sure to hook her up w/ my family. I also have some zoo tickets in case she needs them.
I'll be at the race site saturday afternoon for the pre race meeting. Hopefully we can meet up then and set our plans for the next day. I want to make sure everyone meets up. can't have my ironcrew in a disarray!

I'm making a list for each bag on what needs to be in it. Still haven't started it, but I will this week. Still not sure what I'm wearing on the run. I bought a red coolmax from RRS, but I don't really like it. It makes me look fatter than I already am! So I may look around the TE site and see if anything strikes my fancy. But I'm wearing my fave shebeest jersey that I got for 5 buckd from a swap meet. It's a toss up between my shebeest shorts w/ the shelastic or the sugoi shorts that I got on sale at the old supergo-now performance. I also have a minnie mouse baseball cap for the run. but I look super silly in it, so I may ditch it for a regular hat before I hit the finish chute.. I'm SOOO vain that way! I just thought it would be something different, and you would be able to pick me out in the crowd easier. Not that there will be a crowd by the time *I* get to the run!! lol
I do have my nutrition plan down though...
Before the race- drink ensure try to suck down a couple of pria bars. And if I'm lucky a banana. But will prolly drink my calories as I know my stomach is going to be too jittery.
on the bike. Start w/water for first 20 minutes, then switch to water and cytomax/carbopro cocktail. I'm going to have my cyto in my aerobottle up front and refill from my two bottles on the back. Water will be in my camelbak. Will refill water at aid stops. I'll have two spare cyto bottles in my special needs bags. Also will carry nuun caps in case I should run out or something should happen w/ cyto. In my bento I'll have my pretzels/gummy bears/ and thermolytes. Will take thermolytes every 30 mins until the 80th mile then will take them every 15 to 20. I really have to watch my salt. Will also eat a cliff bar at my special needs stop.
This is what I've been doing, and it's worked so far... Hopefully it does race day.
As for nutrition on the run, it's going to be total aid station support. gatorade, water, and broth. After my previous marathons I always craved chicken broth- and it always brought me back to life, so I'm stoked to be able to have it IN the race.
Anyway, so thats my plan so far. It is a work in progress though, so I'll keep you posted.

[tprevost]

Oh my gosh, its coming up fast!!! Melisa, I will most likely try to get there about the time Denise will be coming out of the water. With the two boys, I don't know how well they will do 'hanging around' for long periods of time so I'm trying to be smart and make sure I'm there at the important times! I will definately hook up with Denise Saturday at the pre-race meeting (if not before) as we will be arriving on Friday and leaving Monday morning. I hope to catch Denise at the transitions and at the finish so we will be going back and forth either to the zoo (Thanks, Denise!!! ) or to the hotel pool (depending on the weather) etc. We're at the Holiday Inn, not that close but an okay distance (1.75 miles away) I would just walk back and forth but I don't know if the kids are up for that so I think I'm going to borrow a wagon or take a cab.

I'll PM you with all of my contact info as I want to make it as easy as possible to find each other given the expected confusion and chaos!

Denise, I'll PM you my info for the bracelet! COOL!!!!

Enjoy your taper and resist the temptation to go use that energy!!!

Tracy

[Running Mommy]

Hey Tracy, I'll ask around and see if my neighbors have a wagon we can borrow. I have lots of neighbors w/little ones.
Since you are going to be there Friday I may be able to meet up w/ you friday night?/ What time are you coming in? I take it your driving the 10?? I'll have to make sure that I give you my cousins cell # as well because she will also be driving in from LA. Just in case something happens you know.. It's always good to have contacts!
WOW. It's getting SOOO close! And yeah, hopefully it is warm enough to swim come 4/9. It was 80 the other day. But we keep getting these rogue storms from CA. Lets hope the trend ends here soon! We go for months w/ no rain then it all hits right before the race- JUST TO STRESS ME OUT!!
Esp. because w/ the storms comes WIND!!

[tprevost]

I'll probably leave here in the morning Friday - I think it'll take me 6 hours or so since I'll have stops w/kids. I think I've got a wagon that I can borrow here, not sure yet though. Anyway, I'll probably get there sometime after lunch on Friday.

Sorry, I'm distracted, I'm watching the LA Marathon on TV - my old broker is running and I'm trying to find him in the crowd- I know, good luck!

more later...

T~

[KSH]

WOW! This is so exciting! Having read all your posts leading up to this... I just wished I lived in AZ so I could be there to cheer you on!

Best of luck! You sound prepared and ready to kick butt!

[mommelisa]

Hey! I want to meet you guys on Friday, too!! Where should we meet??

I just wanted to let you know that... sorry it has taken me so long to respond to this, we're in ASPEN this week!! Woo- hoo, a much needed spring break for my entire family. Today we're getting used to the altitude and tomorrow we're hitting my favorite mountain here (Buttermilk) to test out our ski legs. My kids and hubby are reluctantly going to Buttermilk with me because they think its a wimpy mountain, but that is MY kind of skiing.

Tracy - One of the nice things about the IMAZ course is that its not "out and back", with all the loops, you can see the people you're watching a number of times on the bike and on the run course. You should have plenty of opportunity to see Denise depending on what you're doing with the kiddos.

[Running Mommy]

ASPEN?? WOW! How Posh!!! I'm not a skier, but I love playing in the snow. I'm jealous!! Have fun!
Friday I'll be at the site early in the am to swim, then back later on for the athlete dinner. Maybe we can meet before or after?? Maybe you guys could go eat somewhere and chat and then we could all meet up afterwards? Or I could come meet you at the restaurant?? Hmmm... There are so many good places to eat around there. And family friendly too tracy- don't worry!
When it gets closer maybe I'll get everyones phone number and we can do a three way conference call to iron out the details..