I need back-of-pack Ironwoman support, bad!!!!!

[Nanci]

Something else I've read a lot about is the "central governor theory" which basically means that you start out an event with your brain programmed for that distance, and it allots energy/speed out to your muscles so there will be just enough to make it to the distance you originally planned. Where you run into problems is when you come upon an unexpected difficulty, like a big hill you didn't know about, and your brain says "Oh, no, I didn't allot for this- I'd better make her feel extra tired, so she doesn't use up the energy I'd planned." But- if you pre-ride/drive the course, and are familiar with the features, especially difficult parts like hills, your brain (subconsciously) takes this into consideration at the beginning and you won't get that tiredness before you even _get to_ the obstacle, because your brain will be expecting it. (This was tested with some sort of experiment- and I posted about it several months ago, so if you search, you could probably find it.)

[Running Mommy]

Did you read my race report? It's buried deep in the race report section, but it's there. I got to the run and basically couldn't! I was reduced to a walk, so I had to do some quick thinking. If you read my race report- actually I have two on the same thread so scroll down, you will see what I did. It involved serious focus, and turning into yourself to get it done. You have to develop a rythmn and follow it. Mine was run to the light post, walk to the next, then run to the next, then walk to the next, repeat until finished.
Also keep the mantra, "if I must walk, I will walk with purpose".
Heck, if I can do it, ANYONE can!! And certainly you can! Keep the positive mental energy going and just keep moving!
Good luck and keep us posted!
Denise