Wow, 17 days till we fly out to Tempe. The last several days have been about formulating a plan to complete the distance. Mentally, I have been breaking it down into the details of the event. The overriding scare is that I could be left without that vital item that I just cannot do without.
Yesterday, I watched IM Arizona a couple of times, trying to pick out all those things you need for the big show. The swim is a trip, jump in and tread water till the start. Don't look at me to jump in early. Really, I would rather swim from the outside to the buoys than be next to one treading water for 30 minutes. Just stay alive and kick back when kicked. Bike gear on under the wetsuit. Water temp around 70 degrees, avg. Bathwater compared to Racine!!! Pop some endurolytes and jump in. Get out in 2:20. Strip the suit and hit the tents. God, I hope the goggles don't leak. That is SO irritating. Go eazy, long day ahead and this is just the warm up.
Transitions are outside with tents. No big deal there. Get those socks and bike shoes, run to the bike and THEN put the shoes on. I can ski, but not well in bike cleats. Spray down with sunscreen. Helmet on the bike, glasses in the bento box (with a shit load of Endurolytes). Bike will have my own Gatorade with extra maltodextrine and bcaa's added. Each bottle will have 300 calories, and there will be 3 of them. One cage for the bottle of Hammer gel (about 2300 calories). The expenditure will be around 5,000 calories, so this means eating as well. Two servings of Hammer gel per hour, so gross I hate to think of it. But I will swallow and like it; and ironically enough it is banana flavored. The Gatorade cover fits the top of the Hammer bottle, so it shouldn't be difficult to deal with. If I can handle eating a banana an hour, I will do it. There is no way I will get 5,000 calories in on the bike. I will just do my best. 700 calories per hour is goal. Endurolytes every half hour.
Transition will be a possible change of top (bring one and figure it out then). Sunscreen again. Get the run shoes and get going before thinking how nice it would be to lay down.
Run will be same strategy as long runs now. 23 oz Gatorade per hour, Powerbars every two. Endurolytes continue on the half hour, until the broth comes out. I also plan to eat about 6 dozen cookies like last time. Goal here is to maintain forward motion, until at last I hear "Jennifer, you are an Ironman!". Then I collapse and Mike can wheel me to the hotel in a wheelchair, or I can just sleep in the finish shoot. I don't really care.
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