The Road to the Ironman – 1 DAY LEFT!

Hello everyone,

Well the time is almost here. It is the day before the Ironman. Kim and I arrived around noon on Friday and it has been non stop action. Sometime after the race I will be sending out pictures of the experience and there are some funny ones on how much stuff I brought for this little race. It is shocking! I am not sure how people do this when they are flying in, it puzzles me.

Friday:We arrived little before noon, check in to the hotel and we were off to the expo. The weather was perfect, except it being a little windy. I watched some people practicing their swim in Lake Monona and they were being tossed around like rag dolls. Needless to say this put a nervous spot in my stomach, but I have to remember the wind was making it rough and hope Sunday morning is different. We walked into athlete check in and went through the process of signing all these wavers, getting weighed (I swear their scale was off) getting all my bib numbers (bike, run, bags and so on), got my wrist bracelet that allows me in to all the events, then it was off to do so IM shopping. Let’s just say I spent a little. You will all see the stuff I bought in the coming days. Kim and I went to the IM banquet around 5 30. First let me say THE FOOD WAS AWFUL! sorry for the yelling, but the rest of the night was fantastic. I met up with a internet group called the iamtri’ers. Getting to know these people online it was nice to put faces to the names. Side point: I seem to be the fattest one, all these people were so lean and prepared (second funny feeling in the stomach). The speaker was Mike Riley (the dude that will say Jim Ristow you are an Ironman) and you could tell he has done these in the past. Very entertaining, bringing up and talking to the athletes. He brought up the following

• The mom with the most kids (5)
• The youngest guy and girl (18)
• The oldest guy and girl (72 and 64)
• The people the lost the most weight (100, 105 and 164)
• Believe it or not there are 8 people that this is their 1st Triathlon! Nutto’s

After was the rules meeting (boring but something one has to do)

Walking back to the hotel it was a bit cool, so I might have to rethink what I am going to wear on the marathon.

Saturday: Didn’t sleep well. Woke up around 3 am and didn’t fall asleep until 4 30. Woke had breakfast and the in-laws showed up. The next step was to take them to the volunteer area so they could sign up and do the things they wanted to do. Kim, my mother in law and brother in law will be catchers from 8 pm to midnight and my brother in law is also doing bike catching because he want to catch those expense bikes (not like mine). I am thinking they have no idea what the are in for.

That is it for now I have to get everything organized and check it in before 3, so plenty to do. Hopefully a nap later.

See you later from The Fitness Buddy (soon to be The Fitness Buddy Ironman) chills.