Two weeks until Bob's live from New Zealand.

Yes that right in a mere 16 days my well defined posterior chain will be resting on a plush seat on a big steel bird, on a 18 hr. Flight to the "Lands down under." Last night I did my weekly run with Bjoern, and picked up the bike case that will transport The Bitch Stomper to Ironman Glory. I've already been told that an Ironman finisher's decal needs to adorn it when I return it to him for his Swiss Adventure. ( I guess if they have a sisterhood of traveling pants then we have a much more macho fraternity of the traveling bike case.)



I have given alot of thought to my post Ironman Racing season, I have decided since I already forked over the $250 I'm doing Eagleman. Rhode Island is on the back burner , I figure if I have$250 , I haven't qualified for Kona or Clearwater, and its not sold out I'll enter, otherwise I either take a rest week or do some local rink a dink tri. Most of my races are local and don't sell out until May so I have a little time to get my entries in. ( Granted I'm entering the Patriot and Griskus series in March just because those DO SELL OUT!)



Bjoern has expressed interest into doing IM New Zealand 09 as has one of my fellow HEATsters, I figure I might do it again next year, but unlike last year I will begin putting cash away for it like March 2. ( you know like $40-100 bucks a pay period) ...figure that way I can pay for airfare and race entry before the end of August or I might opt for a "domestic" Ironman in 09, so I'm not getting killed on airfare. Also this year there is no bike purchase in the cards ( so figure that's about $1k toward getting out of debt, 2009 races, student loan payment, Bronze Statue of Angry Runner slaying optimus sub-prime, on my front lawn....tattoo of Claire on my buldging left bicept...an army of fury rodents to do my bidding...etc.), unless of course I win a bike via raffle, or get sponsored and given one by say Specialized, or C-dizzle, Trek, Jamis, Motobecane.

So 2 to the 008 is looking to be a year of much racing, and less debt racking...( barring utter castastrophe). I'm going to try to cut back on the useage of my credit lines, I have found out how bad being over extended is and how much it sucks, thankfully I am not too over extended ( income tax check will help me get back to a reasonable level of financial concord/ allow me to pay for races via "cash system.") and therefore can still have hope of moving out of my parent's home and hopefully out West before I'm 28.

But the main purpose of this post was not to describe my financial/personal goals or my purchasing habits..rather it was to describe that I will be blogging Live from New Zealand throughout the Eight Days I am down there. So there will be Ironman updates, results, the mention of WARM weather to my readers that live in tropical locals such as Hartford, Boston, Alberta, and Cleveland. ( Don't worry it will be heading our way fairly shortly, winter is almost over.), pictures, and questions on how to make jersey tan/burn lines less noticeable. so it should be an interesting blogging experience.

Well that's it for now.

The Prodigal Planner.
R.D.