Well the nerves have settled mostly after reading my post from pre Hartford. I'm number 122 so if anyone has nothing to do at the office tomorrow afternoon feel free to log on to Ironman live and follow my progress, take bets on if my leg will survive, finishing time, number of Aussies that will beat me/I will beat, Kona slot....etc.
The bikes been checked in and the weather seems like it will be better than last year...just need to fill my special needs bags.
I should have photos posted up on Monday ( here so Sunday night for you guys in the US and A)
Bjoern I'll throw a couple of entries in for you...maybe we can get the Howe brothers here next year for a CCSU reunion.
Last night I sat down after the carbo and reminded myself that the race is the fun part...all the crap it takes to get here is hard...but those 9,10, 11 hours on race day are what it's all about.
Hopefully when the dust settles, the pain subsides and enough miles have gone by I'll have a slot to Kona...otherwise I'll just had another good race...tomorrow is all about finishing, erasing that bitter DNF that ended my 2008 tri season...It's another day at the office, a long brck if you will, granted I'm riding on the other side of the road and a bunch of people had the same idea.
Now it's off to meditate get myself away from the insanity for a few moments to breathe and relax ..to remind myself for a moment that triathlete means a person who does triathlon.
Ready for Ironman 2.0
R.D.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
T-minus 48 hours
Today was registration day. The day you get that little braclet with an m-dot that confirms what you already know you are an athlete. The nerves are starting to build as I ran through my gear checklist in the hotel room...wetsuit, goggles, cap and chip in the swim bag. Taped the bike numbers and put my bento box on the stomper, tested the wetsuit in the endless pool and got some quick free stroke analysis packed my run gear bag, complete with medical tape to avoid blisters like last year, figure there is no way in hell I can't find a roll of medical tape in transition.
I met up with Catherine this morning she couldn't stay long as she had to be back to help photograph a wedding. Found out one of her friends took her on as photographer instead of a bridesmaid...she was like "what gives?" Cat I'd make you my groomsma..woman if I ever decide to get hitched...which is probably never...but the thought is out there....also her boyfriend is a lucky man as she is into muscle cars....goddamn it why can't I find a girl like that in the US who isn't hitting on chicks too....
I ended up getting a new wetsuit as my old one was in need of repair...I managed to upgrade to a Blue Seventy Helix for $200 USD by donating my old one to their Tri NZ charity, they'll patch it up and give it to a kid like me when I was just starting out and hopefully he'll kick some ass earn a pro card and one day I'll be seeing him fly by me at Kona. The circle of Karma.
On the souvenir front they didn't have sling bags only green style shopping bags and backpacks. I need a new backpack so it's all good. Jonathan expect the shopping bag in the mail.
Bjoern I got stickers for the bike case and even more to boot.
Catherine as soon as they start selling the finisher's t-shirts..I'll send you one...just so that way you can gloat ....um...just be careful I don't enter you in the drawing for a free entry into this race next year...actually Bjoern, Jonathan...you guys want me to throw you in the drawing?
Everything else is falling into place...just have the carbo load tonight I managed to hitch a ride with some dudes from Singapore...
I got a pre race massage and a pre race triggerpoint demo needless to say I was tight as hell but it loosened me right up.
Well that's enough from me...I've got some carbs to munch.
Smoke on the water.
R.D.
I met up with Catherine this morning she couldn't stay long as she had to be back to help photograph a wedding. Found out one of her friends took her on as photographer instead of a bridesmaid...she was like "what gives?" Cat I'd make you my groomsma..woman if I ever decide to get hitched...which is probably never...but the thought is out there....also her boyfriend is a lucky man as she is into muscle cars....goddamn it why can't I find a girl like that in the US who isn't hitting on chicks too....
I ended up getting a new wetsuit as my old one was in need of repair...I managed to upgrade to a Blue Seventy Helix for $200 USD by donating my old one to their Tri NZ charity, they'll patch it up and give it to a kid like me when I was just starting out and hopefully he'll kick some ass earn a pro card and one day I'll be seeing him fly by me at Kona. The circle of Karma.
On the souvenir front they didn't have sling bags only green style shopping bags and backpacks. I need a new backpack so it's all good. Jonathan expect the shopping bag in the mail.
Bjoern I got stickers for the bike case and even more to boot.
Catherine as soon as they start selling the finisher's t-shirts..I'll send you one...just so that way you can gloat ....um...just be careful I don't enter you in the drawing for a free entry into this race next year...actually Bjoern, Jonathan...you guys want me to throw you in the drawing?
Everything else is falling into place...just have the carbo load tonight I managed to hitch a ride with some dudes from Singapore...
I got a pre race massage and a pre race triggerpoint demo needless to say I was tight as hell but it loosened me right up.
Well that's enough from me...I've got some carbs to munch.
Smoke on the water.
R.D.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Surf Lake Taupo...
Well this morning I met up with Chris, another guy doing this thing solo, and we went for a swim from Tui Oaks to the turnaround ( Tui just happended to be the half way point between our hotels, he's in town and I'm out by the airport.) There was a fairly strong breeze from the lake toward shore and WHITE CAPS..yes that's right white caps on a lake. As we made our way out from shore to the bouys it was rough. The waves kept wanting to push you back to the shore as you tried to search forward...it was very similar to RI 70.3. Once we started on to the turnaround things got better..granted it was easier and faster to breathe to the left instead of the right. Chris and I got to the turn around picked our bouy and then swam to shore. I managed to get in pretty close to our bouy of choice but poor Chris was carried about 200 meters down the beach by the current. (To all Ironman NZ or Future Ironman NZ athletes...there is a current that pulls you back toward the Yacht club...so the 2nd half of your swim will be ungodly fast.) After changing out of our wetsuits he chimed up " Man that would be good to surf on ." It was if this guy from Cali was reading my mind as both of us kicked ourseleves for not having boards. He ended up meeting up with some of Ken's EST group includng Gus and Alicia from Mass. ( Mass being the New England State not a Cathloic/ Orthodox religious service.)
After breakfast stopped in at the Times they're running a follow up story and gave me Jude's number she retired last summer shortly after Catherine and Simon left. I got a massage to loosen my hip...Angry was right...the thing was tight as hell but this chick Tonnya from the massage service got it pretty loose and took care of the scar tissue in my ankle. Tonight I've got a 45-60 min run on tap tomorrow a bike ride and the town 5k then a get together with Catherine and company.
Things are going pretty well down here and I'm loving the $2NZD -$1USD exchange rate...I migt actually buy a few souveniers this time around.
Hanging Ten on the Lake.
R.D.
After breakfast stopped in at the Times they're running a follow up story and gave me Jude's number she retired last summer shortly after Catherine and Simon left. I got a massage to loosen my hip...Angry was right...the thing was tight as hell but this chick Tonnya from the massage service got it pretty loose and took care of the scar tissue in my ankle. Tonight I've got a 45-60 min run on tap tomorrow a bike ride and the town 5k then a get together with Catherine and company.
Things are going pretty well down here and I'm loving the $2NZD -$1USD exchange rate...I migt actually buy a few souveniers this time around.
Hanging Ten on the Lake.
R.D.
Bob-o's Back....
Well Hello New Zealand, it's been a little over a year since I graced your soil and I am back... jet lagged, hoped up on enough caffeine but I'm back nonetheless....
Alright posting on 4 hours sleep is not a good thing but I figure if I can get myself to crash it'll be ok.
Landed this morning at Auckland took a rather amuzing bus ride with Frank ( head of Ironman NZ's transport service.) and Hayden caught up with Ken and a few of the other athletes then got to check out my digs. They're nice and the hotel owner's kinda cool but there's no AC...and it's 80F over here. For all of my New England readers who are getting buried in a foot of snow...my deepest apologies...granted I'm secretly hoping it all melts by the time I get there. But for right now I'm enjoying sometime in the warmth. I managed to get the bike case open with the help of some paper clips granted the handle was once again shattered by TSA... regardless. I met up with a few of the remaing staffers I know at the Times, funny I sort of new the way to that office like it was the back of my hand. The Stomper has been reassembled and has been inspected so it's set for race day. All that's on tap for now is dinner and a quick grocery run and then sleep.
Chillin' in the Southern Hemisphere.
R.D.
Alright posting on 4 hours sleep is not a good thing but I figure if I can get myself to crash it'll be ok.
Landed this morning at Auckland took a rather amuzing bus ride with Frank ( head of Ironman NZ's transport service.) and Hayden caught up with Ken and a few of the other athletes then got to check out my digs. They're nice and the hotel owner's kinda cool but there's no AC...and it's 80F over here. For all of my New England readers who are getting buried in a foot of snow...my deepest apologies...granted I'm secretly hoping it all melts by the time I get there. But for right now I'm enjoying sometime in the warmth. I managed to get the bike case open with the help of some paper clips granted the handle was once again shattered by TSA... regardless. I met up with a few of the remaing staffers I know at the Times, funny I sort of new the way to that office like it was the back of my hand. The Stomper has been reassembled and has been inspected so it's set for race day. All that's on tap for now is dinner and a quick grocery run and then sleep.
Chillin' in the Southern Hemisphere.
R.D.
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