T Minus 5 Days And Counting...

Yep, this is my big race for the year. I am feeling confident about a time under 6 hours. This will be my 5th Half Ironman race. Vineman was my first back in 2003. I did great on the swim and bike and then suffered on the run. It was my first half marathon ever. They lied in the race description as well. Sonoma County is not predominently flat--it is freakin' hilly! For a flat lander that is instant death! I was totally burned out after that race and did not do another triathlon until the Florida Half Ironman in 2005. Florida was hot and humid. Again I had a great swim and a nice bike split but I crumbled in the heat. I had almost the same time as Vineman, so I was not disapointed. Next was the Soma Half Ironman in Tempe, Arizona. I did this race to prepare for Arizona Ironman and get a feel for the climate and become familiar with the course. My swim was fine and I was cranking it on the bike. The run was downright awful. I was doing a lot of walking in the heat. All that kept me going was the knowledge that my coach was waiting at the finish line with a margarita for me. My final time was only 10 or so minutes slower than Vineman and Florida. My last Half Ironman was this past April. I raced in the inaugural Lone Star Half Ironman in Galveston, TX. This was my first triathlon after undergoing knee surgery to repain a torn medial meniscus last year in September of 2006. The swim was choppy but I felt fine. The bike was 2 loops and there was a 33mph headwind on the way out to the turn around. I kept it undercontrol on the bike to go easy on the knee and not red-line the heart rate. I had the best run of all of my 1/2 IM races! I had a great race even if it was a few minutes behind Vineman and Florida. I had conqured that run leg!

Now is the race of truth...Cancun 70.3 on Sunday. I have been doing lots of heat acclimate work and I have felt good. My race season has been good. Not as fast as when I raced only Sprint and Olympic distance races, but fast enough to make me confident that I can finish Cancun with a PR and possibly qualify for a Roll Down spot for the World Championship race in Clearwater, Florida in November.

I am getting laundry done to start my packing...

More rambling later,

CL :0)