THE PLAN

hey y'all. hotmail hasn't worked since my first day here, so i haven't been able to receive any of your emails or comments, but i'm feelin' you all out there for sure!!! oh, and i think i got an extra day on the countdown sice it didn't compute leap year. YAY FOR LEAP YEAR!!!!

i'm having the time of my life so far. i'm keeping a journal and will hopefully post my "day to day" sometime after i'm back if anyone even cares, but i'm trying to keep the internet time down to a minimum. it's just criminal to be sitting in front of the computer with all this beauty that surrounds me.

yesterday, Oli and i hit up the expo the first day it opened for packet pick up. funny, i expected to be more anxious once i received all those friggin' bags and wristbands, but i'm staying quite calm so far. and i thought rooming with a Kona contender would require me to keep quiet and to myself and that we'd have very separate agendas. turns out, Oli's quite the card, and he continues to crack me up on a minute by minute basis!!! i think that has everything to do with me keeping my cool. plus, i think he likes having his own personal interpreter as he has managed to obliterate the Portuguese language at every opportunity!!

after packet pick up, we hit up the expo. luckily it wasn't too overwhelming with shit i wanted to buy. the official race gear is actually quite sparse. of course all the women's sized stuff is fucking pink (sorry MoMo!!!), so i passed on that, and the one cool men's long-sleeved tech tee in size small was still a tent on me. so i got outta there with one bike jersey, a hat and some stickers. after the spend fest, we headed to the swim area for race day and went for our respective dips. unlike other races where there's a bag valet in if you want to go for a swim and leave all your crap, there wasn't a hint of such a thing on the beach. just locals sun bathing and walking the shore. so we went in separately to keep an eye on our stuff. oh, and because i forgot my goggles, swim cap, and earplugs, so i had to borrow Oliver's stuff. DOH!!! as i headed in first, i realzed that this was my first swim in the Atlantic!!! i don't think i swam in Miami when i was there at fall time many many years ago. it was beautiful. its warm, super clean, a little more salty than i'm used to, and very calm in this particular bay. it's kind of like Hawaii here on the island of Santa Catarina. this side, the west shore, has virtually no surf, and the east shore is where all the legendary surf and the Brazilian pros like Niko Paderatz all come from, just like the North Shore of Oahu. so no surf on race day, but we can expect some possible chop and a good current. when we went out the other day just for a dip in front of the hotel, we got pulled down pretty far in just the few minutes we were in. so on race day, i'll have to go in early, be sure to float for a few, see where it's pulling and then compensate with where i start and what i aim fr and sight off of.

tonight i'll pack all the bags and drop them off with my bike tomorrow afternoon to the transition area. i think this is where i'll start to lose it. but to help, i wrote up a plan, THE PLAN, THE SCREENPLAY if you will. i've been kinda meditating in it every night before i go to bed. thouht i'd share it with you to help y'all start thinking your plans out. there's just so many bags and variables ya know!!! and the broser i'm using doesn't show all the blogger editing features, so i hope it's not too crazy to read. even formatted, it's pretty gnarls. but hey, it's ironman. oh, and this isn't open to comments on how you would change it up. you go do what you wanna do, i'm stickin' to my plan!!! so ok, so here goes. after this probably no more posting.....

LOVE YOU GUYS.

IM BRASIL RACE PLAN

RACE EVE
mix up various perpetuem flavors and pre-freeze in fridge

RACE MORNING

BRING IN SWIM BAG FOR BIKE
__ bento box
__ salt sticks (tape)
__ computer
__ co2
__ tubes
__ perpetuem flasks (1) goes in flask holder, (2) get taped to frame and put in jersey pocket at bike start
__ 2 carbo pro/gatorade baggies go in bento box
__ 2 luna moons go in bento box
__ large bottle of plain water
__ small bottle mixed with FRS for 20 minutes before start
__ bottles (3+ aero drink w/ straw and scrubber stopper)
__ bring 3 bottles pre mixed with carbo pro/gatorade. bring extra baggy of drink mix. poor pre-mixed into aero bottle once it's mounted. then use water to mix up empty bottle with drink mix

DROP OFF BAGS - put dry race morning clothes in "GENERAL" bag, "SWIM" bag empty, and "RUN" bag
FOR SWIM

__ sunscreen to face
__ bodyglide neck
__ sportshield neck
__ HRM - watch & chest strap
__ under armour bottoms
__ champion cycle bra
__ tri top
__ goggles (2 pair)
__ ear plugs
__ swim cap
__ full wetsuit
__ 1 hammer gel for swim exit and re-entry

SWIM STRATEGY

__ start outside especially if current is pulling as strong as it was in front of hotel. compensate sighting for current
__ stay calm after mass start. get in groove and let heart rate come down
__ continue to check in on key form points
__ hip rotation
__ long dps
__ wider arm entry
__ hand entry steep & deep
__ shoulder above elbow, elbow above wrist, wrist above hand
__ watch left hand i particular that it doesn't drop or go across body on the breathing strokes
__ breaths straight to the side. just one eye out of the water. don't let breaths turn you on your back. BE THE ALLIGATOR!!!
__ continue to look for the draft opportunity but DON'T GET PULLED!!!
__ ONLY SWIM AS FAST AS YOUR FORM STAYS GOOD!!!!

T1 - IN BIKE BAG

__ POOR EVERYTHING OUT OF BAG INSTEAD OF DIGGING FOR THINGS. HAVE IT ALL IN FRONT OF YOU TO SEE
__ DON'T LET VOLUNTEERS APPLY SUNSCREEN!!!! NAO OBRIGADA!!!
__ small absorbent towel
__ body glide inner thighs & toes
__ sunscreen (bullfrog on body, faces for face)
__ switch to bike shorts
__ chammy butter
__ no socks
__ no gloves
__ keep tri top
__ headband
__ sunglasses
__ helmet
__ cycling shoes
__ race belt with number (to back for bike)
__ 1 cheez it grips, 1 sports beans in back tri top pocket

BIKE SPECIAL NEEDS

__ 2 extra tubes
__ 2 extra co2
__ 2 more perpetuem flasks (pre frozen the night before)
__ extra salt tabs in baggy
__ chammy butter sample packs
__ 3 more drink mix baggies
__ 1 luna moons
__ 2 sports beans
__ 1 potato chips (eat right then)
__ 3 mini snickers (eat right then)


BIKE STRATEGY

__ FAVORITE PART IS DONE. PUT THE SWIM BEHIND YOU. RIDE THAT FUCKER!!!!
__ NOTHING TO EAT OR DRINK EXCEPT WATER FOR FIRST 15-20 MINUTES UNTIL HEART RATE COMES DOWN
__ STAY IN THE MOMENT
__ maintain between 85-90 RPM, heart rate in easy zone 2 on flats with higher zone 2 for hills(142-163)
__ eat on the 15's
__ drink on the 15's (1 to 2 bottles per hour depending on heat)
__ salt on the 30's
__ nice circles with pedals
__ stay aero 99% of the course
__ watch out for road conditions at all times. watch for reflectors in road, dips, chip seal on highway, ESPECIALLY THE DESCENT INTO DOWNTOWN!!!!
__ watch for other riders. watch for launching water bottles
__ check often that water bottles are secure
__ ***keep soundtrack in head***

T2 - IN RUN BAG

__ POOR EVERYTHING OUT OF BAG INSTEAD OF DIGGING FOR THINGS. HAVE IT ALL IN FRONT OF YOU TO SEE
__ DON'T LET VOLUNTEERS APPLY SUNSCREEN!!!! NAO OBRIGADA!!!
__ more sunscreen
__ keep tri top
__ dry jogbra if it's feelin' gnarls up in there
__ switch to tri bottoms
__ body glide
__ visor
__ put helmet and glasses back
__ socks
__ running shoes
__ hand bottle and carrier with luna moons
__ 1 extra cheez it grips for back of jersey
__ salt tabs in yellow rubber coin purse
__ 1 extra luna moons for back of jersey or up in visor
__ 1 sports beans to eat right away
__ switch race belt and number to front


RUN SPECIAL NEEDS

__ 1 bottle of mountain dew (de-fizzed)
__ potato chips
__ mini snickers
__ more gripz
__ more luna moons
__ more salt tabs
__ 1 dose of tylenol 8 hour
__ baby body glide
__ dry socks
__ long sleeved shirt
RUN STRATEGY

__ HARDEST PART IS DONE. PUT IT BEHIND YOU. YOU KNOW HOW TO RUN A SMART MARATHON. PACE YOURSELF TO THE MOTHER SHITTER OF A HILL AND BACK AND THEN GET.IT.DONE.BEYOTCH!!!
__ start out with 4:1 run/walk ratio for first 2-3 miles to get legs back
__ nice 10:30 to 11:30 pace at 6:1 all the way to last 10k.
__ stay in lower zone 3 (163-173)
__ no freaking out allowed if pace is slower. shit happens. KEEP MOVING!!!
__ eat 1/2 pack of luna moons on the 30's
__ salt on the 30's
__ drink when thirsty
__ take the chicken soup after 5pm!!!
__ STAY IN THE MOMENT. SHIT HAPPENS AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS!!!
__ ***keep soundtrack in head***
__ in the last 10k, if you're feelin' it, if there's anything left, this is when the race begins. YOU ARE A FUCKING ROCK STAR. RUN LIKE YOU STOLE IT!!!!
__ PLAN B, if you're not feelin' it, wait 'til lst 5k, then RUN LIKE YOU BORROWED IT!!!
__ PLAN C, if you're not feelin' anything from the waist down but massive darts of pain, walk the shit outta that last 5k. YOU'RE STILL A ROCK STAR!!!


*** the soundtrack is a list of my favorite songs that keep me movin'. since i can't and would never consider wearing an ipod on race day, i keep a list of songs in my head that i sing the choruses and lyrics from over and over on race day. sometimes i'm at a loss for what's on the ipod, so i make a list and listen to it just before the race to help me think of the choruses easily. y'all will have to wait 'til my race report for the playlist.