Vancity Tri Guy

Prepping for the big day

Things are really coming together as race day fast approaches. Yesterday morning started with a short 1k swim around a couple of the buoys before heading back to shore. I elected to swim without a wetsuit and was completely comfortable with the water temperature of 21 degrees. If it weren’t for the advantage to be had with a wetsuit, I would definitely race without one as I’ve heard others saying they’re too warm in it.

I haven’t been sleeping all that well since getting to the condo as a function of the incredibly loud road right out in front of where we’re staying. I managed to get an hour nap in before rolling out the door for one last ride to make sure everything was still in good order on the bike. Afterwards, a quick stop in at the supermarket and it was time to make some dinner which consisted of a salad with some pasta and crab meat thrown in. Sounds kind of random but it was actually pretty good.

Today is all about relaxing and putting the final touches on getting my head ready to race. The physical component is there, but now I need to take some time to review my race plan and visualize my transitions and the course. We were going to rent a van and take a look but weren’t able to find one that was available. Scooters were another option that we explored but I opted instead to hang out in town. The key though is to try and stay off the legs as much as possible and drink water. I’ve been a bit dehydrated so today I packed two bottles of water with me.

Overall, I’m feeling pretty good about the race! I’m happy with the amount of training that I put in and am confident that once I take some time to myself to visualize the race that I will be as prepared as I can be. Anything can happen on race day and the only thing you can control are the things that you prepare for. Nutritional, mechanical, physical and psychological aspects considered, any one of them can be challenged throughout a race. One thing that endurance sports has taught me is how to better handle adversity. Admittedly, I’m a planner. I like knowing what I’m doing and where I’m going both now and in the future. I’ve struggled in the past with the unknown surprises that life can throw at you but more and more I like those sorts of challenges. It keeps me on my toes and making my way through them has taught me that I can adapt with success.

Being in Nice the week before, it’s been interesting as droves of athletes have started to descend upon the town. When I first arrived in Sunday, I felt like a complete foreigner. I’ve been able to make my way through as previously mentioned and have continued to speak French as much as possible. Now as I walk around the streets, a whole multitude of languages are being spoken. It’s a blessing and a curse to have these highly visible orange wrist bands signifying that you will be one of the 2,500 people that will be racing come Sunday morning. It’s cool as you can instantly spot other competitors and usually end up exchanging a nod of respect as you carry on throughout town. While not actually a curse but its funny as the bands are almost an instant beacon for being a tourist, analogous to having a big camera around your neck!

The rest of the day will consist of getting my medical check in to complete my registration followed by the Energy Party! In other words, carbo loading with plenty of pasta and bread. Having done one other Ironman, I look forward to this as it’s a lot of fun to be in the company of so many others who have endured the training and have a similar passion to push yourself both physically and mentally over the course of a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and a 42.2km run. It’s always fun to exchange racing and training “war stories” as to what made you crazy enough to want to do this to yourself.

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