I've got the sister on my team! You may recall one of my very early postsI dedicated to this woman, Sister Madonna Buder. She is 79 years old and has completed 35 Ironman Races. She said she would pray for me, and failing that she would walk the marathon with me. I'm counting on the prayers!
This morning started out with registration down at the park, and by the time we were out of there and back to the RV, my stress level was through the roof. Thank goodness Roo had the foresight to get us in line before they even opened, other wise we would have been standing for hours. What an incredible zoo! Fortunately as the day wore on Claudette talked me down and as I started getting all my respective gear packed and ready for the race I gradually settled down. Phone conversations with Peter and Miguette and the grandchildren(especially them) really helped, as well as a text message from Jon and a brief note I got from Cory....she's still taking care of me in my old age.
I also continue to get incredible support from other family and friends through e-mail, Roos facebook, and by phone. I am so humbled by it all.
I went over my bike one more time including checking every chain link individually, then took it out for a short ride. I officially declare it ready to go.
Tonite I will just try to relax and then tomorrow I will prepare everything I've not already done, including mixing all my nutrition. My bike and my transition bags actually need to checked in on Saturday anyway. Bit by bit they are erecting all of the fences, tents, bleachers etc and so I can start to get a sense of where and when everything will happen. I am looking forward to them getting the swim buoys out on the lake so that I can get my head around that. I already know that 2 kms out is going to look like a long way and the sooner I see it the better.
Tomorrow I will be going to a breakfast meeting exclusively for participants who entered through the community fund charity, and I think there I will be able to meet Paula Newby- Fraser. She is unarguably the most successful triathlete of all time, of any gender. She has won 24 Ironman races including Hawaii 8 times. ABC sports named her the greatest all around female athlete in the world! Maybe I'll get a few tips eh?
For the most part I want Saturday to be a day of meditation and soul searching. I need to enter this thing with a clear mind and a feeling of peace. Wish me luck with that.
Today Claudette asked me what I was going to do without my blog? Good question eh? I'm not sure yet but right now I think I will try to carry it on for a while. I can, if I choose to do so, sign up for 2010 on Saturday??? Probably not! But to continue my writings I would probably need something to give it some focus and as such maybe I'll come up with some new endeavour...something more useful...something harder...something not so selfish. We'll see.
I wish to dedicate day 343 to my littlest son Adrian who also happens to be my biggest son, but more importanly a son who has grown into a man before my eyes! Today he watered his mothers plants without a reminder, thereby reaching heights I have never scaled myself!!!
"Courage is just fear, plus prayers, plus understanding."---Edward Albert
"I have lived to thank God that all my prayers have not been answered. "---Jean Ingelow
"It is in vain to expect our prayers to be heard, if we do not strive as well as pray."---Aesop
love
peter
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