Race Preview-Ironman Florida

Well, here we are. After 3,816 miles and 347 hours of preparation, and nearly $5000 raised for Wears Valley Ranch, It's time. My bike and gear are all checked in and we're just one more night's sleep away from the goal. It's hard to believe. Lots of thoughts are floating around in my head right now, but one has been dominating the brain waves. How blessed I have been throughout this whole process. Blessed in that I've been able to remain healthy. Blessed to have the strong support crew that God has provided. Blessed to race with Tri4Him, a team that lives out what it stands for. And blessed to be able to go out there an glorify Him on race day. Not just with effort or performance, but with all the little things too. Yesterday morning, while out on a swim, I took a moment to reflect. As I laid there, floating on my back, in the middle of The Gulf of Mexico, I was in awe of our God. The ways in which He's touched my life through this sport, it's people, and this unbelievable process of transformation have been countless. The past 18 months have been a little snap shot of what life is about and I'm hoping and praying that tomorrow will be a fitting and humble tribute to our Lord, who will never, ever, quit on us.

Here's how tomorrow will shake out.

Swim

At 7AM, the cannon will go off. Me and the 2000+ other competitors who are staged on the beach will take off. Pretty much a free-for-all getting to the water. It will be a 2-loop course (1.2 miles each), broken up by a short jog on the beach, before starting the second loop. Water temperature has been 72-75F, making it perfect for a wetsuit swim. My strategery won't change any for this one. Stay calm. Stay relaxed. Avoid as much traffic as possible and come out of the water in good shape for the bike.

Bike

The bike course here is flat and fast. There are a few rollers and one bridge to manage, but for the most part, flat and on excellent surface for the duration. The big variable for this one is weather. Morning lows will be in the 40's so the first 56 miles will be a bit more chilly that your typical Houston weather. It'll warm up into the 60's, but on a bike, going 19-20 M.P.H., it can get pretty cold. I'm planning on taking my time in transition and getting layered up. It may take a little longer and I may have to shed some clothing on the course, but it beats being uncomfortable from the get go. I'm planning on being fairly conservative on the bike leg. The energy you burn trying to be hero for that 112 miles is gone. You don't get it back for the marathon, which is when it really counts.

Run

Again flat and the cool temperatures should make for a good run. The course meanders through several neighborhoods, making for lots of folks out to support. I plan on maintaining a comfortable pace through the first 13 miles. If the legs are feeling good and I've got some mojo left, this is when I'll try to kick it up a notch. If not, it'll be gut check time. I'm told that the last half of the ironman marathon is where memories are made. I wanted to find out what was over the edge of self-imposed limitations. Tomorrow I will.


As always, thank you for following along and offering up prayers and support in so many ways. Tomorrow, between 7AM and 7PMish, I'll be out there grinding away. Pray for strength, courage, patience, peace, and that I might be a blessing to someone else out there on the course. I'm excited to be here, feeling good, and anxious to find out what's in store.

Now let's go do this thing.