SOME IRONMAN THOUGHTS AND PICTURES

I still haven't managed to completely wrap my head around the fact that I am an Ironman.  I don't really know that I will ever be able to put into words how it feels to work so hard for so long for a dream and have it come true.  It was even more amazing to do it in front of family and friends and everyone following along at home on the computer.  It is equally amazing that Kerry and I finished within 14 mins of each other.  I still need to organize my thoughts about the race before I write the nitty gritty details.  It will definitely have to come in parts because there is a lot that goes on in almost 15 hours.  Here are a few pics to hold you over

It's almost go time

He certainly was watching over me

    My fan club had rocking shirts

The swim was unbelieveable.  Talk about a full contact sport

The bike was hot and harder than I remember from training camp.  Most likely due to the nasty headwind on the hardest 26 miles of each loop.

Does my bike make my ass look big???

  Just for the record it isn't easy to run a marathon after all that biking...just sayin...although once again Kerry made it look easy

Deanne Hobba from Salem, Massachusetts you are an Ironman.....yep...I heard him say it as I rounded the Olympic Oval

The world's best sherpa hands down

Alcohol and endurance sports don't play well together

Don't judge my compression socks...they help.  I don't look too bad for the day after 140.6 miles!!!

                      

I AM AN IRONMAN

So much to say but not right now. In took me 14:54:27 to cap off the biggest adventure of my life. Simply amazing. Many details and pics to follow.

LP DAY 3: SO MANY LAUGHS

This will be short and sweet because I need to eat and get my head in a good place (no it is not up my ass).  I have exactly 13 hours until the canon goes off.

I dropped all my stuff off today and then it was all about hanging out with the family.  We walked to to the lake and looked at the swim course

The buoys are up

We went to the Olympic Oval and were amazed as we watched the bike racks fill up

My cheering squad

Dude....where's my bike?

After lunch we hit the ice arena and of course Josh snuck out on the ice. He was a bit jealous of the ice dancers out there so he bought himself a new outfit to cheer up.


I feel pretty so pretty

 We then headed out to the ski jumps and took a chairlift ride then an elevator ride to the top.  Tracie was adamant she was NOT doing the chairlift thing but she put her big girl panties on joined us.

She didn't even blow chunks!!!!

Even my Mom and Ariel successfully navigated the chairlift

It certainly is stunning from way up atop those ski jumps

While atop the mountain we had a contest for the individual most likely to putz around and take forever.  No surprise here...the Dudevoir's swept the category

Ok peeps I have to go.  It is time to settle down and wrap my head around what I have to do tomorrow. Send me those good vibes and the next time I blog it will be as an Ironman!!!! 

LP DAY 2: TIME IS FLYING

My Lake Placid home.

 Despite setting my alarm for 7 the clock says it is 5:45 and my brain says "Umm NO...I am not going back to sleep".  I was hoping to get some extra rest last night because I know there will not be a great deal of sleep going on for me tonight.
Yesterday was another busy day and I can't believe how fast the day goes.  Another quick day in pics because once again.....I got shit to do! 

Met Kerry for a loop of the swim course.  The water was nice (74) and it looks like thanks to the colder temps here at night the race will be wetsuit legal for everyone.  There were a few people out there swimming that were nice enough to swim over top Kerry and I despite the fact they had plenty of room to go elsewhere.  IDIOTS.

After the swim Quinn and I headed back to the cottage.  It is the cutest little thing in the world.
                                          

Dining/kitchen area

After a shower and lunch we headed back into town to the Olympic Oval so I could spend some more money and get a few things I needed for the race.


My bike's home in transition



The finish line where I WILL become an Ironman

I also met up with my coach and loaded up on cowbells for my cheering squad.  We spent a few hours in town and then headed back so I could start to think about what to put in my gear bags.....my new stressor.  You get 5 bags for your stuff....bike gear (helmet, shoes, socks etc), run gear (shoes, socks, clothes, hat, etc), special needs run and bike (anything you would like access to halfway through each course) and morning clothes bag which really serves as OMG change out of those clothes after the race because you REEK bag.  You have to take into account any and all situations you may encounter and make sure you have what you need in these bags.  For instance...I have to have a spare pair of contacts in my bike bag in case I lose one in the swim.  I will have a spare tube and CO2 cartridge in bike special needs in case God Forbid I use the two on my bike.  And so on and so on.

I need to finalize this stuff today because I have to drop my bike and these bags off by 3PM today and will not have access to them again until tomorrow at 5AM when transition opens.
The family got here yesterday and when I got back from my athlete meeting last night I walked into a house full of laughter and chaos.  I laughed more in the next hour than I have in months.  Nothing beats family....especially mine.  Jacki is totally convinced now more than ever than she will be murdered at the B&B and apparently she is onto something because everyone else seems to think it could happen.  Maybe I should call them right now and make sure they made it through the night.   Ok burning daylight here gotta go.

QUICK MORNING UPDATE

Good morning peeps.  It is 5:47am here in Lake Placid.  I am waiting to get out on the bike.  Why am I waiting you ask??  Because it is only 42 degrees.  That is cold on the bike.  For all of you gullible folks out there... while that was indeed real snow in the picture yesterday it did not fall from the sky.  The fact that I had shorts on should have been a clue.  Anyhow race day forecast has changed again to include afternoon thunderstorms so everyone out there say a prayer to whoever it is you choose that if we do have to have thunderstorms they wait until I am off the bike.

Check out www.myathletelive.com .  IMLP is listed and my name is there.  Definitely the best way to track me.  Won't be turning on GPS till after swim so no info until then.  Going to get ready for a cold bike ride now.

DAY 1:QUINN HAS BEGUN DRINKING

It was only a matter of time really.  The poor girl has tolerated me long enough and has finally thrown in the towel.

Breaking out the nips

It has been a whirlwind day.  We have been in Lake Placid since 11AM.  Just a quick recap in pics because I got shit to do and Quinn has shots to do.


10 lbs of shit in a 5lb space. Yeah Quinn

Picked up my registration stuff and in addition to heart palpatations got a sweet bag

I only had to pay $656.50 for this bag!!!!

They weighed me and put a bracelet on my wrist that I am not to remove under threat of penalty or death until after the race


Oh it's real now

We walked around a lot and enjoyed the weather.....until it snowed.  Yep Mother Nature hates me......at least it isn't race day.

Are you freakin kidding me:)

After lunch we walked over to Mirror lake.  It was so calm and serene I wished I could have just jumped in and did my swim then. 


Look how calm the lake looks!!!

Went to the cottage where we are staying at and unloaded the crap then hit the grocery store.

Tomorrow I am riding about 10-12 miles then running two.  After that I am meeting Kerry for a swim and then I have to start thinking about my race plan.  My coach wants me to write down for him what I plan on doing from the time I wake up race morning until the end of the race.  Now that will be epic.  I should probably leave out the Hail Marys, hyperventilating and throwing up parts.  Oh....I think Quinn just passed out.  Gotta go

LAKE PLACID HERE I COME

Hopefully around 5am tomorrow with the car packed to the hilt Quinn and I will be on our way to Lake Placid.  The Ironman people sent me this yesterday

As a matter of fact I am.  My apprehension over this race has been replaced with excitement.  I can not wait to get there.  I know the apprehension will make a comeback closer to race day but I can handle it.  While I am ready Quinn clearly is not.  Look at all the stuff she has to pack tonight

OK....in the interest of full disclosure this is my bed and my crap.  No it is not in neat piles or organized.  It is pretty much all thrown in a heap.  Yes it is Quinn's job to pack it.  Why you ask......because Quinn has this amazing ability to fit 10 gallons of crap in a 5 gallon bag.  I on the other hand need a 20 gallon bag for 10 gallons of crap so it is for the best that she packs for me.  Trust me she is used to it.  In all the years we have traveled together I have not once, ever, packed my own suitcase.  Pitiful I know.  That's what best friends and sherpas are for.  Quinn got a little present yesterday from one of my friends at work.  Included in this awesome basket of post IM celebration stuff she included a post race bag for Quinn containing 6 nips.  Quinn's first question.......are they refillable???. 
I did my last workout here this morning with Cindy. I have a few to do once I get to LP and a pretty big workout on Sunday!!!  We ran 4.5 miles including some track work.  It was 82 degrees and 60% humidity at 4:30 AM.  Ridiculous.  At the bottom of the hill leading up to her house we saw Mom and Pop Turkey with their 4 turkey babies.  When I got home I stepped on the scale and it said I weighed 140.6.  While I know my IM buddies will immediately get the significance for everyone else out there 140.6 is the amount of miles in an IM race.  Bizarre.  I don't think I am really that thin..probably dehydrated from sweating buckets on the run but pretty cool to see that number pop up!!!  At this point when all of us athletes are tapering our focus switches to weather watching.  The hourly forecast for race day is up and given my experiences in training and at training camp in LP I think it looks pretty accurate

Only 2 more hours in the work day and I hope they go by quick.  After a quick stop at the bike shop to pick up my bike it is home to cheer Quinn on while she packs.  GO QUINN!!!!!!!!  I will do my best to post a little something daily while up there provided I can find some free wi-fi so stay tuned.  Thanks to all who have sent cards, sent emails, made baskets, made scrapbooks, gave hugs or good luck wishes.  It means a tremendous amount to have all of you cheering for me and to know you will be following me on raceday!!!