Taper!!!

Here we go! Only 12, yes I said it 12 days until Ironman Lake Placid! This past Sunday, I finished my training protocol with my last 20 hour training week. Very appropriate, the training did not conclude until 9:30PM at night. As is Mark Scribner, I had an awesome moment at the end of my run yesterday up the hardest hill I could find at Breakheart reservation as a pinnacle to hammer home the fact that I made it through all the training healthy and somewhat sane. It was so emotional being at the top of that hill, looking down and reflecting how difficult this has been. I took a good while on the rock watching the beauty that nature always provides, to wrap what was behind me, and to embrace what is in front of me with a boat-load of gratitude.

I really can’t believe this is going to happen! To say I’m excited would be the understatement of the century! We are going deep this race. Deep to the point that I’m giving my friends my entire emergency contact info and my blue/cross card. If I have to crawl to the finish, that’s what I’m going to do. The medical tent or bust!!!

I’m healthy and focusing on rest as much as possible. I’m officially in taper this week with only 12 hours of race specific training. Still intense, but so much less time. Did I say I can’t believe it yet? I know I’m prepared and that my fitness level is as good as it can be based on what the good Lord afforded me. I have put the time, energy and preparation into this event that provides the level of confidence needed. My support group has been amazing and the rest is up to me to execute the race-plan down to perfection.

Very soon, if not already; the mental focus and transformation of the mind to handle the suffering will begin. We will be leaving for the race next Wednesday at which point, all the tweeting, facebook, etc goes away and I’m in full-on race prep.

In the next couple of days I will post the race tracking info in case you want to follow me. I will also post my race pacing goals once complete. I wish you all could be there! Stay tuned after the race where I chronicle how I ate my way back to Massachusetts!