I can't believe how quickly the days are going by. With each passing day, the excitement builds just a little more. We had our final brick workout yesterday, a 1.5 mile swim followed by a 4 mile run on Treasure Island. It was a typical San Francisco summer day, the Bay covered by a layer of wet fog, but not bad conditions for racing. I'd choose fog over wind any day. Yesterday's workout was a final chance to test some last-minute supplements for my race.
Test #1: Operation Satellite. The first thing I tried was using Brian's Garmin Forerunner GPS, as I'd really like to go back and look at my exact swim course after the whole thing is over. Since the device won't pick up a signal when under-water, I can't wear it on my wrist. Instead, I wrapped it in a zip-loc bag and put in inside my squid lid. Result: Success. I just have to remember not to let it drop on the beach when I take my squid lid off.
Test #2: Operation core warmer. One of the things I'm a bit worried about is warming up after the swim. While the body does adapt to the cold-water conditions over time, it takes a lot of energy and calories to stay warm. Not only am I physically drained after swimming in the bay, but my fingers and toes are completely numb. It takes a long, hot shower to thaw them out, a luxury I won't be provided on race day, so I'm trying to come up with effective ways to ensure that I can keep my core warm as I transition onto the bike. Adrenaline will play a big role, as will continual movement. But I want to have something that really makes me feel noticeably warm, this is where my Sport's Tea comes into play. Since I haven't owned a thermos since grade school, I went out and bought one; yesterday was it's debut and it performed beautifully. I must say, that hot tea was a wonderful treat after the swim. Not only did it remove the saltwater taste from my mouth, but I could feel it heating up my insides. A shot of whiskey might do the trick as well.
Test #3: Operation Bay Beard. I tried--unsuccessfully--to find a picture of this so you could all see a visual of the phenomena known as "Bay Beard". The Bay is filled with all kinds of micro-organisms, seaweed, and other forms of crud that stick to your skin. When you emerge from the water, it is quite common to have what looks like 5 o'clock shadow, but is really some unspeakable form of refuse from the water. If swimming in the water alone isn't enough to make you want to hurl, Bay Beard can quite possibly be the thing that pushes you over the edge. While I can't control Bay Beard from happening, I can be prepared to remove it quickly. I am bringing a wet wash cloth to wipe my face with at the transition. I experimented with soaking the wash cloth in boiling water and wrapping it in insulating material, but this didn't work, it was cold by the time I used it. I just want, for a few glorious moments, something that make me feel like I've bathed. Even if it adds another minute or two onto my transition time, I'd rather have the salt-water wiped off my skin before I go onto the bike than not. This one little act will make me feel like I am back to being the mammal that I am.
All other systems go as we move onto the final countdown. I'll be tapering this week and just focusing on getting lots of rest, organizing all of my gear, and mentally preparing myself for race day. If I had to choose one word to summarize how I feel, it'd be "amped". There are moments when this takes the form of terror, other times when it's excitement. To say the least, it's going to be a day unlike any I've ever experienced. And the unknown doesn't always turn out to be a bad thing, right? Why the hell are we so scared of it? I'm going to wake up (at 3:30am, ahem) on June 3, look in the mirror, and see the lion. I hope the roar doesn't wake up my neighbors.
No comments:
Post a Comment