Karen writes: Day before IM update
I was feeling so twitchy this morning I went for a short run early. It was cold, I was still feeling anxious about whether we would even be racing tomorrow, but that little run was reassuring on two counts. Firstly, the legs still work. Secondly, but most importantly, there were a heap of others out there, obviously all with the same aim, all running, cycling intently, and a few hardy souls heading wetsuited for the water.
It has been such a strange day, cold first thing and windy. Now all is eerily quiet on the weather front, as though we are all WAITING for something to happen. Ohhhh, if only the Ironman was today it would be an excellent day, calm, mild, overcast. The man at the bakery asked if I knew what was happening because he would normally open early for IM day, the mechanic said "of course its going ahead", and the volunteers are all business as usual.
So all goes per plan, the bikes have gone into the cycle pen not to be seen again till tomorrow morning, and we had excellent volunteers providing personalised instructions and advice ("attach your helmet to the bike in case the wind blows it off overnight", "sit on the ground in the changing tent with your legs out and the helpers can just yank your wetsuit off"). I had a moment of concern when a mechanic looking at someone else's Scott bike pointed at mine and said "there's another light one like yours". I thought, oh, light bike, I might blow away in the wind, but then I remembered I am an Athena athlete and between my 75kg, the 10kg (feels like it) of food I am carrying, the bike should be well grounded!
Kate and me spent ages this morning packing the bags which will be used in transition, pondering the order of items in the bags, are there enough warm clothes, duplications of antichafe, spare food etc.
Oh oh, here is the RAIN. I'm sitting on the bed in an upstairs room looking out of big windows at the lake, and it has gone from a reasonably clear view to not being able to see very much at all. Glad I stopped at Postie+ and picked up one of their on special thermals!
Weather briefing at 1600 hours, feeling more confident about going ahead having steadfastly refused to look at the weather forecast since I saw that last one, the one that said 'gale force winds gusting 110km/hour'. So please keep sending positive weather thoughts in our direction...if we can just get on the road we don't care if it is a bit windy and rainy! Be a shame that the beautiful gear sponsored by Novo Nordisk doesnt see the light of day under the wet weather gear though...
It has been such a strange day, cold first thing and windy. Now all is eerily quiet on the weather front, as though we are all WAITING for something to happen. Ohhhh, if only the Ironman was today it would be an excellent day, calm, mild, overcast. The man at the bakery asked if I knew what was happening because he would normally open early for IM day, the mechanic said "of course its going ahead", and the volunteers are all business as usual.
So all goes per plan, the bikes have gone into the cycle pen not to be seen again till tomorrow morning, and we had excellent volunteers providing personalised instructions and advice ("attach your helmet to the bike in case the wind blows it off overnight", "sit on the ground in the changing tent with your legs out and the helpers can just yank your wetsuit off"). I had a moment of concern when a mechanic looking at someone else's Scott bike pointed at mine and said "there's another light one like yours". I thought, oh, light bike, I might blow away in the wind, but then I remembered I am an Athena athlete and between my 75kg, the 10kg (feels like it) of food I am carrying, the bike should be well grounded!
Kate and me spent ages this morning packing the bags which will be used in transition, pondering the order of items in the bags, are there enough warm clothes, duplications of antichafe, spare food etc.
Oh oh, here is the RAIN. I'm sitting on the bed in an upstairs room looking out of big windows at the lake, and it has gone from a reasonably clear view to not being able to see very much at all. Glad I stopped at Postie+ and picked up one of their on special thermals!
Weather briefing at 1600 hours, feeling more confident about going ahead having steadfastly refused to look at the weather forecast since I saw that last one, the one that said 'gale force winds gusting 110km/hour'. So please keep sending positive weather thoughts in our direction...if we can just get on the road we don't care if it is a bit windy and rainy! Be a shame that the beautiful gear sponsored by Novo Nordisk doesnt see the light of day under the wet weather gear though...
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