Pre-Race IRONMAN FL 2013
This post is all about the days leading up to IRONMAN Florida 2013, with some thoughts and recommendations for anyone considering Florida 2014.
Getting ready for IRONMAN #8 was great. The days leading up the race were fun. I often felt myself wishing I was partaking in the spectating instead of racing, but that’s not abnormal. Leading up the race I was also busy with juggling some different things, so I spent even less time than usual thinking about the race.
We got in town on Thursday night which in retrospect, was a little bit late. I would definitely recommend arriving on the Wednesday if possible for this race. Normally, I like to arrive Thursday for a Sunday race and Wednesday for a Saturday race. (Heck it would be great to arrive even earlier, if time and money were no object) For this particular race it felt less risky to arrive last minute since we were within driving distance. However, if I was flying to a race, I would prefer (and recommend) a bigger time cushion.
The upside was no checkin lines, everyone else had checked in already. Also, John had used what is becoming our favorite method to book lodging, wait until other people cancel then swoop in. In this case, we actually were able to book at the Boardwalk the week prior! If you’re not going to book a year plus early, then I actually prefer the last minute accommodation booking. And if you’re staying in Panama City then the Boardwalk condos are the best place to stay, no contest. It makes everything easier when you’re a 5 minute walk from the action.
Thursday night we went to dinner with friends and were tucked in bed by 9. Friday I woke up bright and early (due to the time change) and starting scrounging for swim buddies. The water was a bit rough, one red flag which was changed to double red flags pretty much right after we got out of the water.
Hit the ocean with Jamal, Joseph, and Rich, and got absolutely pummeled getting past the breakers! I can dive under waves well enough- it’s not a hard concept to grasp, but doing it quickly and efficiently is a skill. Once we got past the breakers the ocean was wild and I didn’t want to linger long. Rich and I ended up getting separated from Joseph and Jamal and when it was time to go back in I sprinted, trying to keep from getting flattened. It was a good move, except when I stopped (when I could touch) the next wave took me under and flipped me/threw me against the ground. Ouch! I nursed a sore back for the rest of the day from that one. It’s always amazing to me how different waves are up close versus viewing them from a distance.
After the swim it was a flurry of activity getting ready. First was the IRONMAN tri club program meeting, which was great. It’s a wonderful program and they really are trying to get as much feedback as possible from the first year, so they can improve it going forward. Next, I had scheduled a f2f with Brian at Accelerate 3, who I consulted with some this year on my training. After that, it was all about race prep.
I had already somewhat laid out my bags Thursday and the issue of the day was my DI2. Somehow the battery wasn’t charging, and I found that alarming. Though the charge indicator showed that I had approximately half the battery left, my limited faith in technology in combination with my belief that bike things seem to go wrong for me more often than the average person, had me stressed. I wanted to start the race with a fully charged battery.
After a call to Podium, several visits to the Inside Out bike tent and grabbing another battery from Paul, who of course is vigilant to carry several batteries on his person at all times, we were back in business.
It was pouring and we ended up checking in late with a couple thousand others. My parents and Kim, who was also staying with us arrived in the mid-afternoon and we went to Carrabas at 5 PM hoping to beat the crowd. Amazingly we still had to wait about an hour. Felt sorry for the folks who were just arriving when we left! I had my favorite pre-race meal of simple noodles with marinara and a side of grilled chicken. Plus a yummy beer. Would definitely recommend calling ahead and posting up Super early if you’re considering the race for next year
After that it was early to bed
