34 Hours to go....

Yep, this time 34 hours from now, I'll have been in the water for about 10 minutes - hopefully that means my left shoulder should ease it's whining and my heart will relax a little, though it will take another 10 minutes to feel comfortable.   Then another 10 - 15 minutes and I'll be out, searching for my bike among the over 2000 or so that will be parked in the transition area - hopefully I'll remember which aisle it's down and which section I need to jog to.

Then I'll be putting on my glasses, helmet, socks and shoes; suck down a gel and drink some water and clunk my way out to the bike course.   Oops!  Forgot to pull my bike off the rack and bring it along!  I'm sure I'll be a little woozy after the swim....

Up the first hill (the start - yeah, that's pretty unfair.....) and out - hopefully I've remembered to keep my bike in a low gear since it's such a rough start.... Then I'll be huffing and puffing, my thighs will already be complaining until I make it to the top of the hill and some flats - I'll be wondering what the ech eee double-hockeysticks I was thinking in signing up for this.... Then I'll be more settled into the rhythm and feeling more comfortable - then around mile 8 or so will be a killer hill, and I'll be back into the questioning my sanity phase.... Then the half-way mark and some gatorade and I'll be off to the end, rolling hills and all.... Now, about an hour and 15 minutes later, I'll be slowing the bike down that first hill and trying to smoothly dismount and clunk my way back to my spot in the transition area - again, hoping I remember where my stuff is.... I'll be coming in from the opposite direction of the swim, so all my directions will be backwards.....

Eventually, I'll find my stuff, put my bike up on the rack (hopefully won't drop it) and shakingly remove my bike shoes (probably have to sit down for this one) and put on my running number and I'm off!  Oops, now I've forgotten to remove my helmet and put on my hat.... back to the spot and look more proper for a run.....

I'll be shuffling my feet in that uncomfortable yet familiar gait that occurs when running after pushing yourself on a bike for awhile, and off on the trail for the 3.3 mile run.... I'll really be hating myself by the time I get to "Gatorade Hill", and probably have to stop (for probably about the 3rd time) and walk up that one.... Then the end will be in sight and hopefully I'll have enough fuel left in me to at least jog to the finish line and smile at the end....

Yep, this is how it will happen in my mind..... 

If only I could be so certain that it will be that way in reality......

Ah well, at least I'm certain I'll finish..... eventually.....