We're here...

I was just about to write about our "long" day of travel yesterday but when I think about it, in travel terms, it was pretty "short"...and much shorter than many of my friends who were stranded, delayed, and all sorts of bad stuff! Yes, Jess and I had a "short" travel day - departing at 6:15 a.m. Austin time and arriving before 10:00 a.m. Spokane (and Idaho) time - and a relatively easy one with incredible "transitions" in the Denver airport (gate to bathroom to next gate in record time with only about a 10-15 minute window to work with...and a line at the bathroom!). Easy car pick-up in Spokane...a roomy Chevy Traverse which is giving me a chance to drive another car that I don't ever really want to own...but that comfortably held three bikes today (two of them being big boy bikes!), so I can't complain. A nice drive from Spokane to Coeur d'Alene...and a chance to get settled in our home away from home. It's a house walking distance from Ironman village and all of that action and it's INCREDIBLY spacious (with a guesthouse out back that is as big as any regular house!). Lots of families in CDA rent their houses out for this week because the entire town pretty much turns into an extension of Ironman village. Shopkeepers and locals act impressed when they ask if you are doing the race and you say "yes" and they offer "oohs and aahs" as if you're the first person they've ever met to do an Ironman - which could not possibly be the case if you live here in CDA! But it's a really nice atmosphere to be in...and we certainly feel supported and welcomed.
Easy run with Dustin B. and Jess in the afternoon to shake out our legs and enjoy the cooler weather...did you know that it is possible to run in the summer without becoming a big, super-sweaty mess?! Well, at least if you're here in Idaho and the humidity is super low...it is possible. And enjoyable!
By evening, Chrissie and Jeremiah had arrived - just after an AWESOME meal that Jess made for us. And as our little house came together (minus Cheryl who got in very late Wednesday night), I found myself smiling more...which is saying a lot because traveling with Jess can pretty much just make you smile all day. So I should say that my smile just got bigger and all-encompassing...even if it was mostly an internal smile because I could feel myself fading (still fighting off whatever is trying to pull me down). And I thought how funny it was that a day of pretty easy travel suddenly felt VERY long...whatever that phenomenon, sleep came easily.
And that was good because the sun rises so early here that by 5 a.m. I was stirring again...but managed to go back to sleep until 7 a.m. LUXURY! Time for coffee and pre-workout snack in the back patio area with sweats on to stay warm through the morning chill...and then down to the lake to meet up with Dustin S. and Erin for our first team swim. What a difference from last year for me. Not sure what it was but my pre-race swims last year were not that great. Sure, the water was cold but that wasn't it. I just never felt in the groove or at home (which I usually do in the water) last year during our practice sessions. This year, I felt like I was a CDA fish finding its way back to familiar waters. Wetsuits, goggles, swim cap (not the neoprene one) in place...and off we went. Smooth strokes. A few builds. Everyone feeling good. YAY!
Quick change to running shoes and then a 20-minute out and back with some builds. This felt really good, too...and helped me confirm my race day attire (provided that the forecast stays the same as it is now). Lots of leap-frogging with teammates...a chance to take in some of the run course. (I evidently was really out of it last year b/c in my mind the first part of the course was bordered by only trees on one side...umm...there's a college there...right behind the trees. I saw it this time around!) Then back to the house for showers and off to grab some breakfast at the Bakery by the Lake - YUM! Registration and some IM gear shopping (unnecessary items perhaps but I bought some anyway) and soon we were headed home with the blue wristbands that we'll wear for the next four days in place. Yikes. This is becoming more real.
Some hangout time with Jess on our patio while we were waiting for Jeremiah and Chrissie to do some grocery shopping and soon it was time for another meal - don't judge, I'm going to be exercising for 14 hours or so on Sunday...I need my fuel! The weather remains awesome here so we've been eating outside as much as possible, and there are moments when we're so relaxed that I almost forget I'm doing an Ironman in 4 days! That changes when I look at my gear...and when I see my wrist...and when we do things like bike pick-up.
Steve and Natasha had our bikes ready for us and it was super easy. We were all happy to see our bikes...and they were in tip-top shape! Saw Brad and Jill there - yay...they finally made it! And managed to get the bikes back to our house in only two trips - pretty impressive for having two cars that only hold small bikes.
And then...some more downtime. Our group overall is super chill so that's great. We've all agreed that our house is in a great place - away from the crowds and the vibes that all of the Ironman stuff can create down by Ironman village. It's a funny deal, this Ironman stuff. Sure, it's "serious" in the way that it's serious training and a serious commitment and a serious challenge and something to have serious respect for...but, in my opinion, unless you're a pro, you don't need to take it that seriously. I mean for the rest of us, you should have fun doing it, right? (I hope the pros think it's fun, too, but I know there's more pressure on them...) You should be able to be a little light-hearted and thank the volunteers who want to chat with you and laugh at the folks who are taking it so seriously that they almost run you over with their bikes on the sidewalk along the lake! It's a gift to be able to do this stuff and I think that knowing that lets you walk around here with an "attitude of gratitude" - as cheesy as that sounds - that lets you enjoy it, soak it up, and get ready to have a great day on Sunday. Or maybe that's just what I tell myself to calm my nerves...
On that note, my stomach is growling...hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks it's time for another meal. After all, it's been nearly 4 hours!