And with a couple of clicks of the mouse, I’m registered.

I’ve been waiting til now, just to let it simmer in my brain for a while, but the rates go up Oct. 31.  I have opted out of blogging the actual cost of registration, because if ever the blog were to serve as inspiration for someone to ultimately compete in an event like this, the cost alone would have a staggeringly defeating effect!  Look it up if you really need to know, but also understand that the financial cost is the least expensive of the costs…

Training this week has gone well.  Today’s weather is not cooperating too much, so the brick gets put off one more day – a lake swim/bike ride.  I will instead go to the gym for a lap lane workout.  I had two fabulous runs and two very strong strength training workouts.  Next week is going to be a little funky; we are travelling Monday to Pittsburgh where we’ll unpack the bikes, leave the airport on the bikes, and ride the C and O canal to Washington DC.  I won’t add any running or swimming, but will use the 50 or 60 mile days on the bike as the training.  I hope to keep up the strength training by adding some body weight exercises through the week.  I intend to blog and put up pics of this most interesting ride, but internet access may be a bit sketchy. 

Back to registration.  The race website is www.ironman.co.nz and there are some great pics of the lake and bike/run courses.  There’s also a very menacing countdown clock in the upper left of the home page, that just ticks those seconds away, one after another.  I have the ability to request a refund, so no huge drama about having the money on the line, but it did have an impact on me to click through that registration form:  age, emergency contact, reason for competing, etc.  As if I weren’t before, but now I really am training AND registered for an Ironman event!

Form drills in the pool today, again thanks to Fran, then brick tomorrow.  No iPod today so I can focus more sharply on task at hand.

Thanks for reading!