5 years in the training.

10 years in the planning.

Tomorrow morning (at 5:30am to be precise) I board a plane to take me in the direction of my Ironman event.  It’s an intentionally expanded journey, and includes 10 days in the warm Southern California sunshine to enhance the training, and concludes with the event itself on Saturday, March 6, at Lake Taupo, New Zealand.  (Worth noting to remember that NZ is 16 hours ahead of us, so if you wait til 7am on Saturday, March 6 here in the US, I will be just about finishing!)

Last couple of days of training, preparation, and goodbyes has been emotional, exciting, and eventful.  Beginning with the process of packing the bike into the case:

My entire precious bicycle is in that pile o' parts

11 pieces exactly, to the packing of the crap I’ll need:

that's a king-sized bed

to the last dreadful session on the indoor trainer:

iPod and Kindle - waaaaay better than TV

to the sad visit to the hospital to say what may be a final goodbye to Jesse’s mom.  She was able to tell me to do good on my race – “Not many people do that, you know”.  It was the most lucid statement she made the whole visit.

My LA accomodation is a hostel in Santa Monica – I’ve been hosteling since college, and with a return to the lifestyle in New Zealand  and Paris in November, for 23 bucks a night, it’s not too bad – right on the beach.  I’ll post pics and blog from said location as I complete my final 9 training sessions.

Son Sam begins his Coast-to-Coast New Zealand in 15 hours – it’s a two-day event kayaking, trail running, and road biking across the entire South Island.  We’re gonna party like effing rock stars after we get through these races!  (AFTER, not IF)  If this underacheiving child kept a blog, you could read about his adventures there; instead, you’ll have to get the second-hand recap from here.

I’ll be available by phone til around the 22nd, then by Facebook or email in New Zealand (business goes on as usual – business calls will be forwarded to the highy capable Colt who can schedule your massages as you need them!)

Can’t wait to blog about the oppressive heat in LA and New Zealand!

Best iPod shuffle:  Business Time, by Flight of the Conchords

Thanks for reading!