My First Triathlon: Ironman Louisville 2010 - Prologue

There really is no day like Ironman Race Day. People can tell you about it; you can read others' stories; and you can do an endless amount of research on the subject :) But to have a day like it ~ a momentous occasion that acts as a celebration and culmination of a journey of hard work, sacrifice, challenges, and one that reflects upon the people, support & development of self-skills that brought you there... is truly something else.

Race Weekend began on Thursday, with two flights from SFO to Dallas; and from Dallas to Louisville with my small cohort of 8: Coach Simon, Sandy, Paula, Jessica, Josh, Heather, Jane, & Kristin.

We arrived in downtown Louisville by 6:45 p.m. and were delighted to feel a breeze in the air, and not the thick layer of humidity we had all anticipated.

After meeting up with our Team Manager, Merla, and checking in and enjoying dinner together downtown, I met with my parents, who had just flown in from San Diego -- to go over a "Parents' Guide" I had put together for them. It included things like the team agenda of where we would be; the estimated time schedule for race day; special tasks to perform during the race itself (like driving to the swim start as early as 4:30 a.m. & picking up my bike and gear bags after 7 p.m.); and suggested places to check out and foods to try in Louisville in between. Special thanks to Sedonia & the Yoshida Family for the nuggets of wisdom!

It didn't take long for the buzz, speculation and race weekend chatter to start up. My brain was near-fried by Friday morning -- what with hearing about 80 different opinions on electrolyte intake, how much we should be eating in the days leading up to the race; what we should be wearing; why certain race strategies may or may not be a good idea. Not to mention seeing ten-thousand dollar bikes with disc wheels and cyclists with aero helmets zooming by the sidestreets of town getting in their "last-minute practice rides".

I anticipated all this would happen, but not in the overwhelming capacity that it did! It took a lot of self-motivation to quiet the noise and stick to my own plan for pre-race planning. They say that you should always swim, bike, and run your own race. The same goes for your race strategy and doing the routine that works best for YOU. So if you ever find yourself in a position where too many conflicting opinions and suggestions are being thrown around -- always listen to your own inner self. Trust yourself and your plan. If it's worked for you in the past, then stick to your guns. As they say: Before the race, everyone looks like a champion -- and with over 1,300 first-time Ironman Athletes in Louisville this year, it could very well be the blind leading the blind :)