hang in there chicago... just a few weeks to go

Then, you can be as cold as you like. ok, not as cold, but you know colder than it is now. So tagging on to the end of last post, this one is about adapting to changing temps. With only about 4 weeks left to go to the big day, I find myself in the rapidly dropping temperatures of Chicago. You know the ones,.... where it fails to stop in "fall" and instead we have the begginings of winter, only, with pretty leaves.

every morning i am tempted to stay curled up in my bed and avoid the pitch black and 45 degree temperatures. riding my bike, on the lake front, in the wind, is also becoming problematic. I am tempted to bust out my trainer and ride indoors, but i feel as long as i can fight back, i should because once the freezing temps roll in, Im going to want to be able to get on that trainer without already being sick of it.

Im starting to get nervous, but also VERY excited. i would say at this point, 95 percent of the excited is the excitement about the aftermath. the glory...sure, but mostly, being abe to take a little time off (before the cycle of training begins again), being able to sleep in, and of course being able to throw having done an ironman in everyones face.

i would say the 5 percent that is actually excited about the race itself, is still just nervous, and will develop as the day gets closer. but right now, fatigue has set in, and all i want to do is eat my weight in bagels and fall asleep like a bear in hibernation.

Tapering starts soon . the taper will hit the weekdays before it hits the weekends. my weekdays are starting to come down (by 5 - 10 mintues ) and this weeks sunday ride stands at a "measly" 3-3.5 hours of riding following by some sort of run . the hours will pick up again on the ride for a couple weeks, but i will hold this much less set in stone.

I am comfortable with my runs, though i will kepe them in the 1.5.2 hour range for my friday (long run) and like i said, will be focusing on getting most of my swims to be about an hour (for most of my triathlon carreer my swims hover in the 40-50 minute range perswim)

All in all, at this point, i feel i have done all within my means, i just have to keep it up a little bit longer!!!