TRI'ing to be FIT: Pre

Participating in an Ironman is actually a multi-day process. The "event" typically starts at least 3 days before the actual race day. There is an area that is normally referred to as the "Iron Village" which is really just like any expo you would have prior to a race.

In this area there are all of the sponsers of the event and their booths, food stands, athletic wear stands, the bike mechanic/store tent, the registration tent, and the empty transition area for the race. CT and I arrived on the Thursday prior to the race. The first thing I did after checking into the hotel was to walk down and register. The main thing it does is give you all of your transition bags, timing chip, and race number. You also get this cool bracelet, which you have to wear in order to access any of the "athelete" areas:

It was at this point, when they put the bracelet on, that my heart began to race and I thought "Oh shit!! Am I actually doing this???"

Alittle later that day, I met up with our friend, Mike (who also did IMAZ this year), for an easy 3 mile run. He was kind enough to slow down to my pace and show me the first 3 miles of the run course.

Needless to say, by 8:30pm that night, CT and I were sound asleep. Friday started early with a practice swim in the Tempe Town Lake with my friend Julie. She did IMAZ last year and had all kinds of tips for me on the swim. It was nice to have a buddy to swim with, as the water is very murky and it is hard to see once you are in it. It was also good to test out the wetsuit and get acclimated to the cold temps of the water!

After the swim, we mosied over to the Ironman Store and bought some shirts that I could wear once the race was over. Later in the day I went for a quick bike to make sure everything was in working order.

Saturday morning started with another swim. This time I was on my own and 10 minutes into the swim I started thinking about how much we probably looked like big seals in our wetsuits. Good thing there aren't any sharks in the Tempe Town Lake! After the swim I went back to the hotel and grabbed all my gear. Unlike tri's of shorter distances, it is required to drop off your bikes and gear the day before into the transition area. Being the IM virgin that I was, I made sure to take lots of pictures!