Kona

With the exception of some mechanical issues that left us sitting on the plane for FOUR hours at the Denver airport, this trip has been nothing short of amazing and I will say again how grateful I am to be here competing.  I haven't had one person ask if I received a roll down slot or if I was competing this year, so that is an accomplishment in itself.  In fact, the only thing I've heard is how young I look.

I've swam three times from Dig Me Beach, the start of Ironman.  The water went from being calm on Sunday, to downright wavy on Wednesday, so I guess only time will tell what Saturday will be.

Dig Me Beach

I have rode the Queen K twice - once with Alyssa on Sunday and once alone on Monday. I was quickly reminded how generous the tailwind is on the way out, and how strong the headwind is coming back into town.  I also made a trip out to Hawi to ride the toughest part of the course; unfortunately, the ever prevalent crosswinds were nowhere to be found on Tuesday.  While I'd like to think that will happen on race day, I'm mentally prepared for strong gusts blowing me across the road.

Out on the Queen K

I ran out at the energy lab on Wednesday and proved to myself that I could run the hills coming back up to the Queen K. According to my Garmin, they weren't exactly hills, so apparently I had a bit of a mental breakdown last year. I.WILL.RUN. on Saturday. Seriously.

I've worked the Powerbar booth, made custom goggles at the TYR house, and have been fortunate enough to talk to vendors of some of my favorite products.

Alyssa and I were lucky enough to be one of 400 that received Rudy Helmets to wear this weekend. I absolutely love this helmet, so I'm very excited for my new one.

New helmets!  Thank you Rudy Project

We've done a mix of cooking in the condo and going out, the best discovery has definitely been the acai bowls. I could eat these everyday.

The Banyan

I wouldn't be here without the support of my family and friends, so I can't say thank you enough.