Sunday, June 16, 2013

IM France - Ready or Not!

GADS!  Ironman France is this weekend and I am not feeling very confident!  Having completed 10 Ironman races, I have an idea of where I should be in my training... and I'm not there.  My excuse is mainly too much time off dealing with skin cancer treatment leaving me less time to prepare for an Ironman event.  I can only ramp up my training so much without detrimental effects.  My training is coming along but is not where it should be... so I am going to have to dig really deep and rely a lot on "muscle memory" to get through this event... not the easiest of Ironman races either (as "if" any Ironman were "easy")!... but the bike course is particularly challenging with 5000 ft. of climbing and then some hairy steep descents which are described on the website as "dangerous!"... Hmmm!... so I am hoping I can keep the "rubber side down!"  Then there is the time cut-off... 16 hours total... with less time for each segment... unlike a North American Ironman that has a 17-hr. cut-off.

Still, I plan to give IM France my best effort.  There is some advantage to being the oldest woman in the race.  If I don't finish, people might say, "Well, look how old she is!"... and if I do finish, they might be amazed.  I really hope I stay safe out there.  Our son Mark gave me some advice saying that if I get hurt and the ambulance picks me up and they ask whether I want to be transported to a hospital or a clinic, tell them "a clinic!"  I think it's a longer wait at a hospital.  I just hope I don't have a need for either one.

On the positive side, the race is in Nice!... a beautiful area... No wonder people want to go there with its setting along the Mediterannean Sea, lovely weather, great food... so whatever happens, we'll be in a good place (to celebrate or commiserate)!