The Second Time Around

I am sitting in my comfy Hampton Inn bed, contemplating what it will be like to repeat a race.  Tomorrow morning I'll stop contemplating and start experiencing.  Beach to Battleship. Take two.  I liked the first take a lot.  Even though I haven't blogged, I HAVE trained.  Not so much swimming this year, but LOTS of running.  Probably about the same amount of biking as last year.  We did a 12 mile run two weeks ago where our slowest mile was an 11:30, my penultimate mile was effortless, and my final mile was a 9:27.  (I KNOW!! Me - a nine something minute mile!!! Cra-zee!) 
Here are some things I have going for me tomorrow:

• Been here, done this, still have the t-shirt.  :D Some of the pressure is off because even if tomorrow sucks slimy rocks, I am STILL half iron.  On the flip side of that coin is the confidence piece of knowing I CAN do it because I ALREADY DID do it. Plus knowing the course and having the incidental logistics familiar from last year is decreasing my stress level. 
• I have done the training. (Always a good idea.)
• The weather is supposed to be about as perfect as possible: low of 40 something tonight, high of 67 tomorrow, ZERO percent chance of precipitation.  (Dude, it's mid-November on the East coast!  We could so easily have had 40 something and rainy.)  There will likely be some wind - and that may suck on the backstretch of the bike which is a false flat into the wind.  But the sunshine more than makes up for it.  
• The "downhill" swim from last year will be even more in our favor this year!  By the time my wave went off last year - the current was still there but it was ebbing.  This year at 8:50 - when the 40+ women start - the current will be full strength with us.  Woo hoo!  

Things I'm worried about despite all I have going for me:

• Not having done as much swimming (as in like a dozen pool workouts total and only one, count it ONE open water swim - er, yesterday) - I'm not feeling super confident about the swim.  Even knowing about the current.  
• There is a grated section on the drawbridge that scares the bejeezus out of me.  They say not to slow down or speed up or move sideways at all on that section.  Riiiiight.  Last year I slid and came about this close to going down and ending my race right there.  It happens less than half a mile into the bike, when your hands are still frozen from the swim and your coordination is not at its peak.  Pray for me.
• GI issues.  I have had some amazing training runs this year.  And?  I've had a few - where, as far as I can tell, I haven't changed a thing and yet...I have been seriously disturbed by tummy troubles.  Same nutrition, similar weather conditions, everything as consistent as I can make it - but one run my stomach is fantastic and another, ZAP!  I'm hurling in the bushes or hurtling for a port-a-john. 

I am so grateful to have the chance to race again.  I talked to and got love from all the kids; we have our fabulous sherpas (John and Nancy) with us; and of course -  I am lucky enough to have the most beautiful, amazing, and perfect training (and life) partner to get to race with.

Our deal is that we "race our own race" but she will be with me in my heart and in my head every single breath, pedal stroke, and step tomorrow even if she's not at my side.  (And she might be right next to me.  Remember last year?)

It's been so much fun to hear from my last year's B2B buddies Tracy Weir (<---lovely Canadian chica, whom I met on the course last year at run mile 3 when I was miserable), Carolina John (blogger pal extraordinaire and Ironman-to-be (IMFL 2011) who called today when we were at the expo to wish us luck), and Vickie and Shirley (who ROCKED this race - the full course last year.)  I will be thinking about all of my friends and family who have encouraged and supported us.  There's that long back stretch on the bike where I plan to savor each and every one of you!
Peace.