I'm off !!

Finally got out and ran today, only a short 40 minutes, but legs felt good though not springy. Stomach felt better and I was able to wolf down a bowl of Tonkinese soup with Grommit as he wished me good luck for the race.

G. , the inventor of the Mathesis Box, came over later to give me a good luck hug and then presented me with one of his precious boxes. Yippee yay! When I got back from another painful physio session, I promptly took a stab at opening it, and voila! First shot! Was this a good omen about this Sunday? I closed it and tried again ... and again ... and again ... Nope, I had no clue how I succeeded the first time.

I had wanted to ride my mountain bike yesterday but had a flat tire - one of my tires had shredded on the side. So today, with my recently-acquired "how to change a flat tire" knowledge, I succeeded in replacing the worn-out slicks with the original knobbies. Went for a 65 min. ride. Such a different feeling than my road bike but I figured some cycling was better than none.

I still can't believe I have reached "that moment". Egads! What have I gotten into?!!! Feeling thoroughly undertrained and under-rested, I have resigned myself to "what will happen will happen" and realise that there is no point anymore fretting about all the missed trainings. It's not like I haven't ever run a marathon before, or swam 4 km, or cycled for 7 hours. I just have to piece all these elements together now ... And as Grommit pointed out, it'll be a day chock full of things I like to do, and I will have lots of time to do all these things, well at least 17 hours. The best part will be the medal at the end of the day, my favourite part, besides the hug I'll get from KC who'll waiting for me at the finish.

Thanks JKR & Charlie for dropping in and sharing a laugh and a bite to eat while I packed. And thanks Dirk and all my other close friends (you know who you are) for believing in me and encouraging me to fulfill my outrageous dreams without batting an eyelash.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"You’re better than you think you are and you can do more than you think you can. Whether you're running one mile or one hundred, I encourage you to test your own personal boundaries and expand upon your own personal limits of endurance. It's been tremendously gratifying for me to go farther than I ever thought possible, and I wish the same for you."


- Ken Chlouber, founder of the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Race Across the Sky

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nothing is impossible. I don't believe in sitting around and watching life go by. There is just so much to see and do and feel and experience. What makes a moment miraculous or even just simply wonderful? It's not about the joy it imparts, but about the awe in life it inspires. True, there are those moments of great bliss where happiness is evident, but from great sadness one can also draw deep meaning and strength, and from this strength comes a great awakening."

- Bonnie Mak, future Ironwoman


And with that awakening, I will ROAR!!

Ironman Canada, 7 a.m. PST
Bib # 2147, www.ironmanlive.com