Remembering to Race..

Here we are only 2 days away from Eagleman and it is officially the hottest day of the year so far at 95 degrees and the heat index over 100 degrees. Fortunately the forecast is for a cold front to come in overnight and cool us down to mid-80's over the weekend with light winds. This is definately good news as the Eagleman course has no shade at all and can certainly be windy (as can much of the Eastern Shore of Maryland)....the Choptank River where the swim is held isn't called "Choptank" for nothing!

The taper week has gone well. The workouts have been short and sweet (bit like Paris Hilton's jail time really!) and the body has felt good. So what is the game plan for the race? well, basically go as hard as possible for as long as possible and hope that I get across the line before I blow! No in all honesty that is only part of the game plan. When you know that you are going to be out on the course for about 4 1/2 hours, you obviously need to pace yourself but also make sure that you leave everything out on the course. At Eagleman, when Hawaii and Clearwater spots are at stake this is especially important and certainly provides added motivation. Which brings me to the post heading..."Remembering to Race" It is easy to fall into your "comfort" zone during a 4 1/2 hour event and to forget that you are in fact racing. I think that is why my 1/2 Ironman times have greatly improved this year as I have been keeping more alert mentally and racing at my limits rather than switching off at different points of races. Let's see what Sunday brings.....don't forget to follow at ironmanlive.com.