It seems like the perfect day for Halloween. Chilly, dark, wind bustling through the trees. Curt carved an incredible pumpkin last night... as he always does and Luc is ready for a night of scare. Truthfully his Halloweens the past 3 years have been interrupted. The blast 2 we've been in Panama City Beach, resorting to finding treats where we could (not a bad place to spend Halloween however!).

It will be great.

I have my last long ride today, just 2:45. In over 10 years 2:45 hasn't been considered a long ride, and truthfully it isn't. Little ride on the trainer hitting tempo efforts, see how recovered I am. I am feeling good through this recovery week. I have been feeling good through this whole season! Again I credit the coach, the wizard, the team that made it all happen. I have said it before and I will say it again, we have only just begun!

Hooray!

In 2 short weeks I get to swim in the ocean again. The water temp is 82 degrees, and I just sent my Blue Seventy Point Zero 3 to Kim in Boston. She's kindly sending it back and then when I get back I will overnight it to her. My suit gets around.

Water temp doesn't freak me out, I have the right gear for it, I just need it in the right city.

Friends keep asking me.... am I nervous.... am I ready? I never get nervous and I always feel ready. I don't know why I don't get nervous. This is the World Champs after all ! I just feel so privileged to be able to compete with such an incredible field of people. I feel honored more than anything. This sport is a privilege not a god given right.

So of course I am ready. I am ready to see friends I haven't seen in a while. I am excited to hang out with K.R. and meet my husband's man crush MM. I am excited to swim in the ocean....... the warmer the better baby! I am excited to ride those overly crowded streets and just allow the race to unfold. Drafting is always an issue in Clearwater, it is how it earned the name Cheatwater. Look at the course..... look at the waves, duh! Big genius' put this together! The trick is to roll with it and not give energy away to a situation you can't control.

I am excited to run, I really love this run course. I love the finish line and I love the pre and post race beach parties.

I love to travel and I love to sit on Pier 60 and watch the ocean roll by. I get to see the ocean several times a year and for that I am the most blessed girl on earth.

Forgive me for being the girl with the biggest smile on race day...... because I will never stop smiling. I love my sport, our sport. I love this community, this life, this lifestyle. I feel very very blessed.

It feels like right now so many amazing things are happening, on and off the field. I am trudging through one more month of classes. The hardest thing for me is to stay home while the boys go to the pumpkin patch because I have to study. That's time I can't get back. Dec 5th my book goes into the garbage, not even back to the bookstore. The garbage. But between now and then I have a vacation in Arizona with my guys (of course an Ironman vacation) and I will be hanging with my boys with nothing on schedule. YEAH!

So many of you are already in the off-season. In my opinion it is the most important time of the year. It's a time to look back, to look forward. To decide what you will reach for with new goals, new ideas, a fresh take. It's the time to be hiking with the family, riding the mountain bike instead of the time trial bike. It's an important time to not be racing.

I have a very short off season coming up. Better believe I will be enjoying all 14 days of it!