touchdown Tempe!

Greetings from Tempe Arizona, home of Ironman Arizona..... stop #2 on my whirlwind trip across the world! I have 2 athletes and 1 alumni racing here in Tempe, and all are set and ready to go. In addition we've got a boatload of friends from Buffalo here and word on the street that Cathy Y. is stalking me around the country. ER has also warned me that a random chick might run up to me at any time..... so I am on guard! Ed is down here as well meeting with Tribetes and I promised him..... like I got to share with KR last weekend..... we'd have a beer.

2 beers in 2 weeks. You know this can't be good!

The trip down was terrific, as far as air travel goes. As I exited the airplane in Cleavland Ohio the pilot stuck his head out of the cockpit and said "Mary Eggers! I read your BLOG!"

Not during flight I hope.

I regard pilots very highly, they are so in control of something that is so impossible. Flying a three ton bird through the air. That's a lot. So to be told they read my silly words.... that is nice.

I spent the flight from Ohio to Tempe completely immersed in Bobby McGee. He's an absolutely amazing running coach and sports psychology guru, I have read so many of his things, I watched three DVD's of him speaking on various topics. Because of school I never get to immerse myself in these DVD's and webinars like I dream to, so this weekend I am. I only have 2 weeks of school left and I can dive back in.

The mental game, structuring training, running form, etc. I love the way he thinks, I love the way he teaches. In those four hours I learned a lot. I need to process all of it, I took so many notes, the guy in the seat asked me what the hell I was doing!

Being a sponge.... I told him.

This is all the shot I need as an athlete and as a coach. So look for some good posts on these thoughts soon. I was going to write about swimming next but we need to remain broad before we get narrow. Stay tuned.

Curt and Luc picked me up at the airport and I fell in love with Tempe. I have never been here. It's warm. There are like these random mountain like things (smart people actually know what they are called) and palm trees. I like the bridges. I like the college atmosphere.

We didn't even need to rent a car (but did). The metreo goes door to race site.

Curt bought me the M Dot pendant I have been begging for.

We ran into K Dub, the Buffalo gang is confirmed to be here. Ed texted me that there was this shining bright thing in the sky....

THE SUN ED! IT'S THE SUN! I got to see it 2 weeks in a row.

So all is well here in Irontown. I could get used to this traveling from event to event week after week. I could get used to seeing new places all the time. I could get used to palm trees.

The difference between an Ironman and a World Championships is that here the atmosphere is more like a party. While game faces are on it's a game face that says... brother I will see you out there, let's have a great day.

Time for bed. Luc is running the Iron Kids 1 mile race tomorrow. He's carboloading on animal crackers. His T shirt is ready to go with number pinned on. He ice bathed in the pool. Kid's ready to go.

And Curt.... you know him. He's just the man!