preparing for departure

My Austin "Do not forget list"

Traveling to a race is always exciting. I love to travel. I love to see new places, new friends, new experiences. I love traveling alone, with my husband and with friends. Not too long ago I wouldn't set foot on an airplane. In fact it was the reason I turned down my Hawaii spot in 03.

I flew to Hawaii in 2006 for yoga training and it was the beginning of so much. The beginning of getting over an irrational fear. I simply kept putting myself in situations: (aka: on airplanes.....) that completely frightened me. I had to just sit in the middle of my fear to get over it.

In yoga world we say you have to sometimes walk through the fire to get to the other side.

I knew that I truly arrived as a flyer as I was coming home from camp HTFU last winter. There I was sitting on an airplane 30,000 feet above the world and on my iPod I was watching the airplane crash scene of LOST. I wanted to get up and show everyone my big accomplishment. But I was sitting in first class where a girl decked out in Lululemon doesn't fit so well with a bunch of suits.

Hmpf.... I thought...... I am a small business owner so I do belong here.

Nonetheless I have been able to fly without issue for a while now. No medications, no nothing.

My very favorite point is where you are rolling down the runway and you hit turbo. You fall back a little bit and that's when you know..... I am on vacation.

As we sit on the top of the week like a roller coaster just waiting to hit the best part of the ride, I find myself so completely swamped with things to do. A paper needs to be written. Chapters need to be read and an online discussion group needs to be responded to. It's enough to keep me busy without devastating me. It's enough to keep me from being absolutely stupid with my back.

Yes, my back, my SI. How are we today?

Good. After working a night shift and sleeping 3 hours I awoke with no pain. I planned it out, using the run girdle at the end of the shift. The beauty of hospitals is that we make the greatest ice packs. So at the end of the shift I made a great big bag of ice and I strapped it to me for a bit.

I decided to play things completely smart. I have the fitness for this race, it's the pain while running that will hinder me. But I don't have to PR to get a spot to 70.3. I have to race smart. Part of racing smart is continuing to prepare smart. During my 60 minute pool run on Sunday I was able to do over half of it without the belt and keep my form. It felt GOOD! I will hold off running on pavement until Friday. I will do all of this week's sessions in the water. That way I can step back from testing and testing it. I know I can handle the pain. I am doing so much better this week that I don't want to ruin it by being stupid. Certainly running on land is the best way to go had I not crashed almost 3 weeks ago. But you know, we have to do the best we can with the cards we are dealt.

I am a lemonade maker my friends. I make great lemonade.

Priorities this week include staying loose, staying focused, visualizing every inch of the race. Creating a mental game plan, I have the physical game plan. Getting my stuff done by Wednesday and on Thursday at 6am EST we will be off.

Preparing for departure........