I'm racing Ironman Texas. In May.
The problem is, I live in Maine. This time of year, it's part snowy, part cold, part rainy, back to snow, with lots and lots of sand on the roads. Spring can be nice but it's also very unpredictable.
Texas, is hot. Period. At least it is to a Maine girl.
What on earth was I thinking??? Actually.. .I know what I was thinking and I'll get back to that later. I did this for a reason.
So there's this camp.... In Texas. It's two weeks after my 70.3 race in Oceanside. It's on the Ironman course and run by a coach who lives ON the IM course. She knows the ins and outs of the event.
At camp, we would ride 112 miles on the course ( and a run and a massage and a talk ) and the next day run 3 hrs on the course ( and a ride and a massage and a swim and talk on T1 and T2.)
Hmm..... it's a Long long way to go for a 2 day camp. Travelling that far with a bike, isn't easy nor is it free. Ugh... plane ticket shopping is not fun. at. all.
the short summary:
pros--
two + days ( I'd go on Thurs) of solid training in heat and sun ( just like the race)
two + days of Training on the race course I'm hoping to nail but have never laid eyes on and never talked to anyone who has done the event.
two + days of hard training without worrying about rain or snow or cold temps... you just never know here in April
cons--
packing my bike and traveling with my bike and then having to reBuild that bike Alone!!!
expense--what is the Deal with the airlines these days!!???
travel and the stress of that alone.. it's tiring.
I can't decide.
I've been staring at various flight choices over and over for two days now. Scrolling between kayak.com, priceline.com, travelocity, southwest.com. Messing with different dates, different airports, different times of day, round trip vs one way... and I'm going Crazy!!!
Any advice??
should I stay or should I go..............????
But all that aside----
Happy Happy Birthday to my little man Nick!!!!!!!!!!! You're a true gift to us!!!!!!!!!!
10 comments:
Go. For sure GO!
First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!!!!
Next, if you decide to go, fly Southwest. Bike goes for $50 each way. Great airline. Service starts out of PWM on 4/14/13. Also, easy to take Concord Coach from Ptld to Logan. Free wifi and movie on board too.
Not to sway you in either direction:
a) a brand new, unseen course is exciting and fun, but you'll do well either way.
b) yes, it can be comforting to know the course a little bit, but also the preview can be daunting and you'll worry about it continuously between camp and IM.
c) nice to get to know a couple of familiar faces.
Go! For sure! You'll have fun, you'll learn the coure, it will inspire you to train hard when you get back home.
Bike putting together takes 30 minutes max, get a lesson, take some pictures and this is a no brainer. Plus, it's a skill you should be comfortable with, and this will force you to learn.
I'd say go! Packing/unpacking a bike is easy and gets easier every to e you do it... Too bad you can't stay longer though. Seems like if your going to pay for a plane ticket it would make sense to at least get 4-5 days of solid training in. Your family will survive. And appreciate you more than ever hen you get back! :)))
GO for sure, Ange!
You need some ANGE time!
Go for more than 2 days though...soak up that sun and ride the course a couple of times and GO! This is a big race for you.
If you can afford it then definitely go!! That is an amazing opportunity to get to know the course, train without distraction, and remember what heat and sun are like :)
I think you should go. It will make you more confident come race day. Fewer unknowns. :)xo
I have to e another enabler and say Go Go Go. Nothing like pre-riding the course.
If you can swing it, as far as $ and childcare, I would say GO! What a fabulous opportunity to get to know the course and be able to focus purely on training. The issue of putting the bike together and taking it apart on your own shouldn't stand in your way. I've done it several times and I am NOT handy. It's a great confidence boost once you've done it. And if you are truly in a jam, someone at the camp will help you.
And I would have to imagine that the fatigue of travel would be no match for chasing three boys around!
Hi Angie,
I live in Houston and participated in the 2011 Lobsterman Triathlon. Since I read your blog, I saw you at the race and introduced myself to you. You probably don't remember me - I'm Jennifer Smart. (Fear not, I'm not a stalker).
I can connect you to a couple of friends who have done Ironman Texas if you have questions about the course before arriving in Houston.
Consider staying at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott. Nice hotel on the race course. Although I was raised in New Jersey, I've been in Houston for many years and I'm happy to answer questions about the area or help direct you in any way I can. Just offering some Texas hospitality.
My email address is: jlsmart61@comcast.net
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