Preparing for Battle

Numbers...helmet...socks...race belt...Around noon, the mood shifted a bit and became took on a much more serious atmosphere in Room 729 today. Three of us in one room co-existing yet each in an entirely separate world. Methodically, with our own individual precision, we prepared for battle the next day. There was a method to our own madness and a nervous energy in the room that you couldn't describe but you readily recognized its intensity. Eventually, I couldn't take the silence any longer and put on my iPod to drown out the silence.

We had received notification from a fellow IMAZ participant that the transition area had opened up earlier than anticipated. Our plan was to ride our bikes down to the transition area, approximately 2.5 miles, and then we'd run back to the hotel. This was a great idea as I had so much pent up energy...and R-U-N back to the hotel I did.

When we arrived in the transition area, it was as if I was about to play my first NFL game after leaving college or much what it would feel like stepping onto the courts at Wimbledon for the first time. I know the feeling had to be very similar to that as this was the biggest playing field I'd been on yet. There was enough room packed in an area less than the length of a football field for 3400+ athletes. Once I located my number on the racks, which turned out to be more difficult than one would think, I racked my bike, changed shoes and was ready for the run back to the hotel. But wait...

Where WAS my bike? In all of the underlying excitement, I'd not assessed where my back was. Tomorrow would be a mass of metal, carbon and antsy athletes. Everything would look the same and I would need to be able to easily find my bike after leaving the swim tomorrow. Back I went following along the transition area until I found my bike. It was much easier this time because a fellow age-grouper was in the process of moving my bike. This is a triathlete NO-NO. I stood watching her well-covered bike move in and in a matter of seconds destroy the comfort zone that had already been established by "Buzz". We were two alone on a rack of ten. I had no idea why she felt the need to move Buzz. I went back into transition to reassess the situation. Buzz, still donning two shower caps I'd taken from the hotel (one over the seat and one over the bike computer and aero bar pads for the raining coming in) was unscathed. I made a mental note of Buzz' location and off I ran back to the hotel. This was to be the last time I'd be in the transition area before "game time"...reality settled in and for once in the entire training season, it was a giddy excitement. It was exam time!