I AM!!!
I can’t believe I’ll be on the plane 2 weeks from now for my first IM. I feel confident. Mathematically, I think the best case scenario would be a 12:00hrs, but pratically, I just want to FINISH IT and hear my name at the finish line!!!
I am definitely the most nervous! Already starting to get pre-race jitters - two weeks before the race! I need to try that Zen stuff my coach uses.
Excited, yes. Nervous, yes.
I have a lot of confidence coming into T1 even though I am not a great swimmer. I have confidence on the bike, but coming out of T2 who knows. I have dreams where I feel fast and others where I feel like somebody force fed me rat poison and then repeatedly hit me with a 2x4.
I have the first verse of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man going through my head today:
Has he lost his mind?
Can he see or is he blind?
Can he walk at all,
Or if he moves will he fall?
Is he alive or dead?
Has he thoughts within his head?
Well just pass him there
Why should we even care?
I worry that’s what I am going to be like the last 6 miles of the run!
Tristud
.
I’m seriously not that excited about it. I mean, I’m excited, but it isn’t like I can’t sit still because it’s almost here. My excitement has picked up over the last few days though. The last few weeks the only thing that I’ve been thinking about is getting this race over with so I can get somewhat of a normal life back.
I’ll probably be very Zen like until the day before the race and then I’ll be bouncing off the walls and stuff. No real time goal for me. I’ve been suffering from a running injury since July so I’ve put maybe 25 miles on solid ground in the last 3 months; I’ve been doing a lot of aquajogging. We’ll see how it works for me. Realistically, I want to do well on the swim, well on the bike, and then just hold on for the run. But finishing will be awesome enough.
I’m pretty excited…planning on at least 17 hour day out there.
Got the stuff for signs together, cowbell, pompoms, sidewalk chalk!
Going to be a heck of a day for cheering! 
Now, the Clearwater 70.3 race…wish I was more excited about that. Weird that I’m looking more forward to watching IMF than actually competing the following weekend.
I was pretty excited about it, but now I am starting to start all the second-guessing.
Did I train enough?
That question is going through my head about a million times a day, and there’s pretty much nothing I can do about it now. The hay is in the barn, as they say.
I also just finished up a phase of overly-ambitious goals for finsihing times. What started out as being me jsut happy finishing my first IM , was chanigned to 14 hrs to 12 hrs to "you know what, I might even be able to sneak into a Kona spot early". I am now back to the goal of sub 17, and anything other than that is gravy.
Can’t wait to start the taper this week. I am burned on long rides and pain each time I start a workout. This is my first IM so I am looking forward to healing and then doing the deed. It’ been a long journey from smoker/couch potato 2.5 years ago to this. Good luck everyone and enjoy your race.
flashes of excitement mixed with a lot of resignation (just get there and get it over with). kind of bizarre for me. my last 2 IMs I was totally keyed up with about 4 weeks to go - was buzzing the whole time. Now I have so much other crap going on (and missed 2 wks of training) that I cancelled hotel rooms and decided to drop out. When I realized I was too late to get a partial refund, I had a HUGE bout of quitter’s remorse (as the wife predicted) and had to scramble to get hotel rooms, etc.
So now I am back in. Time goals? Could be sub 12, could be plus 13 . . .don’t really know. Just have to see what the day gives me.
One thing I do know - spending a lot more time on ST and other tri-sites, so maybe the excitement momentum is building. . .
I’m with you Eric. Let’s get it done.
Hey, how’s it going, Mike? How’s training been going? Sounds like you’re in the same mindset as me. What’s CHarles been up to? Haven’t seen him around in a few weeks. Well, only 16 more days and then we can drink beer and eat pizza again!
Training has been great but I am glad to be tapering down and looking forward to completing the year in Florida. I think we all are driving down on Wednesday (getting there late on Wed) so we will hopefully see you on Thursday.
Bring and extra rear derailleur!
I haven’t had any bike problems recently so I should be OK. I’m driving down there on Wednesday as well. That should be one hell of a day.
We will be driving down Tuesday night. This will be my 4th Florida and 8th IM. It will be #2 IMFL for my wife and her 4th IM. I can’t wait, I f’ing love IM races and all the posers, hosers and Party the week brings. Party on Dudes!!!
I’m pretty amped! My first IM, end of my second season in this sport, and I’m doing Clearwater the weekend after IMFL. I’m ready for the challenge I think! I’ve never run a marathon, and my long run (20 miles) will be tomorrow. I’m really nervous too! I don’t want anything to go wrong with my equipment, and of course I want to finish this thing after putting SO much into the training. I fly out two weeks from today! Woo hoo!
flashes of excitement mixed with a lot of resignation (just get there and get it over with). kind of bizarre for me. my last 2 IMs I was totally keyed up with about 4 weeks to go - was buzzing the whole time. Now I have so much other crap going on (and missed 2 wks of training) that I cancelled hotel rooms and decided to drop out. When I realized I was too late to get a partial refund, I had a HUGE bout of quitter’s remorse (as the wife predicted) and had to scramble to get hotel rooms, etc.
So now I am back in. Time goals? Could be sub 12, could be plus 13 . . .don’t really know. Just have to see what the day gives me.
One thing I do know - spending a lot more time on ST and other tri-sites, so maybe the excitement momentum is building. . .
I can put you on my approved list of Participants to Cheer for. Actually, anyone can be on it. PM me your cell phone. Maybe we can meet up. Not sure my cell will work there, but I can give you the GF’s.
I would have to say that I have mixed feelings about the up coming first IM. I’m excited but nervous that I haven’t done enough training even though I’m sure I’ve done enough to do a decent time. I think the nervousness comes from my first real taper and now I don’t feel as tired and feel like I’m losing endurance…oh well if it is the case. I’m sure once I get the car all loaded up and am on my way with a few friends, and when I get there the excitment will really kick in. Especially after watching IMH and bought the DVD “what it takes”. If this DVD doesn’t get a tri person motivated and excited, I think it is time to look at a different sport. All this and I hope my ITB that has been acting up the last few weeks will be ok by race day.
Jason
This race has really occupied my thoughts for a long time now. I was even thinking about it before IMLP in July. I can’t wait.
-C
I can’t wait to meet up with my training buddies after the race for a bunch of beer, celebration and post IM talk…and then have some more beer.
On the race expectations I am a bit concerned, I feel confident…too confident for my own good… public goal is sub 12 hrs and a 4:30 run, realistically I could be under 11:30…and my dark secret goal (no more) is 10:59:59.