Ironman Mont Tremblant...here I come...

Kickoff weekend is over and I'm sore! Ironman Mont Tremblant is on August 17 and I will have my toes in the water at the start, and hope to cross the finish line in 14:something. This will be Ironman #4 for me having started in 2008 with Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, then 2010 was Lake Placid, NY, and 2012 was Arizona (in Tempe). Each year our group grows, and each time I have raced I have improved. Despite getting older, I still have a PR in me and although I will never actually qualify for the World Championships in Kona, I can keep trying. Thanks to some fantastic cooler temperatures overnight for the past few days, our swim on Saturday morning was not a shock to the system because the water temp was warmer than the air temp. I had a rocky start in my sleeveless neoprene coffin (aka wetsuit), and about 7 minutes in I unzipped and peeled the top down to my waist. After that, smooth swimming. The run was a casual 11 minute mile pace, which I used to consider slow. But now, with the issues I've been experiencing in my lower back, calves and shins, I barely get to run without searing pain. I was fine the first mile, continued but with breaks for the next 2/3 mile, and ultimately walked to a completed distance of 2.75 miles. Given the possible problems, it was a victory to only feel slight discomfort and to take it easy so that I don't actually injure myself. Diana then led the group in a torturous session of core work and foam rolling. And thank goodness she did - I need that and to be part of a group all enduring the same misery and cracking jokes all the way through, it was almost bearable. The morning concluded with a kickoff meeting and breakfast gathering at Coach's house where there was more hilarity and some important information shared. This morning's adventure was 1:30 on the bike and another core/stretching workout with Di. I rode mostly alone, which is fine because I have to race alone and it builds mental toughness. In fact, I was rather proud of my pace-keeping in spite of some headwinds, and not having been riding for several months. My core is decidedly sore, but I'm about to assault it a little more by starting my 30-day challenge that I found in a magazine. If I can do all this, and add some swimming lessons, before my first Tri of the season on April 6 in the South Beach Triathlon, then I will consider rewarding myself with a compact crank or a computerized scale. But that's getting ahead of myself. So off to do some more exercises and then collapse into a hot bath followed by bed. 167 days until Ironman Mont Tremblant!