3X

Tomorrow is Triple Brick day up in Napa!  The Vineman group is riding 30 miles, running 50 minutes, riding 30 miles, running 50 minutes, riding 30 miles, and running 50 minutes.  We are starting at 8 and won't be ending until 6.  During long workouts we come back to our area and fuel up on yummy food that we brought with us and have stored in a cooler.  But,  tomorrow I am practicing my nutrition plan for race day so will be using only what will be available on the course or what I'm carrying on me in my pockets.  I don't want to say that I am super excited for tomorrow, but I do admit that I am looking forward to seeing how my body and mostly my mind are going to hold up.  


My veteran teammates claim this day is harder than race day because it is a "repeat" process rather than a "I'm done with X, now I can focus on Y" process.  For me, sit bone tenderness (butt pain) starts around mile 25 and stays with me the whole time.  If I stay on the bike, it is tolerable.  But, giving it a 50 minute rest and then getting back on the saddle really sucks.  To have to do it twice tomorrow will be interesting.  The other challenge of tomorrow is only the Vineman people are doing 3X, while the IM Canada people are doing 2X (their event is still two months away).  As a result, I will need to have the mental fortitude to keep pushing on, knowing some people are crossing the finish line (although this is extremely good practice for me since there will be PLENTY of people on their 2nd and 3rd loops of the run while I'm just starting my first loop come IMAZ day).  


Having titled this blog "3X," I'm reminded of my ASU boys, Chris and Nick, that refer to XXXL shirts as Triple Sexy.  I'll be thinking of them when I'm on my triple sexy loop.