Are you ready/ How do you feel?

It seems like everyone has asked me if I am ready to race on Saturday and how I am feeling. I figured for those who didn't ask, they might be wondering.

Are you ready? I am SO ready! I wish that the race was tomorrow! At this point, I have put in all the training that I can, so now it's time to race! In a perfect world I would have started master's in January, and done long rides instead of running the ING and doing the Sprint tri. But I can't turn back time and change things, I just have to be confident in knowing that I have done enough training to get me across the finish line.

How do you feel? REALLY excited! I have never looked forward to something that will be this painful in my entire life! The beach, friends, unlimited beer at the after party and a race? Who wouldn't be excited! Actually, I was a bit worried at the beginning of the week. My lower back was still hurting( especially while swimming) and my left hip/buttock areawas very tight. My knee started acting up the way it always does during a taper week. I was also exhausted and my body just wanted to sleep. I told myself that I have trained hard for three weeks, and I am just showing the normal signs. I got a (ouch) sports massage yesterday and my back didn't hurt at Master's last night! This morning I was thinking that maybe the sports massage was a bad idea because I was MORE sore, but after intense icing like she told me to, I feel 100% better. I was on the trainer today thinking- if I feel this good on Saturday it's going to be a great day!

My step-dad asked me what I expected of the race. I told him I am not sure, but I expect that I will 1) finish and 2) it will hurt. Those are about the only things that I am totally certain of at this point. Since this is my first half-ironman I am using it to help me better understand long-distance triathlon, and assess where my body is in terms of my Ironman in August.

Have I told you that I was EXCITED? We leave early tomorrow morning, not a moment too soon! I have packed everything I own related to triathlon, including two wetsuits, the race wheels are on the bike, and my coffee is pre-set for the morning, I am ready!