my advice to IM first timers

14h 12m 29s later, I am an Ironman ! IMCOZ was a blast (minus some logistical issues, and a not very nice or helpful RD) and with so many on BT starting their own IM journeys, I offer you my advice to first time IMers:

1. trust the plan, the training, and the taper. I was okay with everything until a couple weeks out, and then I looked at my husband and said "I feel like I barely trained!" his response: "REALLY?!" that's what's awesome about the BT logs -- you can look back at what you've done... all those long swims, rides, and runs.

2. ziploc baggies are your best friend. I got a box of 2-gallon ziploc baggies and packed everything for each part of the race in one: bike clothes, bike misc. gear (sunblock, chamois cream, chapstick, etc), run clothes, run SN, etc. when I got out of the water and grabbed my bike gear bag, everything was in smaller bags. nothing spilled out or was rolling around the floor of the change tent. I got dressed then stuffed what I needed into my bike jersey.

3. oil of olay face wipes are awesome. I packed a couple in my bike gear (to get off the salt water), and my run gear (the grime from the bike). I wish I put some in run SN too. it felt great to 'wash' my face.

4. LOVE AND THANK THE VOLUNTEERS! it's a long day for the athletes and a long day for the volunteers! I came in to town on the first loop of the bike to screaming spanish, macaranas, homemade noise makers.. I was yelling back HOLA! HOLA! GRACIAS! VIVA LA COZUMEL! it was awful spanish but so much fun. the more I cheered, the more they cheered.

5. if you really need it, carry it with you. no one could find my SN bag at bike SN, and thankfully the only thing in there I really wanted was an advil, which I bummed off of another athlete. I was originally going to put my second Infinit in there, but decided to carry it instead. good call. I was think of SN as "nice to have but I can race without it"

6. if you are going to be racing in the heat, WEAR SUNBLOCK. and then reapply. and then reapply again. even with sunblock I still got a ton of sun... thankfully, no burn !

7. be nice to your fellow athletes. I offered my extra face wipes to people. I left my bug spray in the run tent and run SN for other people. good karma, folks!

8. savor it. ... it's a really long day, but the finish comes before you realize it. raise your arms, cheer, cry, smile, laugh. Ironman. it's something no one can ever take away.

Edited by trishie 2009-12-04 10:53 AM