Pre-Race...A picture Story

It's been over a week. I don't really know what I've been waiting for. Someone else to write my report? Someone else to unpack me, and do all the laundry? Well, the later didn't happen, so I guess it's high time I started to write about the experience....

We had an early flight scheduled, so knowing the chances of getting someone to my house at 5:30 am to take us to the airport for 7am flight were about zero, I found an alternative solution. Parking in the terminal is $25 - $200+ in parking seemed just stupid, and off site parking is a little less, but takes more time as you have to take a bus to the terminal. So, I made a few calls and booked a car service for $110 round trip. Door to door service, can't really beat that.

Little did I know that "limo service" (I thought a.k.a Town Car) really DID mean limo service and low and behold a white stretch limo showed up at 5:15am. Now that's the way to roll to an Ironman if you ask me...

The flight was good, nothing to talk about.... besides laughing at how much stuff Shane and I had (2 large suitcases, one carry on, a camera bag, a computer bag holding 2 laptops and my handbag), vs Daniel's ONE carry on bag. I vowed to do outfit checks every day cause I didn't believe he could fit it all...

We arrived around the same time as Bold - so I got us somewhere downtown to meet up for some food. I planned a nice sandwich place, but it was only 11am and breakfast sounded better, so I found directions to Frank's Diner. Someplace I remembered being good when I lived there. Apparently my memories of this place were from a different time in my life. A less healthy time where this food would have a been fantastic hangover meal. Butter with a side of butter....

We all made it out of there in one piece and our stomach's survived... On our way to Coeur D'Alene, our rental house....

Wednesday night was very low key.... We headed to Sherman for some dinner and chatting, and of course, Shane & I had wine.

Apparently Daniel and Greg were too busy "people watching"

and texting

to enjoy some cocktails with us. Or maybe they were really trying to psych us out for the race. Who knows? We were 4 days away from race day, and I needed me some drinks!

We also headed to another bar/grill to meet up with some other bloggers... I finally got to meet the infamous Bigun and his fabulous wife Di. These are some good people...

Later that night my new sister arrived.

I've been IM'ing and emailing with this girl for a while now. Somehow I just knew we'd get along. That we were kinda alike.... even after I learned she was a CHEERLEADER and DANCER, I still loved her :-) And, Devin... Can't say anything bad about that guy. He's pure good people. He supported his wife with trashy magazines and DVD's and kept her on that trainer hour after hour....

I can't wait to see these two again...

Over the next day or two the rest of our home and friends showed up.

My second family.....The Angelones. Big J was a saint.. he kept us fat and happy and was a FABULOUS sherpa. Gotta love him. And little J & Frankie are just the best. If I had 2 legged kids I would want them like this....

Sherpa extraodinares IronJenny, Stronger and Jaynee and Benny..... Who would have thought you could meet such incredible people online.... Not me that's for sure.. I'm so glad to say these people are in my life now..

EVEN IF you all had way too much fun molesting my race day nutrition...

One thing I can say. Pay pack is a bitch people....

Of course there are a million more pics, and I also want to share some of my family. My sister, brother- in law, niece and my number 1 fan Carrie were all out there all day. It was amazing... I'm just waiting on some more pics to be sent my way and I will share....

I promise, soon will be my real race report... then the much awaited POST race report :-)