Season Finale, coming up!

What a great way to fully jump into the winter/off season - head to Tempe, Arizona and do an Ironman race. It is going to be a really nice trip south that includes a good, hard days work mixed in on Sunday Nov.22nd.

For those of you who don't know the course, it is a "simple" layout in terms of the course profiles - 3 loops each on the bike and run. The bike course has a gradual ~18mile incline and decline each loop that rises and drops by about 400ft. The run course has a few bridges you cross each loop and they provide the only real elevation change (barely 100ft).

Training has gone well leading up to this race. And the taper has been going really smoothly. Coach Noa and I have been closely monitoring my body throughout the taper to see how it is responding this time of year. I'm feeling good, and can't wait to see how I feel in another 12 days. . . I'm pretty sure it will be similar to a jack-in-the-box with some electrical currents attached to the metal wind up crank (that is maxed out). Ha!

The big trainer rides are done, with the help of a training partner and some good DVDs (Deluxe Extended Edition King Kong is hugely entertaining, I can't believe what computer graphics can do now). And I know these trainer rides have provided great cycling training for this race, both mentally and physically.

The weather outside hasn't been the best for running some days, but with the right gear you can be comfortable. Or in my case, overheating yourself purposely for race specific training. But on the fall days when the sun comes out and the leaves are falling around you it can be pretty special running out there, even during sub-race pace efforts.

Check out this link that a friends sent me - www.youtube.com/watch?v=9itkEkcQ8WM&feature=related . See what you think, and try to figure out why it doesn't make sense. . . . . you can't really, because it does make sense. Get into some Newtons this off season if you are thinking of going for a more natural less injury prone running technique, those shoes are one of a few companies who are truly gearing their product towards encouraging the human body's natural running stride.

I might be a bit biased with the Newtons, but you don't come across many people who don't like them.

That's enough out of me, time to clean up after the coconut curried chicken dinner.

Adam