Monday Morning of IMC Race Week!!!

Really???? Is it that time already??? Monday morning of IMC race week. The town of Penticton has grown by double in the last week. There are "Iron Bods" everywhere! My early morning swims with the lake to myself, not having to site for oncoming traffic has come to an abrupt halt! This morning there were at least 30 Tri-Geeks coming and going out on the 'flat calm' lake. A nice change from yesterday's windy morning chop. Apparently there were more than just the two swimmers I saw out there, as the rollers were deep enough you could not see to your left or right if someone was beside you.

Taper week went extremely well... Too well actually. I fell into vacation mode way too easy. I had some help though. We were fortunate to have the best friends ever come and keep us company for the week. It was easy for me to get up at the crack of dawn, get my training in before anyone was awake, and then spend the rest of the day laying on the beach and catching up with Rhonda and Sarah while the "boys" and the "boys and girls" swam, swam, and swam some more. A couple nights we were at the beach until 9:30. Just love those evening swims!

My little Braydan. Now 11, and man he is so cute. He is like his mom though. We both get way too cold in the lake swimming without a wetsuit on. He keeps me company when the other two boys stay in the water for hours.

This has got to be one of my most favourite pic's of the summer!

Braydan

I absolutely love my underwater mode of my camera. It still makes me a little uneasy using it under the water, as I don't want it to fail again.

Jordan

Nathan

Nathan, working on that stream line technique.

Nathan in stealth mode under the water.

Eden and Braydan.

So cute watching these guys. An 'all boys' family needs an 'all girls' family to hang out with. They were so cute. I just loved watching them hang out together. Eden was teaching Brady how to do a hand stand roll over.

Rhonda and I at the beach until who knows how long while the kids swam in the light of the moon. So cool!! Rhonda will be back this weekend to be part of the cheering squad and maybe, just maybe, get in that line up Monday morning for IMC registration.

Jordan, Nathan, Annika, Eden, and Braydan.

The gang and taco night with mom's famous "Mango Salsa".

No vacation is complete without making a couple of visits to the go carts. Josh is looking all "Chillaxin" here while he crushes his competitors on course.

Jordan loving the hair blowing in the wind and "driving". He has caught the driving bug and cannot stop talking about what car he wants to buy when he gets his drivers licence.

Braydan!

Gabe!

Nathan!

Josh, Brady, Nathan, Gabe, and Jordan!

Finally, after like 3 years, I have an updated Summer photo of my friend Sarah and I at the beach. So good to see everyone!

Monday morning "Race Week" swim. I actually had a little nervous tummy going into the water today. Now that the friends are gone, the real race week taper begins. No more ice cream until after the race! I have already picked out what I want Shawn to have for me at the finish line. Rhonda and I found some "Dutch Dairy" Chocolate milk at "Whole Foods Market". It is like drinking a chocolate bar. I always have such a hard time trying to figure out what I want to have right after coming across the finish line, as the nausea that sets in right after increases like 10 fold when you see the nasty pizza they are serving in the food tent. After my chocolate milk, we are going out for dinner, and I plan on getting something super creamy and full of fat!

This was just the perfect way to start the week. Today's high is to be 28C. The forecast for the week is calling for Tuesday a high of 27C, Wednesday 28C, Thursday 33C, Friday 31C, and Saturday a high of 33C!!! So glad to be here acclimating in this weather. Here's hoping my Hawaii and Penticton 'hot and windy weather' training will give me some good heat resistance come race morning!

Only 6 more sleeps until the 3:45am wake up call Sunday Morning!

Happy Monday!!