Next Week!?!

So, I had to book an appointment for next week to get some new makeup. At shoppers they do a makeover type thing and show you how to do your make up as long as you buy some, so I called to book an appointment for before the wedding (since I am clueless with makeup and all mine is pretty much from the free gifts that you get when you buy foundation at clinique during bonus days). So I called and tried to make an appointment for Sept 1st, and the girl goes "so i'll see you next thursday," and I replied "OMG I'm getting married next week!" It has oficially hit me, I am going to become Mrs Rendle next week. MRS! seriously, that makes me seem sooo ooold! I remember called all my friends parents Mrs ____ when I was little.

Anways, 2 posts in one day, I'm on a roll. But now back to getting everything ready for ironman and the wedding!

Pre race reflection

So here we are, 6 days out from the race. I can hardly believe it. I remember a year ago, we were getting ready to go volunteer at the race and sign up. I remember driving the course and it seeming impossibly far. I remember voluntering 10 kms from the finish line and seeing some people in true agony but still going. I remember convincing Ben to sign up with me that morning. I remember starting our training on November 28th. I remember going to the gym at 5 am only for it not to be open. I remember going to the gym on christmas eve and christmas day.. that is dedication. I remember our first run outside in March when some of the snow/ice had melted enough for there to be a small shoulder on the road, and how amazing it felt. I remember getting pnuemonia and not being able to train for 6 weeks in May. It has been quite the journey, and it all comes down to this Sunday.

Crossing that finish line will be amazing, however I am quite nervous about the other 14 hours before I get to cross that line. I know that there will be moments where I will just want to quite, I know there will be moments when everything hurts and it feels like I can't take another step, but I also know that I can do it. I know I have trained and I am prepared mentally and physically to finish this thing.

We are leaving right after work on Thursday, and only going as far as Revelstoke where we'll spend the night. Then we'll get to Penticton around noon on friday and go pick up our race packages. We are going to try and stay out of the hype as much as possible since that will only make the nerves worse. Between now and thursday there is quite a bit to do. When we get back there is only 2 days before people start arriving for our wedding, and wedding stuff starts so I am going to try and get as much done this week so that I don't have to worry about it next week. In the meantime, we are just going to try and enjoy the next couple weeks and take in every minute since we've got a whole bunch of life experiences coming our way.

Montana

Well we just got back last night from a great trip to montana! My mom, sister, and I went down there to do some shopping and we had a great time with alot of laughs and of course some adventure. On the way down we stopped in Fernie so that my mom could see the lodge where we are getting married in 2 weeks! ahh! It was good, we got a better idea of where we are going to put all the tables and what not. Then we kept heading south and ended up in polson montana. According to the website we were supposed to be staying at a nice hotel on the lake, but in fact it was quite the opposite. There was smoking allowed in the casino which was right in the main lobby of the hotel and so the hotel reeked like smoke. After changing our room because the sink didn't work and it wasn't clean we moved to another room which was better but still stinky. It was late, we were tired so we decided to stay there for the night and find a new place for the next night. We had a great mexican dinner and lots of laughs. After surviving a night of my mom's snoring we drove to kalispell to go shopping, and on the way we found a great bed and breakfast called the outlook where we wound up going back to for wednesday night! Shopping was successful, I needed some real clothes for my new job and ben needed some new work clothes so we stocked up a bit. It was fun, we also picked up more beer for the wedding because it was SO CHEAP! like seroiusly, half the price of Canada. Back at the bed and breakfast we just enjoyed the view and the lodge. It was beautiful and overlooked the lake. There was a honeymooning couple there so we had a fun night visiting with them (anc crashing their romantic hot tub time).

Thursday we went to whitefish, explored a little, mom shopped a little, and then we headed back to canada. All in all it was a great trip. It was fun to go away so close to the wedding. Monday last week I was starting to get stressed, and this trip was just what I needed. I can hardly believe there is only 9 days until ironman and 15 until the wedding! I have no idea where the time has gone~

have a great weekend!
Jen

Final Push

Well this past week has been the last push before the 2 week taper before our race. Last weekend we were in fernie to meet some of our vendors for our wedding. On Saturday we planned on riding for 5.5 hours on highway 3 from fernie to cranbrook. The ride went really well, or as well as 182 kms can go. I can`t really explain what it is like being on a bike for that long, but it really messes with your head. On our way out, I was feeling really good, and at 2 hours and 45 minutes we hit a sign that said 10 kms to cranbrook (and in fernie we started at a sign that said cranbrook 101 kms). I felt really good having biked 91 kms in 2 hours and 45 minutes! We finally bought salt tablets and those really helped the leg cramps on thew ay out. Then things took a turn on the way home, I realized that we had had a strong tail wind going out and now we were facing a strong head wind. It was miserable. Even going down hill we had to pedal because we were barely moving. When the wind gusted it would throw us around. Cars passing would throw us around. I was getting frustrated. And it was hot. 30 degrees hot. We also only had 1.5 liters of water/gatorade for the fist 4.5 hours which was not the smartest thing. As I started getting tired and dehydrated, we approached a major hill, and as I neared the top I proceeded to have an asthma attack. I was scared, nothing is worse than not being able to breathe. But thankfully I had my emergency inhaler on me. Once I calmed down and got my breathing under control we kept going, and I proceeded to have another small asthma attack but got it under control without my inhaler. We stopped in Jaffry for more liquids and inhaled a bag of lays regular potato chips (seriously the best thing for endurance events). Feeling a little bit better we pushed the rest of the way home. In the end, our ride turned into 6.5 hours. We were hungry and exhausted, but we were pretty pumped to have gotten the ironman distance in! We proceeded to fall asleep at 9 pm that night and slept 11 hours. But we woke up surprisingly fine and not sore!

The rest of this week we have been pushing. My legs have felt like lead, but I keep reminding myself that this is it. This is the last effort. Come Sunday we have to rely on all the hours and effort we put into training. There is nothing more we can do, except fuel our bodies and try to focus on this race. In 2 weeks from tomorrow, the 8 months of training will be worth it. We will {hopefully} be crossing that finish line. All the training, sickness, exhaustion, will be worth it!

As for the wedding, I cannot believe that it is only 3 weeks away! I am getting very excited for our big day. Hopefully the weather is nice so we can be outside. I can't wait to marry the love of my life. My training partner, my best friend, my everything. And with all the craziness of the last few months, we cannot wait to go away to mexico for a week! I've never been to an all inclusive, and I think after the ironman and the wedding we definitely deserve it!

I think the next 3 weeks are going to zoom by! Next week I'm headed on a road trip with my mom and sister to montana. They haven't seen the lodge so they wanted to head to fernie to see it, and fernie is only a stones throw from the boarder so we're going down for some shopping. I definitely need some fancy work clothes for when I start my new job on Sept. 12! It will be a great time! and i can`t wait for my mom to see the lodge. It is soo beautiful! She`s going to love it. Then it`s the week before ironman, then it`s the week before the wedding! Lots to keep me preoccupied (and perhaps a little stressed).

Anyways, have a great weekend! It`s going to be a busy one for us. We`ve got our last loooooooong bike before the race on saturday, and a looooong run on sunday. Then we have my cousin`s 18th birthday party, and my bridal shower thanks to my mom and sister!