A Few Thoughts

It is now 8:15pm the night before the race. In less than 11 hours, I'll be in the water and on my way.

My mind is a jumble of thoughts and emotions. I just had dinner with 4 of the members of Team Meloy - Meyer and some friends from college. Throughout this process of preparing for this race, I've been consistently reminded of the caring support I've got from so many special people in my life. My "team" will have just as long a day tomorrow as I do, yet they will selflessly not receive any of the glory of crossing the finish line. I'm humbled by their love and support.

I can do this. I know I can. I've done the training. I've worked on the nutrition. I've worked on the visualization and the mental toughness I will need to get through the hardest parts of the day.

Right now I cannot think of any goal that has been as important to me as this is. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps it is because all my life things have come fairly easy to me. I've always worked hard, but I've never had to truly struggle to reach a goal. Training for tomorrow has taught me that there are some things for which I must struggle.

No one knows for sure what tomorrow has in store for me. I know, however, that I now have the strength and peace of mind to handle whatever comes my way.

In advance of tomorrow, I thank many people:
- My team of friends and family who will be out on the course to provide me with the external motivation to keep me going. They've come from as far away as California to be here, and I am so thankful for their presence, not just here at the race, but also in my life.
- My coach, Kevin. He has helped get my body and mind ready for this in a way no one else could.
- My massage therapist, Konrad. The weekly massages during the last part of my hard training not only relaxed my body, they put my mind much more at ease and kept me sane.
- My colleagues and friends who have shown interest in my training and racing for the past year. They've held me accountable which, in turn, made me a faster and better competitor.
- Meyer. He's been my rock for the past 11 years, and has had to take a back seat to my training and racing for the past year, without complaint. I'll never be able to thank him enough for everything he's done for me.

And now.....it's bedtime.