2012 Ironman South Africa Team Baleka T-shirts Greetings, It's April 1st, but this is no joke. In exactly three weeks, I will be competing in my first ever Ironman triathlon in Port Elizabeth, South Africa! I can't believe its so close . . . Well, I made it through my peak week of training (week #22 of 25), with no injuries, and some pretty good, confidence building numbers. On Wednesday, March 28th, I did a 3,300 yd swim (2 miles) in 43:13. That's a 1:18 pace for 100 yds. I felt exactly how I want to feel during the race, smooth and easy. Not a hard stroke. I felt like I could swim another two miles at that pace. So that's about a 53 to 55 minute swim. . . as long as conditions in Port Elizabeth permit. From watching the 2010 race DVD, conditions on the swim can be pretty knarly....big swells and serious chop. The following day, after a two hour bike ride, I went to the local high school track. After a ten minute warm-up, I ran 4 x 1 mile repeats with 3 minutes easy jog in between. I ran 5:45 for all four . . . I felt pretty good about that. I continued running until I had run 13.1 miles - a half marathon, in heart rate zone 2. I finished in 1:36.09 - that's a 7:20 mile pace. Meanwhile, in weeks #19, 20, and 22 I did at least one century (or more) ride. In week #19, I rode 100 miles in 5:25 and then ran six miles in 44:30 (7:20 pace). In week # 20 I rode 108 miles (100 mile split in 5:21 minutes) than ran six miles in 41:48 (6:57 pace). In week # 22 I rode 114 miles (100 mile split in 5:17) and then ran six miles in 41:51 (6:58). So my endurance and my fitness is there. I probably can do a little better on my nutrition, though. Here's what I did for that 114 mile/6 mile brick: Nutrition: pre -workout:  Ginger Root Drink (110 cals, 27 carbs), Honey Stinger Strawberry Waffle (160 cals, 21 carbs, 7 fat), few pieces of cantaloupe; On the bike: 2 Honey Stinger Waffles (220 cals, 54 carbs), 2 Honey Stinger Gels (240 cals, 58 carbs), 1 GU gel (100 cals, 25 carbs), 6 Cliff Shot Blocks (200 cals, 48 carbs), 4 scoops EFS Drink (384 cals, 96 carbs) 75 oz water. That's a total of 1,414 calories and 75 oz. of water. I know that's not enough for race day. Before that workout, my weight was 142.0 lbs., my body fat was 6.2% and my muscle weight was 126.6 lbs. Eight hours and 7,300 calories later, after the workout, my weight was 136.8 lbs, my body fat was 5.1% and my muscle weight was 123.4 lbs. Although I felt strong, I will need way more calories to finish strong on race day. But, so far so good. And no injuries. Now its time to focus on packing. I got new Swiss Gear luggage for the family and the Team Baleka t-shirts will be ready this week. Everyone is excited.