Peggy McDC – Kiwi Prep

I received an email from my friend Peggy, the Grand Masters triathlete from Santa Barbara who kicked butt at her seventh Kona Ironman last year. She didn’t send pictures because her kids have yet to teach her how to use a digital camera, but I thought this story was pretty funny.

hi, from new zealand again.  i’m down here getting ready to do the ironman on saturday.  as i write this thursday morning, it’s early afternoon wednesday for you on pacific time. 
" i got down here sunday and did the usual: got a car, meandered down, came to the same low-key lodging about four blocks up from the race site.  all is well.
       this is the fourth time i’ve done this race, and the town is small enough that it’s easy to feel at home.  and very familiar with everything.  last night, as i had friends over to dinner (first timers), i decided i’d better drop the familiarity and get to serious contemplation of race particulars.  i think an IM week usually goes like that for me: great fun, doing this and that, on vacation, to a certain extent.  then i realize that the race is actually in two days and i need to get all details done. 
   an interesting new thing this year is that NZ is in a panic over the spread of some lake and river growth.  and since lake taupo is the biggest, but also their prime sport fishing lake, they’re on a big push to circumvent lake infection.  so each of us had to have our wetsuit dipped in bug killer.  it smelled like mega-lysol.  this turned out to be somewhat of a show.  a dept. of conservation (like a ranger, i guess) did the deed, but with a good deal of panache.  he was about one step short of being a circus barker, and ended each suit dipping by asking if the owner of said suit wished to see pictures of the offending growth….which he had, laminated, right at hand. 
     one thing missing this year is the annual parade of nations, normally done on thursday afternoon before the pasta party.  i don’t know why, but it’s probably an activity with waning interest and involvement.  and, too, after the wild wind storm of 2006, with a move from on-site event tents to events being about 3/4 mile away in a building, i guess the logistics were not going to work out.
     the weather’s about like home, so far.  there’s some rain expected race day, but it probably won’t amount to much.  as long as it isn’t a torrent and/or happens in town (on the bike) where there are several turns, it’s probably fine.  maybe even good as a cooler, since it can get pretty warm and humid out on a long stretch of highway that has a forest on either side.
      after the race i’m planning to do a trip on the top of the south island, on the abel tasman coastal track, and i’m still trying to get those details in order.  just when i think i’ve got it one way, i find out contrary information and have to reconfigure.  i’m currently on plan C.  it’ll all be fine….i just need it done today.
that’s it for now.  all’s well, i’m looking forward to racing.
peggy

In the past I’ve added capital letters to Peggy’s letters, but I am learning to appreciate her protest.