I am about 12 hours away from race time. The excitement is building by the minute. Today I got up at 6AM and went for a brief swim to get a feel for how the water will be that time of the morning. I then ran for a brief 10-15 minutes--my legs were feeling a little fatigued as a result of the massage yesterday. Then I took a easy relaxing ride on my bike along the coast and was mentally creating my perfect race. My head began to really ache during my ride--I know that means my neck is out of alignment because that is the ONLY time I get headaches. So I ran up to the Team USA medical office and Dr. Mike, the chiropractor, readjusted my spine and did some recovery massage on my legs. His recommendation for today is ice packs on my low back and both calves as well as another ice bath tonight--OH! Yeah!!.

Today's agenda included a Team USA meeting, putting my bike in the trasition area, packing my transition bag, eating well, resting, and feeding my mind with only the most positive input.

Feeding The Body And The Mind

What do I put into my mind the day before a race? I put the same things into my mind that I do on every other day of my life. I read my scriptures first thing in the morning, I listen to my Beyond Freedom CDs, I listen to my pre-race music Rascal Flatts "Feels Like Today"--this is the CD I play every morning at 5AM on my way to swim practice, I read inspirtational books.

What do I put in my mind the day of a race? Tomorrow morning before the race I will begin my day with prayer as always. Then I'll take quite time to visualize and meditate and then pump myself up to maximum with Beyond Freedom and Rascal Flatts.

What do I put in my body the day before a race? I pretty much put the same things into my body the day before the race that I put in any other day. My typical daily food intake includes the following: I have a supplement routine which includes 4 ounces/day of Tahitian Noni Juice, Juice Plus vitamin/mineral supplements, glucosamine/chondroitin, Udo's oil -- essential oil blend. I eat all whole grains including ancient grains such as kamut, spelt, amaranth. I eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Small amounts of chicken, fish, tofu, and lots of legumes. I consume some dairy--as long as it is organically produced. I also consume dairy alternatives such as almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, and other plant based milk products. I use some nutrition bars such as Clif bars or Odawalla bars--I prefer these b/c they are organic. When I'm traveling with my business or for competition I bring a lot of foods with me and/or purchase foods at the local market--that way I can stay with my daily eating routine. So the day before a race it is important to eat high carbohydrate foods, moderate protein and some healthy fats. Hydration is mucho importanto--lots and lots of water. I also include some salty foods like pretzels to keep a proper electrolyte balance, since I'll be losing a lot of salt with all the sweating on race day.

What do I eat the morning before a race? Well, this took some trial and error and some very uncomfortable races to figure out what works for me. Thank goodness for OS Performance Nutrition! I have now found what works for me. When I first wake up I'll drink water and take a couple swigs of Noni Juice. Two hours before race start I drink a packet of OS Pre-Load--usually vanilla or chocolate. During the race I consume water and OS Endurance or OS Sprint. After the race I am usually not feeling like eating anything for at least an hour. So when I remember to bring it with me--I drink an OS Re-Load. When my appetite finally kicks back in, I usually just feel like eating fruit for the first little bit. One of my favorite post race foods is PB/J on Great Harvest Wheat bread.

Thank you to everyone who has sent me emails and called to wish me success. I absolutely receive all of the positive energy and love you send. Today I have felt incredibly loved and supported. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. REMEMBER to tune into www.triathlon.org tomorrow (Sunday Oct 9th) to get coverage of the race and I'll be updating you here on journeytothegold by Monday morning at the lastest.

I'm off to eat my pre-race dinner, take an ice bath, and tuck myself in early. I've a personal record to set tomorrow morning!