Friday, May 7, 2010

First Impressions of Panama City

So far so good. The area is gorgeous. I rented a condo on the 17th floor of the Boardwalk Beach Resort. It has a breathtaking view of the Gulf that my dad and mom can't get enough of. What's even better is the resort is the host location of the race. In the morning my parents and Devra only have to walk out onto the patio to see all the swim action instead of fighting a mob to get a glimpse. They can then just take the elevator to the main floor, head out the door and boom. They're right in front of transition. The setup almost couldn't be better.

The first thing I did was to stop and see my bike. The bike shop did a great job putting it together and having it ready for me for pickup. I still need to pick up the box from them so I can ship it back out but so far all is well.

I also took a few swims today, both without a wetsuit. I did a few because I want to get as much experience in the open water before race day. Today was my first open water swim of the season and needless to say it was a bit scary. But once I got the timing of my breathing down with the waves I was feeling much more confident.

Right now I'm trying (and failing) to relax, stay out of the sun and keep hydrated. Once 3:00 rolls around I can pick up my registration stuff. Transition will open up around 4:00. I'd like to get my bike over there and have everything ready to go so I don't have to worry about anything until tomorrow morning.

That's it. Here's hoping for a fast race. But won't beat myself up if it's not. It's all about having fun.

P.S. No wetsuit for me tomorrow.

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