Last 4:30am Wakeup Call???

Today I woke up at 4:30am to run 9 miles.  Looking at the rest of my schedule before the race (less than 9 days), it looks like today was the last time I will need to wake up at some ridiculous hour way before sunrise!  Of course I will still have to do that on race day, but that comes as no surprise and by then I will certainly be able to catch up on any lost sleep.

I'm noticing a lot of "lasts" this week and it's a bit of a bittersweet feeling.  In many ways I won't miss getting up at 3-4am, but other things like the TriWI rides, the long rides with friends, and group swims in the lake are all things I will miss and I probably won't see again until next year.  I always dislike this time of year for exactly this reason.  However on the flip side, I still have the ultimate crescendo and reward from all this work in less than 9 days.....IRONMAN WISCONSIN!  Definitely getting uber-excited!!!!