Pieces of a Puzzle

Two girlfriends and myself leave on Wednesday, May 31st for the Honu 70.3 Ironman on the Big Island of Hawaii. As usual, it seems an overwhelming task to pack, especially when there is a plane involved.

The heat and humidity will be a shock to our system.  Warm clothing is not what is filling our suitcases. Stuff is. What stuff? And why does it feel like a puzzle to pull it all together? Assembling the pieces that will all fit together on Saturday (and the days leading up to Saturday) is a challenge in and of itself. Isn't the race enough of a challenge? I must admit, however, it is a cathartic process since things get sorted, purged and re-organized for the remainder of the season. Let’s hope.

Walk through this with me.

Let's start with the Garage puzzle. Out must come all the "race gear". Tools are a must especially the ones you think you might not ever need like scissors, zapstraps and really good electrical tape. Race wheels and a spare tire are located. Is the spare fresh, glued and useable? Next, is the time trial helmet still with last year's number glued to the forehead. Also must come my regular helmet since I refuse to ride around town in my TT helmet prior to race day. It’s a thing I have - we look like we are from Mars as it is and I try to lessen this image by at least wearing a regular joe helmet until time matters.

The pieces starts to build as I locate my race belt, flasks, elastic bands, markers, ankle chip bands, cycling shoes, runners and racing flats (both must come), wetsuit or speed suit, goggles x 2, swim cap, race kit x 2, visor x 2, sunglasses x 2, flip flops, water bottles x 2, sunscreen, Vaseline and compression socks. Amazingly, these are only what goes into my bike box. Oh and where is my bike box?

Onto my suitcase - an entirely different masterpiece of misassembled and out of season paraphernalia. Truth be told, I pack a ton of fueling and nutritional products. It gives me comfort to know I need not shop for gels and electrolytes before a race. Vitamins, protein powders and whole food bars are stowed in Ziploc Baggies. Salt tablets, Motivators and Chlorella are succinctly separated and sorted into containers. This process gets started a week out from travel day because more pieces will complete this section of the puzzle.

Clothing is a crap shoot. It's the blue sky and white puffy clouds of the puzzle. Casual or semi-non-casual is all I own so pack what I hope will fit the occasions. Shorts, tank tops and flip-flops are staples. In case we do some little training sessions before race day, I need to look the part.

Moving on - technology. Heart rate monitors and all the associated chargers must be carefully stowed in a protected pocket. Blackberry, Cell phones, IPod, IPad and laptop are coming and so do the cords for such essential obsessions. I'll spare you my cosmetic bag only because it contains the least of my worries. I could leave it behind and might not notice. This is a very different attitude for my bike tools and running shoes. My passport, boarding pass, car rental confirmation and race schedule are printed and waiting to be tucked on the top where I can easily find it along the route. Let's refer to travel documents as the bottom of puzzle, the foundation, since without them I am not going anywhere.

With all these pieces in place, the perimeter of the puzzle is complete. It’s those last few pieces in the centre that will come after a restful sleep and clarity of mind. It’s the small things that make a big difference like leaving two pieces out of a puzzle then framing it. Do you think anyone will notice? If they don’t, you will.

I love a good puzzle. My family would sit for hours working away at fitting pieces into a puzzle with only the odd mutter of satisfaction or frustration. Getting ready for race day right through to the finish line is putting all the pieces together. You may try a few misfits and close encounters only to eventually find the perfect fit. The result is the pure fulfillment of completing a true masterpiece.

Christine