Taper is officially here! I went to bed last night at 8pm and got out of bed just after 4 am. Packing for Kona is on my mind as I am leaving a week from today. I’ve been receiving phone calls and emails from friends wishing me luck, asking if I’m ready and with that, I received an encouraging letter from a friend and fellow kick-ass athlete. Read on:

Michele, without sounding like a poster from your fifth grade classroom, I want to give you some words that will power you through the joys and perils of the amazing feat you will participate in this October in Hawaii.

Training is easy…Racing is HARD. .. The biggest mountain you will climb is between your ears. Mental strength is what you need to carry you through the low points in all that you are doing. You must know that everyone is supporting your ambition and desire to achieve this goal. Believing in yourself is fundamental. Knowing YOU can do the work and do it WELL is what will make the race a success. YOU are blessed with a gift of strength, stamina and speed. USE it to your advantage. Train your head as well as your body and you will be guaranteed victory.

I know your smile and blue eyes may not win the race, but your heart and desire will. I have done many races, running, cycling and x-c ski races, but nothing as difficult as this. One thing that I have recognized with athletes is that they let themselves be victims of their own head. Self doubt will kill you. Your support system is GREAT. Always keep them abreast to your headspace and they will reinforce you to overcome anything.

I remember my first 50km ski marathon. What a fucking bitch that was. At the start it was -1 below zero and a frigid wind was kicking down the canal in Ottawa Canada. I really couldn’t feel much of anything on my body and I was dressed in a light race suit with a layer of polypropylene… I just remember looking at the other 2000 racers and catching an eye of another competitor and he looked at me and smiled. He said in a jovial Canadian accent… “it’s all aboot having fun”… it sort of set my head to a place where I remember training. I just began to ski… and go like I remembered in training… it was… FUN… it got hard, but it was a game. The small tweaks you do in training, like trying to catch the guy ahead of you and passing him… it was what I needed. I began to fly. The cold and wind was just there and the hours flew by.

I hope this helps Michele. You will be successful in everything you do. You are strong and powerful and you have an amazing heart. Go FAST!  EK