The real start for me was Saturday afternoon when I rolled into Madison. IronMomJenny picked me up at the airport with her daughter Ally and Jumper 2.0 in tow and we headed back the the hotel. A couple of hours later Jenny, Trimama, Jumper and I went for a run. I did my level best to keep up with the IronMoms and it was not easy! Jumper and I were huffing and puffing and really wanting to slow down but we hung on! I think we ran about 3 and a half miles or so in 35 minutes which is fast for me. For the IronMoms it seemed to be ‘chatting’ pace. When I grow up I’d like to be just like them (if you watched the end of the IM on IronmanLive you know what I’m talking about!)
The run was followed by a well attended dinner with IronMomJenny. Laurie, TriMama, Jumper 2.0 and a whole bunch of people from the Twin Cities area and thereabouts. AJ also stopped by. Good times! If you are ever in Madison, WI I highly recommend having dinner at The Great Dane downtown. Great menu, great food, lots of beer. After that it was bed time where I bunked with 2 of my 3 IM ‘boyfriends’. Those guys were smart enough to order a roll away bed so there was no ‘racey’ at the race. Just sleep.
Sunday we headed to the start line about about 5:30 AM – long after the racers were there, body marked and ready to SHAKE AND BAKE! At this point I”m just going to offer you some pics and short video of the swim start. The video quality is horrible but what you want to do is listen. That sibilant swish, swish is the sound of 4,400 arns and 4,399 legs moving the athletes through the water (there was at least one competitor doing this race on a prosthetic leg – a real hero, for sure). Watching that from the top deck of the Monona Terrace was just about the coolest thing ever. Chills and thrills for sure. More later.
Jumper, TriMama talking giving Tac some pre-race support, Jenny, Laurie
This is about one half of T1 – try thinking about the dollar value of what’s down there. BOOM – there went your brain!
The pros out in the water for their start with the sun coming up. Beautiful
The audio is much better than the video here
21st-century-mom.com 
wow, that’s damn impressive!
I like the swishing sounds. Nice.
Cool- keep it coming!
I’m so glad you made the trip! Now, what about Florida? 🙂
i think that’s kind of sad. the bikes. wouldn’t it be nice if that was just what anyone saw in the city? 100s of meters of commuter bikes? oh, and boys with cameldigits?
i think you should go for it. you can do it. no biggie! come on!