Ironman Japan Taper

OK with eight days to go until Ironman Japan I need to at least start to think a bit about the logistics, strategy and and taper.

1. Logistics - I have been totally and completely dependent on the hard work and generosity of my teammates - particular Keren Mier.  Keren along with Mitsu Shippee has arranged for all the requisite hotels, flights, boats, etc. to get to the island somewhere near Nagasaki where the Ironman is being held.  I just need to show up.  And I need to get my bike back into a box.   Japan enjoys certain mind-boggling efficient industries and the delivery (takyubin) business is one of them.  Yeah, FedEx can ship a document across the US overnight, but in Japan it is an easy and relatively inexpensive matter to have a delivery company come to my apartment, pickup my bike on Sunday and have it waiting for me at the other end of the archipelago a few days later. 

2. Strategy -  After all these months, I still have no concept for ironman pace.  The New Zealand experience gives me little guidance.  My legs felt trashed after the 27k per hour pace for the mere 90-kilometers we did in NZ, so I am inclined to target an even slower pace.   My run strategy could be summed up simply as "walk early and often."   Since I have only one swim speed (slow), I have no need for a swim strategy. 

3. Taper - Anxiety is building over the fact that I have done hardly any training at all over the past 2 weeks.   I guess I am supposed to feel this way though -- in a proper taper one should be bouncing off the walls with bottled up energy.  I understand the key is to substitute intensity for endurance.   My spin workout on Tuesday was intense, I pushed myself through a couple sub 3:10 1000-meter intervals on Wednesday night, and pushed myself a bit on my swim yesterday.   So the real concern is not the inadequate taper I suppose, it is the lack of endurance training during the months of March and April.