This will be the last report before the race. Tomorrow we will clean our way out the door (it still won’t be clean enough for my mother but we will get the high stuff) and take off for Hudson. We’ll spend the night at my mother’s place and will take off for Panama City Beach Thursday morning.

Jean is talking about doing the swim and the bike and then dropping out before the run so she doesn’t hurt her leg any more than it already is. Somehow I can’t see her quitting so it will remain to be seen. I could see her doing the swim and bike and then trying the run with a run/walk. She still will probably beat me.

I am strangely calm. Last week I felt a little jittery but this week I am anxious to get to the race site and do it. I am looking forward to it. I know it will be a tough day but I plan to relax and have fun. We’ll see about that too.

We went to Brother Bob’s last weekend. Rode the Withlacoochie again on Friday (no animals other than a vulture on the side of the trail) and went shelling at Calidisi Island on Saturday. After two hours of beach walking Jean found two shells she liked so we left. There were signs on the island saying stay on the boardwalks (from the marina to the beach) because rattlesnakes are common on the island.

I went off my diet last week to prepare for the race. I told Jean I craved pizza. She couldn’t remember the name of the pizza joint on Tamiami Trail that she Jon, Laura and the kids went to so we didn’t get any. The next day she bought two frozen pizzas (which, to me, are not pizzas). One was a Taco Pizza. We had the conversation about how pizza is pizza and tacos are tacos and never the twain shall meet. This after a bout several months ago with a pizza (and I use the term very loosely) with broccoli, cauliflower and a cream sauce which to me is a big flat quiche and we all know real men don’t eat quiche. Anyway I digress. She put the second pizza in the oven which she said was a “Supreme”. She commented on how all the ingredients seemed to have slidden to one side (is it slid, slided or slidden-I never get that one right either?). When I took it out of the oven she was right. I got in the trash and took out the wrapper which said in letters about three inches high and the entire pizza wide “HALF AND HALF” which she claims she didn’t see. I would like to spend just one day in her mind. Who needs drugs anyway?

Ran a quick (for me) 3+ miles yesterday and will do a short 15+/- mile bike ride today just to loosen my legs and that will be it until race day. We should be back home late on Monday or mid-day Tuesday depending on how soon we get out of Panama City Beach on Sunday. We are looking forward to seeing all of you.

Jack & Jean