Tuesday in Jurere

First of all, wrong link for the photos yesterday. The correct link is:

http://web.mac.com/ironclm/iWeb/Site/2007%20Brasil%20%281%29.html

Speaking of pictures...sorry, no pictures today. I did take some, but somewhere along the way, lost the battery to my camera! Don't ride with the camera dangling over your wrist.

Ran this AM on the beach and saw pro Olaf Schabatus (sp) and a couple other guys as they were finishing their swim. Olaf said the water was nice and about 21C. He looks great and I'm very glad to see him here racing. Another one of the real nice people in the sport.

Rode an hour (and lost the camera battery). The sun finally made an appearance, yea! The rain was getting old (and it rained again over night). Lunch, then Monica from Slowtwich, whom I'd met at the April training camp I did in the desert, and I had planned to meet at the TA/finish to swim. Drove down there and met up with her and it was about 2:45 PM when we went to the beach. Oh no, there were waves. I have "issues" with waves and wasn't sure that I could get in. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We walked onto the beach and this little old Brasilian man came over and started talking to us. "Devagar por favor!", was my reply. So he slowed down and started over. He asked if we were here for the race and wasn't the swim 3,000m. No, 3,800m I told him. Then the bike, 180K, yes? Yes. And the run, 42K. Crazy. I'm a little impressed that I was able to mostly know what he was saying and to tell him that it was Monica's first time in Brasil and second IM and my second time in Brasil and 11th or so IM.

We then waded into the water, but then he shouted at us to come back and started talking about something like maybe we should move down the beach to swim. Or maybe not. We weren't quite sure what he was talking about. Maybe the tainha (local fish) nets were right there. Or not. He finally motiioned to go ahead and we went in the water.

Well, Monica went in the water. I kept moving down the beach to where it might be less wave and eventually I did get in (about hyperventilating myself silly). We ended up swimming about 20 minutes and there was a definitely current coming back. We got near the shore and I got slammed by a wave and coughed up water for a good 10 minutes.

Tonight it was dinner with Monica and THE SERGIO! Yes, THE SERGIO (pro triathlete and my friend and another super nice person, Sergio Marques from Portugal) arrived this afternoon. His bike did not (yet). He looks great--relaxed and ready to race and he's staying at the same pousada that I am. Dinner was fun and quite tasty and we only got lost for a minute trying to find Monica's hotel over in Canasvieras, the next beach village. And I've only once driven the wrong way on a one-way street.

I also got a massage after the swim, which I needed! Tomorrow the expo opens and more people arrive, including my pal Peter from Scotland. Quite a few folks out riding today once the sun came out, but the rain is supposed to return tomorrow. The forecast for race day looks good though....scattered clouds, 69F and light winds. Let's hope so!!