THE MIGHTY JO CARREL: T minus One Week

So we are now at the pointy end of IMNZ training. The long rides and runs are in the leggie bank so all we can do now is stay active and stay healthy.
It has been a pretty good build up with no major issues. I have had a couple of minor niggles but nothing which has stopped me from training or got into my head too much. I have done the most long runs (I call long 1hr45+) I have ever done for any Ironman so I am hoping to be able to run well for at least the first 30km and then hold on for the last 12km. I think my legs gave in after 20km in 2013 which made for a very long and painful second half.
I got a beautiful new pair of ASICS DS Trainers which I planned to wear on race day, we do not appear to be very comptaible though and they tore my heels up on a 6km run. I gave them another go but it was too risky and have decided to go with my 2000's which I have done the most of my training in. They were good enough for Daniella Ryf at Kona so hopefully will be good for me. I like the DS Trainers because they make me feel light on my feet but it is too risky, pretty disappointing when I have used the 3 previous models with no issues.

We had a busy weekend last weekend doing a rather intense windtrainer session on Saturday morning then heading straight to Mission Bay for the Bean Rock swim (3.2km) and then a very unplesant run after that. The next day we were in Cambridge for a 4hr bike in the rain (rain? What is this water falling from the sky?) and then a much improved 8km run off the bike where I stole a Strava Course Record off the former World Triathlon Champion Lisa Nordon. She was probably running with her feet tied together.

My little P3C just got a new front derailleur which will hopefully solve my big ring issues so I am hoping not to be riding in fear every time I get out of my saddle.
I have been obsessing over splits and seconds per 100m, kph and minutes per km, and am leaving little pieces of paper everywhere with my calculations all over them. I have done enough IMNZ's to know what I am capable of but you never know what will happen on the day - namely the last 10km of the run. I have pulled out The Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training but haven't had to resort to it yet, I will need my brain to be as tough as my legs on race day and would be disappointed if this was my downfall.
We head to Taupo - the land of visors and compression socks - on Wednesday so see you all there!