The Big Show

Swim


I was pretty tired but very excited on race morning. As soon as I got in the water I headed left, and I couldn't help but think of the coutless times I’d watched NBC coverage over the years, and how brutal they made the swim sound. Well, everything they said was true, but as long as I didn’t lose my goggles or swallow too much salt water, I was determined to enjoy myself. The water was so beautiful and clear, it was hard to get upset about an occasional smack in the head or kick in the jaw.

I spent the first half watching fish and really enjoying myself. Just before the turn around it became painfully evident that all of my training sessions over the past month had been less than 2,000 yards, and I realized I was getting a bit pooped. I focused on staying relaxed and spent the remaining time either counting fish or counting strokes. I didn’t start my watch so I had no idea what my swim time was, although I felt pretty good and pretty happy – although a bit tired – as I exited the water and made my way into T1.

Bike



After a very crowded T1 (there really isn’t much room on the pier for the changing tents) and a quick application of some SPF70, I was away on the bike. I had been warned the bike would be hot, windy and filled with drafting, and that pretty much sums it up. Perhaps since I wasn't 'racing' the ubiquitous and blatant drafting didn’t bother me, and I just tried to keep out of trouble.

Once we turned off the Queen K and began the climb up to Hawi, the wind and the heat really began to pick up. About 2 miles into the climb I passed a German guy who looked wearily at me and said only “it is fuuuckeeeeng hooottt out here!” I felt like saying “welcome to Hawaii,” but given that I was a first timer and had no idea what to expect or how this compared to normal conditions, I just agreed and pedaled on.

About 15 miles out from Hawi and the winds started to really kick in. There’s no real way to describe the heat and wind in Hawaii…you really have to do it to understand. I was both scared of getting blown off the road and enjoying every moment of it. This is what Hawaii is about, right? Sudden gusts would take me across an entire lane and instantly reduce my speed from 18mph to 7mph, and the frightening part was you never knew when they were coming. After I passed the second ambulance picking up folks who I presumed were involved in wind-induced accidents, I decided to forego aerodynamics and ride upright on the bullhorns. Damned if my vacation was going to be ruined by an attempt to shave off an additional 90 seconds from my bike split.

With 30 miles to go I started to tire. The fact I hadn’t been on my bike in 4 weeks (I shipped the race bike to Kona the day after IMWI) was quickly catching up to me, and I kept the wattage in survival mode to through the rest of the bike. At the end of it all, I survived the winds and the climb to Hawi, and really had a blast out there, but I knew the run was going to be ugly.

Run



It was a pretty special experience running down the first 9 miles of Alii, packed with spectators and running along the ocean. Out of necessity, I decided my plan was to walk the aid stations and run the rest, for as long as I could keep it up. I was running a 7:20-7:30 pace and with walking breaks I was averaging somewhere in the neighborhood of 8:20’s. Good enough… The surprising thing was that even when I was running what I would consider a solid pace, I was steadily getting passed by other runners. It seemed for every 1 runner I would pass I would get passed by 5. Welcome to Hawaii!

I kept this up until about mile 10, and then I threw in the towel and began walking. I was pooped, and after all, I was here to have fun, right? An easy excuse, but since I didn’t come equipped with any mental fall-back, it was about all I could do. Fast forward to mile 22, and my old high school buddy Ken slowed as he passed and encouraged me to run with him. It wasn’t pretty, but I (barely) managed to keep up, and had a really great time the last 4 miles running in with him. It was a very memorable way to end my first Kona experience.

After all was said and done, I managed to meet all 3 of my goals, and couldn’t have been happier. The only regret I have is not having a plan beyond ‘just enjoying myself'. In retrospect, you need to be prepared for it when things get ugly (and they always do in an Ironman), and I wasn't. That being said, I have no regrets with my run, and although it might not be a time I would normally be happy with, I definitely had a wonderful time and a fantastic experience, and one which left me wanting to come back and do it again. I suppose that is what makes Ironman – and specifically, Ironman Hawaii – what it is.

It was also great to share the experience with Mary's folks and the Weaver-Fisher clan. Mary and I are already planning for next year!

Kona: Pre-Race

After almost 2 days of travel (we spent an afternoon and evening in Seattle on the way over in an attempt to break up the trip for the kids), we arrived on Wednesday afternoon with just enough time to register and pick up the bike. Check and check: off to a good start.

The first thing you immediately notice in Kona is the pro presence, which is (obviously) second to none. You can’t walk more than 100’ without seeing one of the greats in our sport. It’s strange to see folks who repeatedly adorn all the Tri publications walking about and training so freely in and around town. For the non-triathlete, it is like going to the 7th game of the World Series and spending the days leading up to the game practicing on the field with both teams. In my initial ¼ mile stroll up Alii as I headed to the expo, I saw Chrissie Wellington, Craig Alexander, Timothy O’Donnell, Luke Mackenzie, Greg Welch, Belinda Granger, and Julie Dibens, and I wasn’t even trying to spot anyone. I’m not usually at all starstuck, but to be perfectly honest I was feeling like a kid on Christmas morning.

Far too much time was spent on Thursday walking up and down Alii, checking out the expo with the kids, swimming at Dig Me Beach, and snorkeling, but I was having a blast, and this trip was more about the experience and the vacation than the race. With Mary and the kids, Nancy & Al, Amy & Jeff, and Matthew, Nikki and Andrew, there was going to be a lot of action at our house throughout the week, and I didn’t want to miss it in preparation for the race. As for the Ironman, I was aiming for a performance which would basically allow me to do 3 things:

1. Enjoy the race, have fun, and not worry about a time or placing
2. Vacation without excuses on Sunday morning, which I knew would include lots of soccer, snorkeling, hiking, etc.
3. Not go so slow as to embarrass myself


Friday began with a 5-hour snorkeling cruise, during which Oliver, Sadie and I got sea sick but had a great time once we were wet. Friday afternoon was spent checking in the gear bags and the bike. Bike check was quite a spectacle, with upwards of 200 spectators and counters watching folks check in their bike, half of which had lawn chairs and created a tunnel leading to transition, making me feel quite like I was in a parade.

I was exhausted but back at the house and ready to eat dinner and begin relaxing by 4pm. Only problem was we didn’t really have much besides bananas, beer and wine. I was too tired and lazy to do anything about it, and too stubborn to wait until ‘real’ dinner time, so my pre-race meal ended up being a peanut butter and banana sandwich and some chips. Not ideal but it did the trick.

Dig Me Beach

I can easily see why someone would want to come back to this event year after year. The atmosphere and excitement are at an entirely different level than any other race I've been to, and the spectating is second to none. Well, perhaps second to Las Vegas, but in a very different way.

I'm feeling exhausted from the travel, the walking up and down Alii, and the swimming with the kids, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I can't wait for the race, both so I can experience it and get on with serious vacationing. And speaking of serious vacationing, I need to go get ready for a 5-hour snorkelling trip this morning...