The most adventursome adventure ever

      So this adventure was one for the books and most deserving of it's own post. All this time we had been deciding our adventures from this guide book. It was super helpful and I'd definitely recommend it if you need a guide in Kauai. So in this book there's an adventure labeled "The Jungle Hike". It said it involves hiking through mile long irrigation tunnels to get to a hidden waterfall.The book gives plenty of warning that this is an unmaintained trail, it's sketchy, super muddy and long. I love caves, I love waterfalls, I love adventures, especially filthy ones, sounds right up my alley. Ben and I set out earlier, like maybe 10am. The hike was muddy from the first 100 yds. It was more of a pig trail through the undergrowth with plenty of ducking, and crawling for our 6'2" scrawny frames. More than once we almost fell off a ledge or hole that was hidden by the thickest vegetation I've ever encountered.
        After a long hike we arrive at the first tunnel. It feels like Indiana Jones or something. You can see the light at the other end even as you enter the tunnel. There's about shin deep water and a slightly silty bottom and most of the time the ceiling is about 6 feet tall. After adventuring through the first tunnel, there's directions to get to the "slightly more sketchy" second tunnel. Of course we're going. So after crossing a river, scampering through the undergrowth, coming upon a makeshift campsite with discarded Ramen wrappers, we stumble upon the entrance to the second tunnel. Sketchy doesn't begin to describe it. The tunnel looks about 3 feet tall and we have to climb down this ladder into an irrigation canal with crotch deep water.

Actually the less sketchy tunnel exit, but you get the idea.

We have to walk hunched over for the entirety of this tunnel. The water is thigh deep and worse that that there's a foot of silty mud on the bottom of the tunnel. There's a point with rotten wooden timbers you have to crawl through. It seemed to me they were holding up the tunnel, adding to the sketchiness of the adventure. Finally the light at the end of the tunnel is close and we emerge, seemingly in the middle of the Kauai interior. After such a long, filthy, sketchy hike one would expect the most glorious view ever, considering the effort put in to get there. Now I'm not saying it was a let down, the waterfall was cool. But it's the experience to get there, not the final view.

Now we just had to turn around and hoof it out before dark. We made it, our shoes didn't fair so well. After several washes I still wear mine. I believe Ben threw his out.

After that adventure we pretty much chilled for the rest of the trip. Book reading on the beach, swimming and such. Ben flew out a day before me so we got a taxi to the airport and he caught his flight as I disappeared into the night to find a place to sleep. Let's just say the shore area around the Lithue Airport has a lot of miscellaneous junk lying around: Toilets, ropes, refrigerators, whole cars, car parts, mattresses, etc. It was like a dump. Eventually I found a nice junk free bit of sand beach and enjoyed my last night in Kauai sleeping on the sand as the waves crashed on the beach. Yes I did account for the tide coming in so I didn't get washed away in my sleep.

Beach Camp Site

 I awoke early the next day to get some good sunrise pictures.

I never get up early enough to view such events.

Sunrise near Beach Camp Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that I hiked some more, found a beach to chill on and read and killed some time before I went to the airport to fly back to reality. I left Lithue arrived in LAX and arrived in D-Troit. As I exited the plane, there was a blast of cold wind and I hurried onto the Jetway. I exited the Jetway and the attendant at the desk announced, voice laced with sarcasm, "Welcome to beautiful Detroit, where the temperature is 45 degrees." If I could only go straight from Hawaii weather to Pow skiing and skip the "in between" season.

This about sums up the trip. The moral of the story is that if you are planning a trip to Hawaii, add an extra two weeks. Forget your watch. Adventure. Chill.

Mountain Biking Adventures In Kauai

The last picture of me taken before my parents left.

So the plan went like this: mom and dad hang out for a week after the race, they leave their son for another 10 days and he bums around. Another friend from home (Also named Ben) comes to bum for 5 days in the middle. So we had camping gear, rented well used mountain bikes from this place, and didn't really have a plan besides hang out and adventure. Mom and dad drove me the 14 miles and 3600' up to Kokee state park (I would have never been able to pedal that with this pack). I camped for two nights and hiked around (see previous post). Then I rode down the canyon, which was exhilarating experience considering I was on a janky mountain bike with a 50 pound pack. Anyway I rode down to Polihale state park and hung out for a bit, chatted with some Hawaiian guy about pig hunting and cliff climbing. I decided the state park was really just an overrated scorching sand beach that was so hot you couldn't walk in bare feet. MI beaches are much more inviting. After that I rode a bit back toward Waimea and found a spot in the bush to camp for the evening.
       Ben was flying into Lithue and I decided to ride the bus over to Kapaa to meet him. He booked a room at the Kauai Sands Hotel, where the room was clean, the price was right, and the clientele were super classy. For the period of time while Ben was there we rode inland to camp and also spent some nights at the hotel. We hiked, mountain biked, and read some books on the beach. A perfect combination of relaxation and adventure. It's worth mentioning here that I read Unbroken in two days, and it is one of the best books I've ever read. Read it. Anyway ere are some pictures from our adventures.

Ben at the top of the Sleeping Giant hike near Kapaa

There are "wild" chickens everywhere in Kauai. This explains more. It's interesting.

The biggest Centipede we've ever seen. Ben's a centipede wrangler so it's okay.

Mt. Waialeale as viewed from the park near the Kuilau Trail.

My fat Whip.

One of the most beautiful places I've seen

So on my adventure I was mountain bike camping in Kokee State Park. Every hike I did was amazing but these pictures were from the best one. The Awa'awapuhi-Nu'alolo Clis Loop was incredible. It's not the trail itself, which is an okay trail, but the views from the vista's at the end. I started early in the morning and got out there with perfect light and no one else around. My words don't do it justice and these pictures only slightly paint the elation of the view.

View along the Cliff's trail. 

If I were a goat I'd probably choose to live here too.

If I could only build my house on this spot.

LoLo Vista: Up on the list of the most beautiful views I've seen.

View 2,000 feet down into the Nu'aolo Valley

Chillin' on Kauai

 So post race I went to Kauai to recover and hang out. I mean if you're in Hawaii why not extend your stay a bit. For about three days post race I just slept in and hung out, but I'm not really a lay on the beach/by the pool kinda vacation guy. I'm more of the, "let's go on some adventure" kinda vacation guy (as you'll see later). I could detail lots more of the sights, but I'll just include some captions. Comment with any questions.

Ke'e beach at the trailhead to the Kalalau trail

Hanakapi'ai Beach

Swimming in Hanakapi'ai Falls off the Kalalau Trail-totally worth the hike.

Mom and Pop on a hike near Kapa'a

Pu'u Kila Lookout in Kokee State Park

Waimea Canyon

The Famous Red Dirt of Kauai

Other Big Island Sights

We did go on a couple adventures pre-race. Here's some pics and short captions. 

The moon-like landscape on the top of Mauna Kea. Sea level to 13,796 feet and back in one day.

Hiking to the Lava Tube; landscape in stark contrast to the Western Side of the island.

Lava Tube where the roof caved in.

Interesting "Lava Stalactites" or "Lavacicles". Also roots growing through the ceiling.

Kailua Bay

Going Snorkeling

Pacific Ocean Sunset

Race Video

                 Here's the video I made about the Hawaii Experience. Quality/slightly cheesy soundtrack.

     Direct Link Here

Post Finish: The Death Star is Destroyed

The smile lasted for about 15 seconds as I was draped with a towel and ushered from the finish line by a “catcher”. Ann Anderson (Dave’s wife) was volunteering as a “catcher” and she immediately claimed me from some other lady. At this point the smile was replaced by a look of intense exhaustion mixed with liberation that it was over. I didn’t collapse or anything I really just wanted to get away from the finish area and sit down. Ann kept asking me if I wanted any water or anything. I still had the humor to tell her that I wanted some Tequila and my bed. (Tequila would have been terrible, my bed not so much.) Since I was relatively okay (didn’t need medical or something like that) Ann released me into the “Family area” and went back to catch more Zombie Ironman. I never feel like eating anything post race but forced myself to try or I would just continue to feel terrible. I needed some protein and I tried to eat a Powerbar but they have the unpalatable consistency of sand. The whole time I’m looking around trying to spot my parents. I could only relate it to a small child who lost his mom in the store and is wondering around, lost and confused thinking, “I want my mommy. Where is she?” That’s what I felt like as I wondered over to get my finishers shirt and medal and some pizza.

I finally spotted Mom and Pop as I painfully did an old man walk across the beach area toward them. They saw me and Mom gave me a hug and I rested my head on her shoulder and didn’t give much of a hug back. Dad got a hug as well. They said good job and they were proud of me and we went to go find a spot to sit down. As we were walking back toward the photo area I happened to see andypottstri.com on the back of someone’s jersey and I looked up and it was Andy (finally!), chatting with some other athlete. I tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Andy. You’re the man!” He turned toward me with a huge smile and said, “Thanks man." That was pretty cool. I got my picture taken with my parents, found Dave, who also congratulated me, and ate some more pizza before hobbling to the car to get out of my tri attire. 

Somehow my run had evened out to a 3:29.47. I still can’t quite wrap my head around that math because I felt I was moving so slow for about 18 miles of it. In the end my other official splits were 1:07.33 swim, T1-3:28, bike 5:08.50, T2-3:07. I finished 361^st overall and 14^th in my AG and only got chicked by two AG women (and 22 pros). Overall I am very happy with my result; however I wouldn’t say I’m satisfied. It’s hard to be satisfied when you don’t put together a good leg of your traditionally strongest event. I could point to a bunch of different “reasons” but it doesn’t really matter. I’ll just have to qualify again and come back to put on the better performance that I know I am capable of if it all goes right. My overall impression of Kona is that the race is “fun” and “cool” only because it is the “World Championship” and there are so many high caliber athletes. There is nothing about the course that makes in “fun” or “cool”, the whole course itself is wretched and it makes you reach down for another level of toughness you didn’t think you had. It’s either that or give up. And you work to hard to get there to give up.

It is now Tuesday as I sit at our condo in Kauai finishing this up. My legs still feel trashed and walking down stairs isn’t fun. I’m planning on taking several weeks off and not getting back into training mode until at least November. I’m signed up for another Ironman in St. George Utah on May 7^th, 2011. But I’m not really thinking about that one right now. Thanks to everyone that was tracking me on race day. Your messages, emails and phone calls gave me a little more of that toughness to get through the race, when you know there’s that many people that care about how you do. Thanks again and if you have any other questions about the race that I didn’t cover in this short novel let me know. I’d be happy to divulge further details. Best wishes to all.

 

To continue the theme, the Death Star was destroyed, but the Galactic Empire is building another one. The rebel alliance must develop a new plan of attack, get another chance to attack, obtain funds for the journey, and hopefully succeed again.  

Can the Rebel Alliance Pull it off?

At mile 15, or something like that, you make a turn into the dreaded Energy Lab portion of the course. It’s a downhill section into a slight ocean breeze. You would think “yaaa downhill” but as most runners will tell you, a downhill section on already trashed legs feels awful. It’s like your quads have to brake for every stride and the shock sent through your legs is painful. And it’s interesting because I’ve been told, and I’ve told people, on downhills you open up your stride a bit and run over the ground, landing on your forefoot as not to “brake” with each stride. While good in theory, sometimes your legs just cannot do that. The next two and a half miles are right around 9 minute pace as I reach the turn around and head back up the hill. Going uphill isn’t any better than going downhill and my calves seized up again so I try to stretch them out for a few seconds. In this situation the only real thoughts are, “I just want to be done. This sucks. Why am I doing this? I want to quit and walk it in.” Yes that crossed my mind several times during the miserable survival run/jog. There were many moments where I felt like I was on the verge of implosion and would have to walk, but I just continued to put one foot in front of the other. 

Back out on the highway you could see Kona in the distance but it seemed so far away. I was basically a running zombie and everyone just wanted it to be over. Without dragging this out to much longer it was basically mile to mile, aid station to aid station, with legs of death for each step and questionable looks at every aid station. I’m sure they were all wondering how these insane people do this to themselves. When you’re doing this your mind has to wander a little bit to try to not think about how much pain you’re in. In between one of those aid stations out there I was thinking about my finish and what to do for my picture. I needed something original so somehow I decided pointing to Petoskey on the Michigan Mitten with my hand would be cool. 

I finally hit mile 24 and there was a long gradual climb up to Palani which then turns right and descends into Kona toward the finish. The only way I had gotten this far was to take the run a section at a time and I told myself to just get to the top of this hill and then you’ll have a nice downhill. Going down Palani was not fun for the same reason the energy lab hill isn’t fun, only Palani is steeper. Mile 25 came by and I was just thinking, “One mile that’s a piece of cake.” There were people cheering now, but you don’t really notice them specifically in your zombie like state.  As I turned onto Alii drive I felt like the horse headed for the barn and was able to pick it up slightly. I didn’t want to do this any more. I wanted to be at the finish NOW! Again there were tons of people and banners and music and Mike Riley announcing but I didn’t really notice any specifics. I slowed down to allow the guy in front of me to have his time at the finish and so I could have mine as well. As I walked up the ramp I heard my name announced and I pumped my arms and then held up my hand in the “Michigan Mitten” and pointed to Petoskey; smiling and relieved it was over. My finishing time was 9:52.45. 

The Run: The Rebel Alliance Suffers Heavy Casualties

By this time I had to pee pretty badly and my plan was to go through transition and then hit a porta potty on the way out so I could pee and eat a GU at the same time. I come into T2 and get off my bike checking my split- 5:08 faster than anticipated pre-race-sweet! I grab my bag and enter the tent, which isn’t as crowded and again calmly get ready for the run. In an effort to help my still healing calf I had purchased compression calf sleeves, which I put one on my right calf. I got some more sunscreen and ran out of the tent, looking for a porta potty. There wasn’t one so I figured I’d stop at the first aid station. The first mile felt okay, not great and my stomach felt crappy again, but I figured it take me a few miles to find my rhythm like it had in the past. My split was 6:27 and I told myself I needed to slow down a bit and get settled in. I got to the first aid station and the porta potty was in use so I continued on. As I mentioned in previous posts, the “cool” triathletes manage to piss themselves on the bike and run. I can’t. I’ve tried. Gross I know.

Second mile split 6:44, a sweet pace in my dreams, need to settle down more. Stomach still not feeling great I approach the second aid station where I spot the porta potty…as someone goes into it. I really got to pee and I also spot a dumpster behind a fence in a parking lot. Despite the fact it’s technically against the rules, it’s rarely enforced and sometimes you just can’t help it. I ran behind the dumpster and had another good 90 second steady stream break while I dined on a delicious blueberry pomegranate GU-all behind a dumpster-super classy. Feeling relieved I continued on my run, hoping my stomach would feel better. 

Runners that had already hit the turnaround were headed back at me and I tried to see who was in my AG to see what place I was in. I didn’t think I was near the top, but didn’t know how close I was and still considered I had a chance to run them down for a decent place. It was difficult to tell though and I couldn’t really tell what place I was. I continued to run around 7 min miles for a few more before the proverbial wheels started to come loose and I realized this was a survival marathon. There was no more “racing”, no more “what Place can I be” it was “get this done. I want to go home.” That is not exaggerated at all. The splits on my watch say mile 5- 6:57, 6-7:35, 7-7:50 8-8:02 and then stay right around 8. I don’t have an exact explanation or reason but those running legs never kicked in like they have in the past. I have several theories and explanations. I felt this run going downhill and the only thing I could try and do was to get some more calories and fluids on board. My stomach didn’t feel like I was going to throw up, but it didn’t feel like it wanted more PowerGels. My legs simply felt like crap, heavy and unresponsive. I was in for a long painful marathon.

Don't I look like I'm having fun!

The first 10ish miles of the run are an out and back along Alii drive along the water. The only problem is there are houses and trees between you and the water so there is little breeze. I was feeling pretty warm, although it had clouded over somewhat. My cooling strategy was the usual water and sponges on the head and upper body and the less traditional cups of ice down my pants. This strategy works fine for me, the only issue was my shoes were soon soaked and they didn’t have any drain holes in them; something I’d thought about ahead of time but hadn’t done anything about. As you head out of town there’s a two block hill of pretty decent grade to climb on Palani drive, before heading north on the Queen K again. It wasn’t a fun hill to climb. As I was headed up the hill I saw Chris McCormick in the lead and another athlete right behind him. Craig Alexander was somewhere near the top of Palani as I was getting there. As I headed out the Queen K more pros were headed toward town and I tried to recognize them or read their names on their numbers. I recognized a couple but somehow missed Andy. Just another way to keep my mind thinking about something other than my legs.  

On the Queen K there is much more of a breeze which was nice. But the sun also came back out in that time. The only way to get through this was to take it one aid station at a time. Each aid station was like an oasis in the middle of the desert, where I afforded myself the luxury of walking through each one, dumping as much water and ice on myself as I could and sucking down fluids and Gel as much as I could. I had been doing the math in my head once I was off the bike. A 3:15 marathon would put me around 9:35 and that obviously wasn’t happening. Thus a 3:30 would get me under 10 for sure and at that point I was trying to convince myself that 8 minute miles are a piece of cake. I got to the 13 mile marker at 8 hours I think so I had a good “buffer” for under 10, but it just kept getting harder. At this point it wasn’t my stomach at all it was just my legs, worse than they’ve ever felt before. My calves felt wrecked my quads felt wrecked, like they were seizing every step. A few times I tried to stop and stretch them out.  It never works but there’s not much else to try. 

 

The Bike: Red 5 engages the Galactic Empire

The plan for the bike was to “take it easy” on the way up to Hawi and save some for the way back. I was really focusing on not getting caught up in the excitement at the beginning part of the bike during the out and back through town. It was really crowded and the goal was just to stay clear of the other competitors. As far as nutrition goes it’s important to get some calories in early, to replace those lost on the swim and while you’re still relatively “fresh”. I was drinking some of my Gu and my stomach wasn’t feeling great. I kind of figured I had too much salt water or something so I drank some water and figured it’d get better. I headed out of town on the Queen K, trying to take it easy and get things working right. I tried some more Gu but it didn’t sit well. As I went by the first aid station my GI system wasn’t happy and I figured something needed to be done. As I rolled up to the second aid station I headed toward the porta potty and after a two minute delay I was back on my bike feeling much better. Guess in some cases the 4^th time is the charm.

After a few more miles of getting things settled in I got some calories on board and decided I needed to pick it up a bit to make up for lost time. I just turned up the dial a tad and slowly started working my way back up. Since it was still early it wasn’t very hot and the winds were okay. I continued to keep it going at a good pace, not working to hard and keeping my breathing easy. The course works its way north and has a few gradual inclines until you reach the town of  Kawaihae where it course get’s hillier and windier as you approach Hawi.

I was waiting for the pros to come back toward us and I finally saw the lead car crest a hill ahead. As they approached I saw a couple more vehicles, a helicopter, a motorcycle and two athletes. As they rode by me I recognized Chris Lieto and I thought Normann Stadler (turns out it was not him but a different German athlete). They were flying. This was the coolest part of the day and an image I won’t soon forget. Imagine vehicle entourage, famous athletes crushing this bike section and a news helicopter sweeping in over the blue ocean. I got this huge smile on my face that I couldn’t wipe off for several minutes. More pros flew by and I tried to identify some, especially looking for Andy Potts, my favorite pro. Most were moving to fast for me to identify.

This section of the course had more hills and since I tend to fare better on hills compared to most other triathletes I passed a lot of people on this section. The approach to Hawi is a long gradual climb of maybe 5-6 miles directly into a headwind with some crosswinds. I managed to stay in my aerobars mostly and cruised up the hill and passed a ton of people. Sections were gusty but I handled my bike well. At mile 55 I checked my bike split and I was right around 2:30 which was on pace for a fast bike split for me. I definitely felt the effort level kick up a bit but I wasn’t breathing really hard and I knew I could have a good rest on the downhill portion out of Hawi. The turnaround seemed to take a while to come and when I finally made the turn it was time to fly, just like I had during my practice ride earlier that week. The wind was mostly at my back, the downhill was great and I was flying. I rarely pass people on downhills and a few people passed me on this section. 

From here on in I was ready to put a little “time in the bank” as they say (but usually don’t recommend). I felt solid about my bike training this season and wanted to put out a good split rather than “saving” a ton for the run. Based on my past experiences I’d almost always been able to put in a solid run split and that was always “there” for me. I was counting on my run experience to get me through the marathon once again as you have to put some risk out to be rewarded at the finish. I had finished my 900 calorie bottle of GU and supplemented with the PowerGel and Perform drink on the course, trying to keep as calories on board.

Things had heated up as the day progressed and I was definitely feeling it on the way back. I had been dousing myself with water at the aid stations and was especially sure to do so at every opportunity on the way back. It’s a little strange, but cold water dripping down your exposed lower back and into your butt crack could be considered refreshing. About 10 miles out of Hawi I didn’t notice the winds as much, at least they weren’t blowing my around as much. In fact, on the return trip I didn’t notice a lot of wind except for a few sections, maybe it wasn’t as bad or maybe I was just super focused.

I felt really strong on the way back. I tried to stay aero as much as possible and passed a lot of people. I realized I didn’t really have to pee which wasn’t a good thing (I had peed during my “break” at the second aid station) so I tried to take on some more fluids. The momentum from passing so many people continued to carry me up until about mile 100, when I felt my energy level drop a bit. I still had a decent pace but I felt like I was working a little too hard and cut the effort a bit more and tried to “calorie up” and hydrate before the run. The last 12 miles seemed to go by very very slowly. It was the “I just want to get off this bike” feeling. I just tried to “cruise” in at an easier effort level and get geared up for the run.

The Start and Swim: Entering the Asteroid Field

Watching the pro start was sweet, with Mike Riley announcing and helicopters overhead and the cannon booming their start. As soon as they were off they started letting age groupers (AGrs) down the stairs to the “beach” area. The actual staring line is about 80yds out in the water so you have to tread water before the start. It took about 10 minutes to finally make it to the steps and I was in the water…good because I had to pee. It was about 20 to 7 and I did a short warm up swim out to the start line and then back to the beach. After standing there for about 1 minute I decided to slowly head back out to the start to wait for the cannon. Not the best idea I’ve ever had, having to tread water for 15 minutes surrounded by a bunch of other athletes. Everyone is bumping into each other as the swells move us and the lifeguards try to keep us behind the line. It’s almost claustrophobic as I lined up in the middle about four rows back. Mike Riley’s blabbing on the microphone about this and that naming off the oldest guy and the youngest person and stuff, names I’ve heard him say about a dozen times already this morning. He says something about one minute and I don’t really hear anything but splashing and background noise of the crowd and helicopters.

There’s no countdown, no indicators just BOOM as the cannon goes off. No one really was ready for it and it just so happens there were two lifeguards on surf boards directly in front of me. As it works they all turn a face the ocean and we’re supposed to swim around them. Instead it was more of us crawling over them and each other as everyone goes from vertical to horizontal and the ocean goes from blue to white foam. I keep my head above water and flail with my arms catching little water, mostly bodies and feet for the first several yards. Since swimming isn’t my strong suit I just focus on staying relaxed and not getting into oxygen debt. It’s still a washing machine on “aggressive wash” for the first several hundred yards, and settled down to “regular wash” for the next several hundred. The course was an out and back and it took forever to get to the turn at the boat. 

I felt pretty relaxed and smooth for the first half and just tried to stay out of the big packs of people. I think I got stung by a jellyfish as I felt a slight burn on my arm and again on my shoulder on the way back. Interesting since I’d never experienced that before, it wasn’t a big deal and only crossed my mind for about 5 seconds after it happened. Things bunched up at the turn and I was on my way back, where it seemed to spread out. It also seemed like I lost my form a bit and didn’t feel as relaxed, probably due to my lack of swim training. I didn’t get into oxygen debt but I felt my form break down. The sea wasn’t particularly choppy but I did swallow a fair amount of salt water due to the splashing in the start and bumping into people. I decided I can’t swim straight for the life of me. Got near the pier and was relieved the leg I was least comfortable with was over. I exited the water with a 1:07, the same time I swam in Idaho, which I didn’t think was a great swim. I wasn’t unhappy with my time but I wasn't  pumped either. 

Going through T1, there’s hoses to rinse off and you grab your bike bag and enter the changing tent. There were bodies everywhere but I found a seat and didn’t hurry to fast getting my bike stuff on. Top and shoes donned, I grabbed my sunglasses and put my flask full of Roctane in my back pocket. Doing a speedy application of sunscreen I jogged out to my bike, grabbed it and exited transition. As I hopped on my bike and headed out I reached back and didn’t feel the Roctane. Apparently it had bounced out somewhere in T1. That didn’t make me happy, but I still had my Vanilla Bean Gu in a waterbottle but I was a big fan of the Roctane for the caffeine and protein in addition to sugar. 

Race Day Morning: Luke Prepares for Death Star Invasion

Since I qualified for Kona my ultimate goal was to be on the podium (top 5) for my age group. Based on my previous race experience and training if everything went amazing I was guessing a swim time 1:00-1:05, bike 5:15-5:30 and run 3:15-20. Which would put me right in the ballpark of 9:30, and I would have a shot at being in the top 5 (last year 5^th was 9:36).

October 9^th 3:30am. I woke up in part to my bladder and in part to my parents, who had to be at transition at 4 as they volunteered for body marking. I got up a peed and then tried to go back to sleep. There have been few times in my life when sleep has eluded me and this was one of those times. I listened to my ipod and tried to fall back asleep for a half hour, eventually conceding it wasn’t going to happen. I lay in bed for another 20 minutes thinking about the race and a million different details about it running through my head. The original plan was to pick up Dave Anderson (family friend and IMCDA race crew) at 5:30 and get to transition a little before 6 for body marking and be good to go for the 7am start. I am one who would rather be slightly rushed prior to race than to show up early and have tons of extra time to get yourself thinking about this and that and get more paranoid about things. Anyway I got up and did my morning routine, including my traditional pre-race breakfast of strawberry pop tarts and Ensure plus. Mom and Dad left me some motivational words in lipstick (I think) on my bathroom mirror and I had to put my contacts in in the space between, “have the ride of your life” and “swim and run well too.”

I left the house with my things and was down to transition with Dave a little before 6 as planned. I went through body marking, where I got my number (1870) stamped on my Dad. Hugs and “good lucks” were distributed and I was on my way to my bike to pump up the tires and get my things set up. After that was in order my next challenge (as with any race) was to find the bathroom/porta potty with the shortest line. I succeeded and only had to wait about 5 minutes. As many runners and other competitors will understand, it was the third time I’d cut some additional weight that morning.  It was almost 6:30 and the pros were about to start, which I wanted to watch. I found Dave and gave him my bike pump and morning clothes bag. After a good luck and a hug I was headed back toward the swim start. 

I feel like this is also how dad would pose after successfully harvesting a whitetail on "the farm".

This picture was taken second. Notice attitude change in my face.

Day Before Race

So this didn't actually happen on Thursday but I have to include it somewhere. We had a great view from our condo. On more than one occasion this European (i assume) enjoyed sunbathing on the grass in front of our place. I understand this is normal attire in Europe and the speedo get's a bad rap here. But it still makes me laugh. 

Thursday night was the athlete banquet and meeting which we all went to. The food was marginal, followed by some Hawaiian entertainment, which I guess I don’t fully appreciate. Maybe because it was just Hawaiian dancers and singing/chanting in Hawaiian and I don’t understand. I don’t really have a liking of “musicals” anyway (dancing and singing-the two elements of a musical in my book). At the end there were some guys dancing with fire, which we can all admit makes pretty much  anything cool and entertaining. After that Mike Riley (‘voice of Ironman’ guy) got up and started the actual Ironman presentation, which presented a few interesting people, oldest competitors, youngest competitors, etc. They also showed several movies/clips about the race and some history. They had loud intense music and lots of good footage and I was getting a little excited and “goosebumpy” feelings watching them. After Mike was done they went through our athlete meeting about the course and rules and things everyone should have known already.

Friday came and I just tried to hang out with my legs up, stay hydrated and my stomach full. I had to wait to drop of my bike in transition at 2:30, so I was in our condo being slightly paranoid and triple checking things and really just wanted my bike to be out of my hands. I got it done, hung out some more and drove the bike course one more time to get it in my mind one more time what to expect. Mom made chicken pesto pasta for dinner and I was in bed around 7. Of course I couldn’t fall asleep very easily in part to the people making noise in the parking lot (doesn’t everyone go to bed early before and Ironman?), my slight anxiety and the fact I’d been sleeping 10hrs (plus naps) for most of the week, with minimal physical exertion. Anyway I probably fell asleep around 8.

Kona Underpants Run!

Thursday rolled around, which I had been looking forward to for a while. The Kona Underpants Run somehow worked its way into pre-race tradition. Connecting running around in underwear with athletics has deep roots with me, dating back to high school cross country, so I had to participate. As my understanding is, the Underpants Run is a way for the triathletes to basically make fun of themselves and their atrocious race garb and general lack of public decency; highly based on the common practice of Europeans (usually but not always) wearing Speedos (racing, beach or otherwise). Anyway, whoever wants to wears underwear and whatever “accessory” items they want and runs a mile up and down Alii drive. I got some super classy Ironman (of the Marvel Comic fame) boxer briefs (WalMart didn’t have them in briefs), and pinned a Gu packet to them (in case I needed a mid run-refuel). I also had some compression socks and the pride of my outfit was a temporary tattoo Mdot (Ironman’s logo) tramp stamp. 

The whole event was a fun way to relieve a little pre-race tension. As we ran down the streets I think I saw more people with cameras capturing this event than I saw old creepy men with cameras on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras (and there were a ton of creepy old men there). There was only one thong sighting and it was one to many. It was on a dude. There were also a few ladies that had on underwear of specific types that shouldn’t have been manufactured in that large of a size, but hey, it’s all fun anyway and it’s cool everyone’s comfortable enough with themselves to participate. Moving on…

I’m very glad we are not staying in Kona Town directly as we avoid much of the bustle and of course the testosterone fog that blankets the town as race day approaches. (It’s very similar to walking into Mitchell Hall in Alma aka FuBALL!!!! Hall). There’s the “athlete village” which is really just a place where all the brands have their “stuff” to show and demonstrate. Of course there are tons of sweet bikes and other cools stuff I can actually appreciate, but the silliest thing I see is the Ironman Recovery Mattress.  I’m willing to admit that Ironman has an amazing marketing department but seems they’ve gone a little overboard. In addition to Timex watches I expect to see Ironman soup, toilet paper and light bulbs sometime in the near future.

With Mom as our tour guide, the rest of the week we went on several hikes, drives and snorkeled in some cool places. What’s the point of being on a beautiful place if you aren’t going to see the sights? It was amazing how near Kona it could be so barren, dry and brown with lava everywhere and then a few more miles to the north or on the other side of the mountain it is lush, tropical green Hawaii the way you think it should be. It was also amazing how they managed to turn acres of sharp, black, lava rocks where there is nothing capable of growing on them, and turn the area into a green golf course and resort. 

MI and HI have different definitions of  'Forest'.

As far as workouts for the rest of the week I went for a swim one afternoon. I was a little concerned about swimming in the salt water, as I had no experience prior. It was a little choppy, which made for a few unpleasant gulps of salt water but the good news was there were no big logs in the harbor; just sand and coral. (Yes I am a 24 year old dude who's scared of big logs under water, some childhood terror or something) I did another easy bike out on the course, another easy swim and spent time in the sun to try and get used to the heat. On Wednesday I went to register and got my race packet.

Toasted Michigan Boy on the Queen K

Let me try to put the picture into words (with as little exaggeration as possible) for what I was thinking during this practice bike ride. Imagine a stretch of dark black pavement, not that grey worn out road like most MI roads are, black like it’s been recently repaved. You are at the top of a slight rise (maybe a hill depending on your definition-3-4% gradual grade) and you can see ahead of you for 8 or so miles. You can see the road ahead of you with big gradual turns and some more gradual hills, which are slightly wavy and distorted by the heat coming off the pavement. To your right you see the green of a golf course in the distance and beyond that you see the vast blue ocean tinged with white, looking so cool and inviting. But you also see miles upon miles of ugly, jagged, deathly black, lava. They built this road directly through the path of a lava flow. This is what your eyes see and it only hints at the story your other senses are telling you. 

View Inland from the Queen K

Normally one feels a cool ocean breeze, that is refreshing. In my case I’m used to a cool (or more commonly cold) breeze off Lake Michigan and a “warm” breeze would be one of those strange spring days where it’s been 45 and now there’s a 60 degree wind. As I’m riding my bike I’m buffeted by the blast furnace that is hiding in the Vog (volcano smog as they call it) somewhere offshore and is spewing gusts that launch my bike and it’s rider a couple feet across the road. I tense the muscles in my upper body to keep my bike in control and lean into the wind. It feels like my bike is riding at a 20 degree angle from perpendicular to the ground (I mean it’s not straight in however you say that in more descriptive words). It is more challenging to control my bike than usual, but I have ridden in a few similarly windy days back in Michigan. One just has to stay more focused and muscle the bars a bit more. But I had not experienced the heat like this. Maybe because I’m a wimp, maybe because I’m used to cold weather, but it was miserable and the thought of calling my parents to come get me crossed my mind more than once. But I knew that I needed to get through this ride or the race would just be that much worse. Anyway I sucked it up and toward the end of my ride it clouded over a bit and seemed to get cooler and a little less windy. I made it back and pondered what I needed to change to have a better experience on race day. 

View of Maui from the Mamalahoa Highway. You can see the Queen K below.

Spot the Ironman!

Our first day the main goal was to pick up my bike from Fed-EX and make sure it was in one piece. It was and I built it and went for a short ride. With the race being on Oct 9^th, we arrived early so I could try and get used to the heat and the legendary winds that make the course as difficult as it is. (For history, results, maps and other info about the race go to www.ironman.com/worldchampionship). As we got our bearings and checked out the area mom, pop and I played a fun game called “spot the Ironman”. It wasn’t a very hard game. Key givaways are shaved legs, compression garments, fuel belts, excessive spandex (which is worn while working out, drinking coffee, shopping, at the beach, etc.), visors, logos, silly looking shoes, TT bikes (most obviously) and of course the wafting smell of testosterone as they walk by. Of course not all triathletes fit into the above criteria but as a general stereotype it fits well. Click Here for Visual Examples

         Our second day we went on a drive to Waimea and up to Hawi (one of the few Hawaiian words I can actually pronounce-like this- Ha-VEE. To speak Hawiian as far as I can tell use a K or H slur a couple of vowel sounds together add another K, H or W and more vowels…repeat). The bike course leaves Kona and heads North on the Queen K(add vowels and consonants if desired-but most just call it the Queen K) Highway to the turnaround at the north end of the Island at Hawi. I wanted to ride back from Hawi, to get an idea for the heat and the winds I would be facing on race day. Soon after leaving Hawi the wind was at my back and there is a long gradual downhill for several miles. I was SCREAMING and it was scary. I was in my top gear flying, while trying to control my bike in the side gusts, managing a fine line between rumble strips and guard rails. For a practice ride it was intense and a little scary. That lasted a few exhilarating miles and then it just got hotter and the wind was from the side and I was having second thoughts on how bad the bike course was. Everyone says, “it’s sooo Hot and sooo windy! It’s like 95 degrees!” Considering I think 0 is pretty cold, 80 is HOT, and 95 is basically hotter than I’d experienced before, I was worried.