I could not handle the excitement when I woke up to my first morning in Hawaii, smack dab at ground zero of triathlon's epicenter! I couldn't sleep. It was hardly even Tuesday morning when I kissed Angie, told her I was sorry that I'm so darned excited, but I was rolling out of bed at 4 am. Jet lag probably had a hand in this decision too. I was as giddy as a kid on Christmas day.
All that came to a screeching halt when I picked up my phone to catch up on the world and saw a very rare email from my cousin in New Orleans. It said something was very wrong with my Aunt Joycelin, and to get my dad immediately. Oh no. I woke him up, which in turn woke up my mom, my sister Cindy and her husband Mark, my sister Ginger, and of course Angie had already woken up with me. Dad called only to find out my Aunt Joycelin had just died. One minute she's washing her hair, the next minute gone. And what a selfish thing that we're all over here in Hawaii.
Excited beyond containment to be in Kona, thoughts about crawfish boils in New Orleans with my aunt, her amazing red beans and rice, visiting for Mardi Gras, and what am I doing here yet don't I deserve to be here?!
Dad quickly made reservations to head back home to Idaho and then straight on to New Orleans for the funeral. I only got to spend that one day with him in Hawaii. It was a really big deal to me that he had come out for this, but there was no question that he had to go back and support his sister's family and say a proper farewell to the last member he had in his immediate family. Just like that, my dad was with us in Hawaii and then gone back to the mainland.
I was so glad to see my dad in Hawaii to share in this amazing trip. We at least got to ham it up for a few yucks Tuesday morning after we had all arrived the night before.
We had a great crib for this vacation. A beautiful house with a spectacular view and a backyard that was super relaxing. The pool was a surprise as it wasn't there when we rented it last December.
Our crib in Hawaii. It was in a gated community precisely where the first bike turnaround is on Kuakini Highway.
The backyard of our house was perfect for parties.
The pool was a bonus!
First order of business was breakfast at Island Lava Java in Kailua-Kona Town. It's kind of an uppity coffee nook right across the street from the ocean, and a great place to see some of the pros hanging out. However, I actually did not see any pros hanging out there. I bumped in to them in various places around town completely out of blind luck.
Island Lava Java. Order up!
Scott Bikes had a big display going on at Lava Java, and this wall was dedicated to superfast uberbiker Sebastien Kienle, who happened to be my pick for the win on Saturday's race.
I spotted Mark Allen at his coaching tent from our table at Lava Java and
couldn't help but go bug him for a photo. I was shaking I was so
excited! Dad attempted to take the picture but he wasn't up
on smartphones, so it turned out to be a bit of a comedy of errors. Mark
was super nice through it all and kept saying, "I should be videoing
this!"
Next after breakfast we set off into town on the beautiful Ali'i Drive to get my bike from TriBikeTransport, get registered for Ironman, and get a short swim in. The trip didn't start very well though, cuz mom stumbled over a curve and busted her knee and her ankle up pretty good. We were having a rough time getting our momentum going on this trip! Luckily she wasn't hurt too bad. It could have been a lot worse.
I snagged a photo op with Chris Lieto on the way to registration. I liked his style of racing - bike your ass off and hold on as best you can in the run. It almost worked for him in 2009 when he held the other pros off and managed 2nd place overall. Sadly, he was sitting out this year again for an injured achilles tendon.
Along the wall at Dig Me Beach are posters of the past winners. Dave Scott won six, and what makes him so fascinating to me is that his first Ironman wins were won with pretty pedestrian times (by today's standard). But he figured out the sport - pioneered it - and built himself into a triathlete that could compete with anyone's time still to this day. He proved anybody can do great things if you put your heart and soul to it. I wished I would get a chance to meet him but I never did. I don't even know if he was there this year.
This one's for my friend, CC Wilkins, who has done this race 3 times.....the lucky bastard. I remember him striking this pose in his last visit to Kona at this same spot. I think he was facing the other way, but I couldn't make the photo op work that way.
They had this huge poster in front of the King Kamehameha Hotel (the host hotel) that had the names of all the participants on it. I wonder what they did with it after the race.....
Just checking to make sure they got it right........
The wrist band always makes an impending Ironman feel just a little bit more official. Registration was way too formal with too many serious questions, so I tried to inject a little humor into the conversation with the volunteer that processed me through the herd.
After registration we hit the Ironman Merchandise Tent where I spent an exorbitant amount of cash on the finest narcissistic Ironman World Champ paraphenalia I could find. This was also sort of a trick I was playing on myself: my injured knee left it questionable to some point as to whether I would finish the race. With clothes that indicate I finished the race, I would now have to or all of it would be useless clumps of cotton and polyester. It's just a personal rule not to wear something advertising an event I haven't done.
Then it was time to set foot on the sand of the famous Dig Me Beach where the race would start and have a bit of a practice swim!
Getting ready for a dip in the clear water of Kailua Bay. This is the most amazing place I have ever flailed around in an attempt at swimming. In just a few yards you're over coral reefs teaming with fish - triggers, tangs, parrot fish - and even the occasional sea turtle. Quite a bit different than the waters of Chocowinity Bay.....
Swimmers practice their stroke in the salty water of Kailua Bay. That's Mauna Loa volcano in the background. That steeple in the center, however, is the most tell-tale bit of the skyline to me and I've been fascinated by it for years. Later on I'll show you a bit more of this historic landmark.
Every morning during race week Dig Me Beach is crowded with hard bodies from around the world.
After my swim, I recognized the guy that came in 2nd in my age group (40-44) at IMFL last November (I came in 5th). This was his 10th time at Kona I believe. I have no idea how someone affords to do that, especially all the way from Europe. He's a triathlon coach.
This is Hunter Hobson, and he is 100% prime grade A badass. No, he's not a pro. But he is a damn good triathlete. What's far more impressive is that he's a Marine F/A-18 fighter pilot and has also flown the #2 position in the Blue Angels. Gimme my dream job!!!! He and I met at IMFL last year as well, and bumped into each other several times on the course.
I love how Hawaii is full of spiritual places. This was such a peaceful spot right on Ali'i Drive - prime real estate but not for use. Just a place to respect and reflect. Now, just next to it was a major hangout for bums but those guys know a great hangout when they see one too.
The entrance to the Energy Lab, just off of the Queen K. No bikes allowed so I just took a gander and saved the experience for race day. (I would have gone for a run in there prior to the race but since my knee was a bit of a liability I was avoiding all running until the race)
Merle takes a break on the Queen K. The road is super smooth with massive shoulders. It's like this road was designed with a World Championship long distance race in mind. I opted to borrow Carl Bonner's 808's for the race rather than go with something more sidewind friendly and lower profile. It turned out to be a good decision at least on that day.....
Tuesday night Angie and I went to the Slowtwitch party. Slowtwitch is a triathlon forum that I have an addiction to. It's my morning ritual to have my coffee and catch up on the forum with all that's happening in the world of triathlon. I hardly know anyone on the forum, other than recognizing their names, but I thought it might be a good chance to meet some folks and they give away cool prizes too. I did get to meet two celebs in the world of endurance - Chrissie Wellington and Chris Boardman. Both Brits! Angie also won a cool pair of Monster earphones!
Chrissie Wellington was super gratious about the photo op and looked fit enough she could have jumped into the pro field at the last minute on Saturday and left them in her dust!
Chris Boardman was at the Slowtwitch party to give away a new Boardman bike as a door prize. Pete Jacobs - last year's winner - rides one of his bikes so he was essentially here in support. I loved watching him crush the old Tour de France prologues in his day and I had always read that he had a dry sense of humor and was somewhat dull. Not at all! He was very talkative with a witty sense of humor that would have put him right at home in a Monty Python sketch!
Wednesday started with another breakfast at Lava Java followed by another swim in the bay.
Well, here's Lava Java again!
The bay was looking as inviting as ever and the pier was starting to take shape for the Ironman on Saturday!
I wanted to swim to the Coffees of Hawaii boat. They set up about a quarter of a mile in the bay and hand out free coffee to the swimmers. It's one of those must-do things I guess. On the way to the boat there's a sign laying in the sand at the bottom of the harbor telling you "This way to the Coffees of Hawaii." Love it! Unfortunately, I got there just as they were setting sail for shore. Dammit. Strike 2!
Heading out for a swim! I broke one of the cardinal rules of triathlon: don't try new equipment right before a race. I had just bought a Blueseventy P03TX swimskin and this would be my first test run. It worked like a charm.
That afternoon, Angie, mom, and Ginger and I went for a drive to Hawi. I wanted to test ride that section of the course since the winds can get pretty crazy out there. I wanted to know now rather than wait til race day what those winds felt like. So we loaded the bike in the van and drove north. What an amazing island this is! Take a nap for just a few minutes while driving around the island and you may wake up to wonder if you're in the same place at all! The landscape and the foliage changes so much depending on what part of the island you're on. We left the desolate lava fields around Kona to emerge in a town surrounded by greenery in the quaint little village of Hawi. We all fell in love with the quiet little community!
We stumbled on this nifty little sushi place in Hawi called Sushi Rock and ate there for lunch. The bathroom situation was perfect small town nostalgia - grab the key and follow the painted footsteps around the building to the closet in the back. And the food was outstanding!
After lunch, we continued the drive up the highway and watched the world around us turn into a Jurassic Park jungle. At the end of the road we were treated to an amazing view of a black sand beach hidden among jungle covered cliffs. Breathtaking!
We didn't stay at this spot long. There were obviously raptors in the area, and none of us were keen on being eaten that day.
What a view! Ginger and I both would have loved to make the hike down there, but that would have been a dumb idea for me. I wished Ginger could have gone, but we were all holding her back.
After taking in the view, we drove back to Hawi and I mounted my bike. "Just 10 miles!" I told them. "Watch your odometer and when you get to 10 miles just pull over and I'll jump in." They let me go on ahead. I was nervous. Really nervous. The winds didn't "look" bad on the drive up, and Ginger said she didn't feel any strong winds driving the van. But this was where the winds typically came blowing off the mountain from the left and if you weren't ready for them when you came out of a spot where the road had been cut out from the mountain and offered some protection, you could be in for a big surprise. I had heard about folks getting blown across the road, even blown off their bikes. And getting in your aero position on the bike or trying to reach for your water bottle was a good way to lose it.
Ready to head out for a ride out of Hawi. Desperate for anything that might help me deal with the pain in my knee on race day, I visited the Kinesio tape booth and gave their stuff a shot. I don't know if it helped but it didn't matter. On race day when I tried to tape up the knee in T2 before the run I got the tape all tangled up in itself anyway and just chucked it.
After the slight uphill that takes you out of Hawi, you get a long down hill. The wind was at my back and I was flying! I looked back and saw the van and figured they were nervous for me too and just wanted to check things out for the first couple miles and make sure I was okay. I was still nervous about what was ahead, but I was okay. I was MORE than okay. Because now I was cruising uphill in the biggest gear I had at 35 mph. I was having the time of my life! And that's how those 10 miles went. All tailwind, and never the slightest gust that chiseled away even the smallest chunk of my confidence. I hoped it would be like that for race day, but knew anything could happen between now and Saturday.
Cruising down the highway out of Hawi. What a glorious ride that was!
When we got home we had a little time to chill on the patio. I got a little over zealous telling stories. You had to be there.
This pool wasn't here when we rented the place. I held back any complaints about it though since I didn't want to come off as a whiner. I guess I just made the best of the situation.
That night Ginger, Angie, and I went to the Welcome dinner and sat with some old friends from Greenville. Doug Thompson was there with his family after finally getting a lottery slot that he had dreamed of for so long. It was good to see him again. I wasn't impressed with the food at the Welcome dinner and the whole thing kind of dragged on. We left before the race meeting started after the dinner. I just wanted to go back to the house and chill.
The guy I'm talking to in the green jacket also qualified at Ironman Florida. He's 79 years old and has plenty of energy. Don't ever let anybody tell you that you can't do something.
Really, this is perfectly normal behavior to be walking down the street in your nut huggers.....
Thursday was the Underpants Run! Way back when, the American athletes started poking fun of the European athletes for prancing around all week in their Speedos, so what started as just a goofy joke turned into a (somewhat) bonafide run complete with donations to charity. I couldn't run, but I could at least show up and support.
Me and my sisters, Ginger and Cindy at the Underpants Run.
I liked her shoes....
Pete Jacobs, Chris Boardman and others were off for a bike ride but got hung up behind the Underpants Run.
Angie pretends she likes my smooches in the big banyan tree at the finish line.
I couldn't coax Dave into joining me for a practice swim but he was there to support any way he could!
Eric Hinman is Dave's friend from Syracuse, and he qualified at Ironman Lake Placid a coupe months ago. Dave wouldn't swim with me, but Eric was all over it!
Early morning swim practice while the sun rises over the volcano in the background.
Eric and I managed to find the coffee boat that morning and enjoyed a cup in the greatest venue in the world for a caffeine boost.....the beautiful panoramic view that is Kailua Bay!
Thursday was also the day to prep my race bags, since the next day I'd be turning them in to the racks in transition as well as my bike. I'm annoyingly organized. Most of this task was already completed before I even got to Hawaii.
Everything laid out where it belongs, ready to go into the bags. I added Superman duct tape to my bags to make them stand out against the rest more, but the tape wasn't really quite colorful enough.
The gauntlet of equipment counters sit on the other side of the barriers while the athletes bring their bikes to the pier.
None of the press was too excited to photograph me and my gear as I wheeled it into transition but my lovely wife was! Damn, I didn't even get a glance from fellow NC rez Herbert Krabel of Slowtwitch press (in the background in the white shirt and goofy hat)!
Evidently your helmet needs to be out of the bag and visible. I didn't know that. I got hollered at and I felt like a rookie. Still, it looks pretty silly to be wearing an aero helmet when walking your bike so all you veterans kinda looked silly to me too. A photo was taken of my bike, presumably for insurance purposes, and then a volunteer escorted me through the whole transition process. I really liked the guy and I hate I forgot his name. He had been to Greenville for something or another but lived in Hawaii now. He took me to rack my bike in its designated slot. Even just racking my bike here was something I've always wanted to say I've done. The transition area has that green plastic patio stuff on it and the racks are just slots that your rear wheel fits into. Much nicer than a rail to rest your seat on and a muddy field.
He then took me through the rows of racks for the bike-to-run transition bags and the swim-to-bike transition bags. Right in front of me was Dirk Bockel, one of my favorite pros, going through the same process. This was the coolest thing ever......was I really doing this?!?!
The swim-to-bike transition bags all racked up. Which one is mine?
Dirk Bockel has a breakthrough Kona race coming up. I know it.
The other interesting part of Bike Check In is watching the pros come in to check their gear in. They get swarmed by photographers and it's a good chance to see the big names and what their kits look like for this year. So, we went upstairs across the street to Splasher's to grab a bite and watch the pros do their thing.
Sebastian Kienle wheels his Scott Plasma into the transition area. I didn't realize until just now posting this picture that right next to him is my friend Colin Laughery!
My family and the Mirras were already at Splashers when I got out of the check-in process. But something was going on at the table behind us. An older guy was setting up a spread on his table with some old trophies, books, and things......and he was wearing a shirt that clearly showed he was in the first Ironman in 1978! I went over to chat with him and, sure enough, it was Tom Knoll, 6th place at the first ever Hawaii Ironman! I was so honored to meet such a legend of the sport and he was such a nice guy that loved telling stories. I bought his book, which proceeds go 100% to charity (I got to choose one - cancer research).
As if that wasn't enough, Gordon Haller joined his table. Gordon won that first Ironman and was competing again this year. These guys were the mack-daddies of the sport, the founders, the ones that came up with this crazy idea in a bar that started with a silly conversation between swimmers, bikers, and runners that suddenly decided to throw it all together in an athletic feat so insane only 12 takers toed the line to begin with. Now look what they started!!!!!! We chatted with them for a long time...........and I was sipping way too many beers for an Ironman the next day!
Tom Knoll clearly loves the sport and sees it as a tool for giving to others. He has done countless charity runs since his younger days in the Marines and I got the feeling the last thing he cared about was making any money off of it himself. I could have chatted with him all day.
Gordon Haller was just as easy to listen to as he told his stories. Dave and I chatted with him quite a bit. Gordon ran over 80 miles the week prior to that first Ironman. I guess there weren't a lot of tri coaches around back then.....
The official leaderboard for the first Hawaii Ironman in 1978. Back then it was in Oahu.
That's my sister in the background whoopin' it up. You don't get to meet a legend very often. Very glad I got to meet Gordon.
Dave and I were having a great time at Splasher's spotting pros dropping off their bikes at the transition area. The beers were flowing a bit too well. I needed to get out of there if I was going to finish an Ironman the next day......but really I wanted to stick around.
Sister Cindy, me, Angie, and Dave hanging out at Splashers the day before race day.
Standard protocol the day before an Ironman....
NOT standard protocol the night before an Ironman. Frank Fisher texted me just in time before I gave myself a refill and talked me out of it. You can see the TENS unit attached to my knee as well as tape residue from the Kinesio Tape I had tried out that day.
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