Short Verison:
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Swim - very scenic, lots of fish, coral, puked, cute wahine's on surfboards.....1:39:41
Bike - extermely hot in Lava Fields, Extremely windy coming back from Hawi, mechanical issues.....07:04:59
Run - blisters, chaffing, made for more walking than running but the shameless self promotion of BIG SEXY made the run very enjoyable...06:26:02
Overall....15:34:30
Super Long Verison:
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(reads like a -yawn- book report, you may just wanna check the pictures and the finish video at the end of this):
There is absolutely nothing like it in the world. Kona. Hawaii. Ironman. Really! The World Championships! The level of competition is very very high, and for a lottery slot winner well I had an Ironman experience I will never forget. And so it begins...
I woke up at 4AM to do the usual pre-race routine of getting some breakfast, putting on race clothes, etc. Jillian, Anthea (BFF), and I (Also known as "Team Sexy")
made the mile walk along Alii drive to the King Kamehameha Hotel. Usually before a race I am pretty relaxed and listened to headphones to get psyched up for race day, but this was different. Today was the Superbowl of Triathlons and I was overflowing with emotion. Looking back on it, it was pretty silly how I was that morning, but as we made our way I started thinking about how important this was to me and it struck me at that moment: This is Real, I am Here. I started freaking out - teary eyes and shaking my hands out frantically. The nervous energy was pretty incredible...I was literally acting out like when I was a little boy. Kept taking deep breaths and trying to calm myself down by thinking positive thoughts. Time to HTFU as Chopper Reid would say.For you triathletes reading this, the Kona Ironman morning routine is much like other pre-race experiences, but this one has a couple of differences. First, you have to line-up to get formally body-marked – it’s a real process — you get rubber stamped, your picture taken, named crossed off on a list. Second, there are television camera crews surrounding the athletes, focusing specifically on the pros and a few pre-selected age groupers. It’s the beginning of everything you’ve seen on the television broadcasts of the race. Chrissie Wellington up close had an amazing calmness about her (but looks like she should eat a sandwhich). The ladies would have loved to have seen Chris Leito, he was fit, tan, and I was envious of him. I spotted Craig "Crowie" Alexander on his way into the transition area and tried to strategically place myself behind him so I could get on TV (Go ahead call me a stalker!)
After making sure all my transition gear was taken care of, I turned in my pre-race clothes and got into my speedsuit, put on sunscreen, and headed to the swim start. As I made my way into the water I tried to take in the whole experience....All the spectators on the swim wall, professionals in the water, inflatable gatorade bottles, etc....Just like on TV.
In my head I started squealling like a teenie-bopper, I am going to race in the most prestigious triathlon in the world. "Effin'" Crazy!When you’re in the water before the start, it’s an amazing moment. You are really there. It’s everything you expected it would be. The humanity of 1,800 other people right along with you treading in the water. Hawaiian bongo drums beating then silence . . . boom! The cannon is very startling, it shakes you to the core. And for a split second you freeze before taking your first strokes of the swim and into the churn.
There is no Ironman swim that is as enjoyable as the one in Kailua-Kona Bay, the water is clear and the views are spectacular. Fish and coral everywhere! Perhaps because its a deep water start, but I noticed that it wasn't as frantic as most Ironman swim starts. Maybe this is more true for the slower swimmers, like me. In other Ironman races, with up to 2500 people in the water at the same time, the congestion can be unreal, the constant contact frustrating. This race....not so much and taking in the underwater scenery was wonderful and distracting. But worth it. After about an hour of swimming I had swallowed quite a bit of sea water and it created a bit of issues with mystomach. I ended up hurling in the water about 2/3's of the way through the swim. It was a relief actually and I felt much more comfortable swimming after that.
I got out of the water in 1:39, right behind a a 62, 63, and 70 year old. I was racing with the old folks! Well they were "spring chickens" given there age - amazing athletes and I only hope to be as in shape as they are when I get to that age.
One of the things I looked most forward to was the 112 mile ride through the lava fields. It looked like a spiritual experience as I watched it on television broadcasts, and it was exactly like that when I got there in person. I was sweating profusely and I drank about 3 times of what I normally do to stay hydrated.
When you get onto the Queen Kaahumanu (pronounced Ka-ah-ooo-mah-noo) highway, the best part of the bike course is the highway is nicely paved, the undulations are friendly and not too challenging. All you see is dried lava fields and the only thing that changes are the rocks on the side of the road. You’re out in the middle of nowhere, and its nearly silent, except for the sound of cyclists pedaling. Mile-after-mile through fields that feel like an endless moonscape. Where else will you ever have an experience like that?
I played leap frog and chatted with Matt Hoover, NBC's Biggest Loser Season 2 Winner throughout the first half of the bike. We exchanged pleasantries often and he had a camera crew following him when he passed me. Hopefully I have a shot a getting on TV, but I doubt it...
Shortly after he passed with the NBC crew, the race leaders passed me going the other way....Chris Lieto was in the lead by about 30 seconds with a motorcade proceeding him. Shortly after that Chrissie Wellington came by with a HUGE lead. They were about 2/3 of the way through the bike, I hadn't even reach half way and I still had the climb into the little turn around town of Hawi (pronounced HA-vee). That stretch of road is a monster, 12 miles of consistent climbing as the rest of the racers pass the other way. Its a little demoralizing.
I was surprised to see Team Sexy had made there way to Hawi with "Mamma D" Danette Wieczynski and family who was there to cheer on her husband Geoff (a fellow TNT Alum, Team Shadow, and Lottery slot winner) I was able to give Jillian a quick kiss and I was back onto the road. That was a pretty good pick me up to see them there! Getting back on the road after Hawi you get to retrace the course back downhill. It’s a manageable downhill, not so fast that you have to concentrate closely on staying in control. But it’s fast enough to help you gain back some of that speed you lost on the earlier climb. The bad news is that it’s only 12 miles or so downhill. Then things get a little challenging on the next 13 miles heading back toward Waikoloa (why-ka-low-a). The wind picks up and gets stronger, and it’s all but certain to be blowing right at you. The pummeling headwinds are tiresome, I remember riding 9 to 10 miles per hour, and just not being able to pick up the pace.
To make things worse I had a mechanical problem in my rear Zipp wheel to where I could only use 3 total gears. All of them using the big chain ring, so I had a really tough go at pedaling along with the heat and wind becoming so maddening. And the mile markers are there, constantly reminding you how far you have not gone. Yes, the winds were everything you heard they say they are. Rough.
I got back into Kailua-Kona to finish the bike in 7:04:59, as soon as I got out of the saddle and stepped off the bike I nearly buckled. My feet were super sore, something which I have never felt before after a long bike ride. It was nearly crippling, but I had just enough time to see Geoff in the Transition tent as we changed to get ready for the run.
Right out of the transition I found "Team Sexy" again, we stopped and chatted had a few kodak moments as I started the run. My feet were killing me and I had some serious blisters and chaffing going on in places that I didnt even know I had. Even though it was getting later in the afternoon it was still very hot outside, the humidity felt like 100%, and the asphalt was radiating even more heat. But my spirits were pretty high with all the support from Team Sexy and all the other spectators in downtown Kaialua on Alii Drive.
The bike/running jersey that I was wearing was a story in shameless self promotion in itself.....On the front in big bold letters it said "BIG SEXY" and on the back "SIZE MATTERS". It got me more attention, cheers, and support than you could ever imagine. Literally!! I heard more BIG SEXY comments than ever. For the first few miles of the marathon I walked with Geoff and everywhere we went the crowd went wild. Geoff needed a shirt that said "I'm with Big Sexy" because I seemed to be garnering all the attention.
As I ran south on Alii Drive I heard a booming voice scream "GO BIG SEXY!! GO VANDALS!!". Adam Jarvis, a old friend from college in town to cheer his sister in law, was sitting in a open air restaurant and when he went crazy - so did the rest of the place! It was AWESOME!! More cheers came from volunteers at aid stations, spectators having sidewalk parties, and even the police stopping traffic at intersections. I frequently heard "Looking good BIG SEXY!" to which I responded "You aint looking to bad yourself" or "Hey there Pop-Tart" while flashing the hang-loose sign. At one aid station, I actually felt what it must be like to be in a boy band. The little teenie-bopper volunteers were screaming so loud! So funny and amazing...
The sun had long been set before I made it back through downtown Kailua-Kona, tons of people finishing the race while I still had 20 more miles to finish. Blisters on the balls of my feet and chaffing had me walking at pretty much a snails pace by the time I made it back to Team Sexy. Jillian, Anthea, and the Wieczynski family were right there waiting...such troopers. They had all sorts of updates from Facebook for me as well as the Idaho football score! I walked up the hill and out on to the Queen K for the trek to the lonely road to the Natural Energy Lab were the marathon turn around is.
It got super dark and they were handing out glow sticks to help light the way through the course. I could have used a flash light. It was pretty surreal run/walking in the pitch blackness of it all, but it was also very peaceful and quiet. Only to see other glowing objects on other runners from a distance was a trip. I could only imagine what you would think if you were on something at the time. Dehydration was already making me half delirious.
The aid stations during the marathon were well stocked with ice, sponges, cola, gatorade, etc. There are long inclines to wear you down. And yes, for some reason, the several miles into and out of the Energy Lab can suck the life out of you. I was fortunate enough to not do it in the middle of the heat as most other racers had and the Energy Lab did not seem as rough as it does in Ironman broadcasts; it is survivable. Once you’re past that, 21 miles complete, just 5 miles to town, and you’re an Ironman.
I came across an NBC camera crew once again who was in the middle of the night trying to find the story on Matt Hoover from Biggest Loser, they even commented a few times on my BIG SEXY shirt....I have to say it was a huge hit!
The next four miles were not easy for me, but I met an Aussie who actually inspired me to start running. His constant chatting and encouragement (Spot on Matey!) made the time pass quickly by. We chatted about the pro's and how they were probably having a few drinks while we were still trudging along. It seemed to be constantly uphill, and the miles were going by so slowly. But after you make a right hand turn at the 25 mile marker, your best moments are ahead.
Team Sexy must have known I was just around the corner, because they were once again waiting right there for me! Both Jillian and Anthea spotted me and ran with me down hill in their flip flops for about 100ft or so. I told them to head for the finish line and I would see them there. It was just about that point when we came across the Matt Hoover fan club, including his wife Suzy Preston (NBC's Season 2 Biggest Loser 3rd place) and kids. She even screamed out "GO BIG SEXY!" and I immediately recognized her from the show and told her when I last saw her hubby Matt (he was about 5 miles behind me). We briefly said 3 or 4 sentences to each other, but in a star struck moment I told her I was a huge fan of the show and really admired what she had accomplished. Now isn't is ironic, that on the back of my shirt it said SIZE MATTERS? Wonder what she was thinking as I ran off.
Jillian and Anthea then sprinted to the finish line as I had about 1 mile left in the race. I was savoring that last mile and in hindsight I should have slowed way down to enjoy the moment, but I was running like I didnt feel any pain from the prior 26 miles.
Finishing this thing....
I had trai
ned and raced thousands of miles over the years to get here, and for the first 500 meters on Alii Drive you don’t see the finish line, but you’ll hear it. All sorts of folks milling around and shouting on Alii drive prior to the finishing shoot cheer ing from all over the coffee shops, boutiques, and souvenir/t-shirt shops. You see the bright lights and people holding out there hands out giving you hi-fives. Then on approach a group of volunteers funnel you into the finishing shoot with about 100 meters left. That is when you are on center stage (well at least I felt that way). I had been out there for a long time that day and like me a bunch of competitors were straggling our way in and since I wasn't near any other racers I felt like the spotlight was on me. The lights are nearly blinding and Whit Raymond, one of the race MC's was pumping up the crowd and had them in a frenzy welcoming me home. The crowd was loud, but seemed to get a little bit louder than normal from what I gathered! I felt pretty damn specialCheck out the video of me crossing the finish line...
And the after math blister pop, if you wanna see something sorta gross (about scale 5 out of 10 on the disgusting scale)!!!
