Life after Kona

Its now eight weeks since Kona. It seems a lifetime ago. Long enough to mostly forget how much it hurt.

But I'm not about to even think about racing an Ironman distance race for quite a while yet. Having 'time' back to follow other interests is, well, priceless. Sure, I'm not over racing, in fact, I can now race more often, and this summer I'm going to hit as many sprint and olympic distance tris as I can. Racing a few weeks ago at one of these shorter races was FUN. Lots of short-term hurt, but easy to train for, and immediate feedback on effort.

I've not quite got back into as much flying as I would have liked, but that is because the weather has been especially crappy. I'm over Nor'Westers. It will get better soon, and when it does, I'll be back in the air with a vengeance.

Corrie and I did our first trail ride of the season yesterday, his first on his new 'adult' motorbike. His XR200 is a good step up for him, and he nailed the 25km of rough country in style, making it up a particularly tough climb that saw many adults falling off. We did three circuits, each taking approx one hour. That's Corrie in the picture.

So do I change the name of the blog, and keep posting adventures? I haven't decided, but I'm of a mind to keep recording the odd thought and expedition...

Last Post

I've had a week since the race to reflect on both how I went, and what it all means. The awards ceremony/dinner on the Sunday night (day after race) started that process. Our good friend Jon Ackland grabbed us some seats with Terenzo Bozzone and his family, and we had a good night. It was pretty interesting comparing notes with Terenzo about how his race went.

Terenzo was NZ's best placed male at 11th, and this was a pretty solid result in his first appearance at Kona, and only his 3rd Ironman. He's the reigning world half-ironman champ, and defends his title at Clearwater, Florida, in November. Jon has been Terenzo's coach for the last 5-6 years. Jon and Teresa worked together at the Institute of Sport in Auckland in the late 80's, and Jon and I did most of our training together for our Ironman NZ and Kona campaigns in 1988. Whilst I've seen a bit of Jon in recent years, Teresa hadn't seen him since we left Auckland in 1991!

Jon and I talked some about where things like Ironman fit into life, and if anything, that is the theme for this post. We came to the conclusion that its all about living life to its full, but having balance in that process.

Sadly, and this is certainly only my opinion, far too many people meander through life without much to show for it. I'm not talking material possessions. I'm talking experiences. I think humans are explorers; we have an instinct that propels us into wondering things like just how far we can go, what lies around the next corner, how can we do things better and so on. Essentially its about harnessing our initiative and our imagination - what's possible.

Many people seem to be satisfied that they have enough on their plate with job and family, and fair enough too. For me personally, that's not enough. Sports and recreational pursuits provide me the extra dimension, whether its competing or completing in triathlons/multisport/other athletic events, or flying, or tramping or kayaking and so on. Its hard to put into words where they fit in, and I can only imagine that these things to a degree satisfy the explorer/inventor/hunter-gatherer instinct we all share.

Back to the ironman. Jon and I talked about how to the vast majority of age-group athletes at the world champs, their actual placing and result is almost immaterial. Even now, I'm only vaguely aware of my placing in the race - I actually don't much care to be honest. Racing at Kona is just the final act in a play that lasted a number of years. Most of the challenge really lies in just getting there, from making the decision to try to, through the hundreds of hours of training, through racing one or more qualifying ironman races to qualify, and then completing the final training block for Kona itself. Its a bloody long process. At the end of the day, its actually really about putting a goal in one's mind, accepting and committing to the challenge, and then doing what it takes to achieve the outcome. In that respect, my satisfaction in completing Kona is really about having completed the bigger journey of thinking about, and preparing to get there; the race is to a degree just the conclusion. That the process takes at least a year makes it just that more memorable and special. Its the journey, rather than the destination that provides the most satisfaction.

But its a great metaphor. Nothing of value come easy, and closing this chapter is satisfying in that I have completed my dream to race at the world champs again after wondering whether this would be possible, and giving me confidence that almost anything is possible given desire, planning and commitment. This is a pretty handy reminder as I plan my transition into establishing my own business in the near future.

And as to tips for anyone wanting to do something like the ironman (or any other significant project or challenge), I'm only going to offer one piece of advice. Simply, you have to really want the goal, and believe that it can be achieved. If we don't really want it, or believe in ourselves, we are almost destined to stumble at the first hardship or hurdle, and give up. Wanting something, and backing yourself through all the challenges and hardships, is surely the key. So, get out there and do stuff.

I've enjoyed writing this blog. Its made me think about quite a few things, and of course many of these I've kept private, naturally enough. Its been an interesting journey, and I hope that you've found it worth the read, even if only for curiosity's sake.

Over and out.

Rest and recreation...

Well, I just didn't get near to the internet the whole week, from Monday morning when we left Kona, through until tonight, home in NZ. Probably a good thing, as Teresa and I just took the opportunity to unwind and enjoy some time together.

We spent our time based out of Waikiki, which proved a good escape from the all-encompassing atmosphere we experienced in Kona. The highlight just has to be Tuesday, when we hired a car and drove around Ohau. We checked out the famous surf spots, Sunset Beach, the Banzai Pipeline (above), Waimea, and so on. Surf, sand and sun, but too chicken to take on the BIG waves which apparently were actually only babies.

Tomorrow will be the the big kahuna wrap up. I'm pretty shagged tonight as we flew through last night and I didn't really get much shut-eye. One more night to compose my thoughts, and I can put this little journey (and blog) to bed. Thanks for your patience.

Feeling pretty shagged today.

And I suppose that's fair enough. Though I'm not as sore as after the Taupo Ironman, I think that's mainly due to running a slower marathon here, by about 25 minutes. A faster pace always hurts later!

It was so nice going out this morning with Teresa for a big cooked breakfast, eggs benedict with 'extras', thanks goodness for good old American supersizing...It was nice to having the pressure off at last, goal achieved. Its felt like a long time coming.

So, the race. Everyone, pros included, are saying how much harder yesterday's race was than recent years. And, yet, Chrissie Wellington sets a new womens' record. Unbelievable. I don't know how she could do that.

I was happy with my swim. I started at the back of the field, and hard right. I was determined to avoid the 1800 strong fight, and was quite prepared to give away a minute or too to avoid the stress of fighting for space. As it turned out, it was only partially successful, as my more direct line took me well up through the pack, but by that stage, after about 1km, it wasn't too bad. My time was a little slower than anticipated, but that was mainly due to being unable to swim at my pace for the first few minutes. Overall, however, I got out of the water not having wasted mental effort, or being bashed up.

It was hot as soon as we started cycling. I was planning on building into the pace over the first 60km, as its just too easy to go too hard too early, and really suffer later. It was all going pretty well up until about 75km, when I started to feel quite nauseous. The cause was most likely that what i was eating and drinking just wasn't getting absorbed; the extreme heat was making my stomach shut down. It was like cycling on only half-charged batteries, and it felt pretty horrible. Worse was that I stopped sweating as the lack of absorption meant I wasn't able to sweat. I was pretty worried about then that the day wasn't going to work out that well. My coach has talked to me about this being a possibility if it was an especially hot day, so at least I had a plan to work through it - this consisted of simply slowing down, and drinking only water to try to reduce the concentration of what was in my stomach. Well, it took two hours and another 60-70km, but it worked. From 150-180km I came back to life, and rode the sort of pace I should have been doing all along, and despite the wind. It was too late though in terms of the race, as I was around 30-40 minutes down on what I was capable of doing. In some ways I was lucky though - lots and lots of people ended their race on the bike, with the same problem I had. It was a tough ride, hotter than I'd experienced here, and the wind was testing.

I started the run in reasonable form, but knowing that as I'd not been able to take in the fluids and food on the bike that I really needed, I'd have to be more conservative in my pace. I was able to run strongly, if not super fast. That said, my 3:41 was an OK sort of time under the conditions, and I wasn't passed by anyone, but I passed perhaps 200 people.

Even so, the run is always a bit desperate. The body is fair aching by then, and by the half-way point of the marathon, it sure isn't pleasant. Its a significant challenge to keep running, and not give in and walk. You also seem to be on the verge of cramping, and keeping cool is a constant battle. Ice was a pretty constant companion being put down my race top and bike shorts. Not very pleasant, but effective.

Teresa and I went back down to the course at 10.30 last night to watch the final finishers come in before midnight. It was a carnival atmosphere, and pretty special.

In some respects, I'm more pleased with how I came through the challenges of the race, than if I'd set a faster time. I faced some considerable demons, and stuck with it. That is pretty satisfying in retrospect.

Well, done and dusted so to speak. I can't see myself coming back to this race again in the near future. I have satisfied my curiosity as to whether I could again qualify, and complete, this race, so its time to move on to other challenges.

A huge thanks you to everyone who has offered words of encouragement over the last few weeks. The support is much appreciated. The biggest thanks though has to go to Teresa, Jordan and Corrie for putting up with my ambition to race here again. They have been unlimited in their support. Mahalo for that.

I'm going to make one final post in the next few days from Honolulu; perhaps some lessons learnt from the experience, and advice for anyone wanting to race an ironman. Now, its time to head down to the awards ceremony for the party.

Mission Accomplished...but boy was it tough...

I'll post a full report tomorrow, but today's race was probably the hardest race I've ever had.

It was brutal out there; regulars are saying that today was the hottest its ever been, and we had near continuous head winds to cap it off. It looks like there is a record number of non-finishers.

I'm very happy to have survived the day, my time was about 30-40 minutes slower than anticipated, but I can assure you I couldn't care less about that. Finishing was a real battle. My two neighbours where I am staying both failed to finish.

Time to put my feet up.

Calm before the storm...

It might just be me, but a week or more out from the race, the days just slowly and serenely drift by, with the event only faintly visible on the horizon, and nothing more than a concept. This close, though, the days are a blur. There is a also a vague sense of dread - knowing that there is something a bit nasty creeping up, and that it cannot be avoided. Its a strange mix of emotions indeed. As I tap this out at 6 pm on the eve of the race, I'm excited, a little scared, and generally just on edge. It helps some that I've been in this frame before, but its probably the least enjoyable part of the race package.

Today's been mainly one of resting, interspersed with some necessary periods of activity. First up this morning, Teresa and I went down to the swim start and I did a very easy swim/bike/run session of around 40 minutes. There is absolutely no training benefit in this; its all mental. First, it allows some release of the tension that is building up. Second, it serves as a confidence builder. This is because over the last week my hours of training have dramatically reduced. In the final weeks before leaving home, I was training for 18-20 hours a week. My first week here saw that drop to 14 hours, and this week its only been 3 hr 10 min. As a consequence, my body has had the chance to catch up on, and consolidate, all the training. I was taking it very, very, easy this morning, but I felt fantastic; it means I can start tomorrow knowing that I feel in good form.

I spend around an hour making final checks of my racing wheels, all bike components, checking cable attachments, screws, bolts etc for tightness. All my racing gear was laid out and checked, then packed into separate bags for the swim to bike and bike to run transitions. It pays to use a list!

Around midday, it was time to take the bike and my gear bags down to the transition area. I was prepared for the bike/helmet check and gear hand in to take forever, but I was in and out in under 10 minutes. very impressive. We each had a guide allocated, who proceeded to walk us to the bike rack, explaining the flow of both transitions in the process. Bags for the swim to bike and bike to run transitions were racked. Very slick, very good.

The rest of the day has been focused on resting and drinking. I'll probably spend half the night up peeing, but its absolutely critical that I hit tomorrow fully hydrated. That's certainly more important than sleep. I slept pretty well last night, so its really redundant whether or not I am restless tonight. I've done many races after a less-than-perfect sleep, and its never been a problem.

Its a little weird thinking that I've been focused on competing in this race for two years, and this time tomorrow, it will be completed. What's next? Certainly not another ironman, for quite some time.

As to my predictions for tomorrow, I'm mainly concerned with racing well, than racing for a time. There are just too many variables to predict an accurate time. The closest that I'm prepared to predict is between 10 and 11 hours.

Its been great having T here. Its made the last bit of waiting so much easier, and of course, having completed this race herself, she knows what is going through my mind. It matters.

So, adiós. Lets wait and see what race day serves up. You can check out live coverage at www.ironman.com starting from around 6 am NZ time. I am race number 779. Wish me luck!

Friday (NZ time) TV3 coverage.

http://www.3news.co.nz/The-worlds-toughest-ironman-contest/tabid/367/articleID/124803/cat/70/Default.aspx

I'm a bit distracted!

Because my boss has turned up. It was a bit stressful making sure I was on time after giving the accommodation a spruce-up, but it passed inspection, as I'm still in one piece. Seriously, its great to have Teresa here, and nice to be able to share the next few days together.

Its been a busy day, so a short blog, with the promise of a gutsy one or two tomorrow, with my final thoughts leading up to the race.

After Teresa's arrival, we had lunch in town, and after curbing her rampant shopping instincts, we drove up to Hawi and back, so Teresa could reacquaint herself with the course. Today was the only real opportunity to do so, as tomorrow is quite busy handing in gear bags and resting. After dinner in town tonight, we attended the race brief between 8-9 pm. Briefs like that normally make me a bit apprehensive about the coming race, but I'm remarkably calm at the moment. No doubt I'll feel a bit more nervousness tomorrow night, but I can't see myself flapping too much, as I know what needs to be done, I've done the hard yards in training, and after all, I've successfully raced here, and raced well here, before. I don't mean to sound cocky, but I'm backing myself to have a good day.

Teresa made the comment at the race brief that being back here has rekindled a desire to do the race, if only her knees were in running order. Unfortunately, they haven't passed a running WOF for a long time, and won't any time soon.

I'll post a video from today in tomorrow's post(s), but in the meantime, today's photo is a self-portrait taken at about 40kph on the Queen K highway a few days ago. I was having fun but forgot to smile - mainly due I think to worrying about a wind gust nudging me off the road.

TV3 in Kona

Here's the first of the TV3 items on Kona.

http://www.3news.co.nz/Nearly-40-Kiwis-to-compete-in-Kona-Ironman-world-championship/tabid/317/articleID/124604/cat/844/Default.aspx

The coolest cafe in the world...and bike porn!

During race week, Coffees of Hawaii (a brand of Hawaii grown coffee), have this traditional Hawaiian outrigger craft anchored about 750 m off shore for folks to get some refreshments. Very cool. I did my swim session this morning, and on the way back stopped off for an expresso and cookie. My coach (John Newsom) was on board, as Coffees of Hawaii sponsor his podcast "IMTalk".

It was great pulling up, and just like at a land-based cafe, people start talking. I was chatting for a few minutes to a Brit girl from Cheltenham.

At 2 pm, I did my last run of any significance, a 30 min steady run along part of Ali'i Drive. I actually enjoyed the heat, and this was the hottest part of the day. It was good knowing that I did it without needing to carry a drink, and that whilst it was hot, it felt manageable. During the race, we have aid stations every mile on the run, so every seven or so minutes I will have access to cold drink, ice, cold water sponges, gels etc. It may well be a case of literally running aid station to aid station, but that breaks up the run, and lets you only worry about achievable chunks immediately in front of you.

I'd conveniently parked at White Sands beach, so to cool down I did 20 minutes of body-surfing on some beautiful breakers. What a life...

OK, I promised bike porn, so here it is. I'd imagine that most of you may not be interested, but to the average triathlete or cyclist, their bike is more precious than...well, I won't commit myself here, you get the picture. Here's a sampling of some of the goodies on offer:

First up, the latest offering from Kestrel. Kestrel were one of the original manufacturers to embrace composite materials, especially carbon fibre, and had high tech frames leading the way in the late 80s.

The Scott Plasma is one of the more popular mainstream tri bikes. Cam Brown rode one for a few years.

The Cannondale Slice is next. Nothing special, but a good tri bike.

Don't know much about the 3T bike, but I think they forgot the stickers.

Now we're talking. This is what Gina Crawford (nee Ferguson), the kiwi star rides, the Ceepo Katana. They are made by a Jap guy who has raced Kona, and decided to start making bikes.

Here's Chris McKormack, or 'Macca', as he is more affectionately known. He won Kona in '07, and was defeated by a broken gear cable last year, when he was the favourite to win again. He is a great outspoken Aussie (Kiwi mum) and larger than life. He's a strong contender this year.

His bike is a Specialised 'Shiv'. Its hot off the mold, with only Macca and Kiwi Terenzo Bozzone riding/testing them at present. It looks pretty slick.

Last, and the hottest bike IMHO, is the CeepoViper. Released on to the market last year, but re-vamped in '09. What is amazing with this bike is that it has electric brakes and gear shifters!!! This enables the gear shifters to be located on both the aero bar ends, plus the cow-horn grips. It's worth a cool $US16,000, with the electric shift system being worth $US5,000 alone. Cutting edge technology - it even comes with a test / self-calibration device for the brakes and shifters. It can also change its own wheels when it gets a puncture. Well, maybe not the last bit. Nice though.

Free morning tea, and a t-shirt!

A big thanks to Jane Patterson and Janette Blyth from Ironman NZ for hosting the NZ team gathering this morning. Given that we're from all around NZ, it was a good idea to get us together, put names to faces, and get a bit of kiwi culture going. Terenzo was mentioning that no-one apart from the Aussies understand our jokes. 'Beached as bro'.

Not only was there food and drinks on offer, but another 'goodie' bag from the IM NZ team. Contained within was a snazzy Ironman NZ t-shirt and cap for us to wear at this evenings parade of nations.

Gina Crawford, Cam Brown and me old mate Jon Ackland all gave some words of advice, and whilst these were probably more pertinent to first timers here, it was sage advice indeed.

I didn't train today. I was going to do a 60-90 minute bike, but with all the running around with the meeting, race registration and so on I figured that resting would be better for me. It think it was good choice.

This morning I also caught up with my coach, John Newsom, and his side-kick Bevan James Eyles. John and Bevan produce an informative, amusing and very kiwi weekly podcast on 'all things ironman'. http://www.imtalk.me/Podcast.html They're here to cover the race, and it was nice just to quickly check in with John and how I'm tapering.

We gathered for the parade at about 4.30 pm, and got under way at 5. I've got to say that I was pretty disappointed to see that only about half of the 40 kiwis racing turned up. I have no issue with the five pros (Cam Brown, Terenzo Bozzone, Andrew McKay, Gina Crawford and Jo Lawn) avoiding it, as racing is their livelihood, and they should be putting everything into the race. Everyone was happy to accept a free t-shirt and cap, so they should have felt obligated to front up for the hour or so that the parade took. Not good enough really.

We got plenty of crowd support, mostly,

I noted, from lots of vocal Australians (are there any other sort?) scattered along Ali'i Drive.

I have to say that it felt good doing the parade, and I'm glad that I attended. Its all part of the experience as far as I'm concerned.

Tomorrow is my last hit-out. I'll do a 30 min sea swim at 7 am, and a 30 min run at around 2 pm. Both sessions are really about just ticking the engine over, getting rid of a bit of nervous energy, and also feeling good about exercising as my body reaps the benefits of tapering - there is energy to burn.

Tomorrow's post is going to feature a bit of bike porn.

Anticipation is building...

Tomorrow (Tuesday Kona time) marks the start of Ironman week.

Registration starts in the morning, and goes through until Thursday afternoon. More importantly for some, Ironman merchandise is on sale. They do it big here, and you can buy every conceivable bit of clothing with Ironman, or the M-dot symbol, plastered all over it.

I'm not that much into it really, the finishers' T-shirt is all I'm really after. I'll get some photos of what is available tomorrow. Mind you, Teresa has mentioned that my jocks are getting a bit tattered...

More importantly for me, we have the NZ team get together at 10am. I'm looking forward to catching up with some of those that I know, but haven't run into yet. At 5pm there is also the parade of nations, which I think I've already mentioned. I'm hoping to get some good images there.

In the meantime, here's a good little youtube clip to stir the imagination, its a highlight clip from last years race: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckFvoGRPiCU&feature=related

Another day, another cruise ship.

Every day for the last week or so, there has been a different cruise ship anchored off Kona in the morning. There are a number of smaller ferry type boats (think Auckland-Devonport sort of size) that ply their way to and fro shuttling passengers. The passengers come ashore at the Kona Pier, and so mix it up with the ironman athletes. You really couldn't get a greater disparity in body types. Just about all of the cruise ship passengers are packing enough body reserves to survive an artic winter, whereas the typical ironman athlete would last about 5 minutes before succumbing to hypothermia. Its also quite amusing watching the two groups largely ignore each other; they live in such different worlds.

I've just got back from a 45 minute swim, with a few 200 m intervals thrown in to keep me sharp. I felt very relaxed and powerful in the water this morning (I didn't mention fast - I'm not compared to the vast majority of athletes here) and 45 minutes was over before I know it. An equivalent swim in pool felt like a lifetime a few weeks ago.

On the way back to my car, I came across the team van for Normann Stadler and his entourage. Normann won here in 2004 and 2006. In the photo, he is the longer-haired bloke in front. He is known for being an absolute animal on the bike, and typically builds up a lead that is not lost until around half way through the marathon. His 4 hr 18 min for the bike leg of 180 km in 2006 is the current record. That's an average speed of around 42 kmh. I'm likely to average around 32-33 kmh, and take 5 hr 30 to 5 hr 40. Normann's downfall is that he's not quite fast enough on the run anymore, with people like Chris McKormack, Craig Alexander and Cam Brown all able to post run times in the 2:40s as opposed to Normann's time of around 3 hours.

Here's Normann's home page if you are interested:

http://www.normann-stadler.info/stadler_en.php?site=home_en&menue=home

Black or white, pointy or normal...

I can't decide what to wear.

The black top is the official Triathlon NZ racing top that is worn by NZ team members competing at the shorter distance world champs races. Its smart looking, designed to be worn in the swim as well, and breathes superlatively. Two problems though. Its zip is on the back, so I can't easily unzip it to help cooling when on the run, and secondly, black is supposedly hotter to wear, absorbing the sun's heat more readily. The white top is the one I've worn at the last two NZ ironman races. Its zip is on the front, it is supposedly a cooler colour, but is not as tight, and cannot be worn in the swim.

Then there's the helmets. The white one is a true aero helmet, and assists with aerodynamics especially once you're going faster than about 35 kph. On the downside though, it is not as well vented as the other one, and so potentially, its hotter to wear. The darker, traditional cycling helmet is not that aerodynamic, but has great air flow.

I've worn both tops, and both helmets whilst here, and I'm still not sure which is the better. In terms of the tops, I actually think that the black top radiates heat away from my body more efficiently. I've been doing some trawling on the internet to see if there is any definitive answers on which is the better top to wear, and its seems that the quality of the fabric (in terms of wicking moisture - ie helping evaporation and therefore cooling) might actually be the key factor. I think the black one works best.

With the helmets, its less clear. I can pour water through the vents to keep my head wet on both helmets. Its seems that the aero one is only at a real disadvantage when I'm going slow - such as up the steeper climbs. I think I'll base my decision on the weather forecast closer to the race.

Does anyone out there know of any science to help me decide which top to wear?

There is another option - wear the black top on the swim and bike, and change to the white top for the run. It would only add another 10-15 seconds to my transition, so its an option worth considering.

Heavy Traffic @ Dig Me Beach

I cruised down to DM beach early this morning for a bit of people watching - and trying to put faces to some of the big guns. I was pretty surprised at just how many people were coming and going. There were never more than 10-15 entering or exiting the water at any one time, but it was continuous.

Swimming is getting to be more like driving in the third world; semi-organised chaos. There is no 'correct' side to swim, so it's pretty important to keep looking for oncoming traffic. Colliding with other swimmers is a real possibility, and one to be avoided.

Today for training I did a mini-tri, as I mentioned last post. I was quite interested to see how the heat of the hottest part of the day would feel, especially coming off a reasonably hard hour of cycling into a 40 min run. Well, it was actually pretty bearable, but it was very noticeable that running into the wind on the way out to the airport (wind was blowing from 10 o'clock, with 12 being the way I'm headed) was not too hard. I was maintaining a heart rate of around 145, which is about where I want it to be for the duration of the marathon. However, after turning around, with the wind now at my 4 o'clock, it was a different story.

With the wind now coming from behind me, there was no cooling effect. Within 3-4 minutes of turning around, and with no increase in pace, my pulse had shot up to around 155 bpm. This would be OK for a shorter race, but for this race it is territory I would rather avoid until perhaps the last 10km. There is just too much risk of 'blowing up', ie getting into heat exhaustion/heat stroke country.

I have some new neighbours tonight. Trev and Heather Wurtele, the Canadians, have headed down to stay on Ali'i Drive with some family members. A German couple have moved in. In the other part of the house, there is now a kiwi couple that lives in the States, Peter and Carol Wood. Peter is in the 60-64 age group, and is a world age-group champion here, plus the half-ironman world champs, plus the age-group xterra world champ (a tri that involves mountain biking and cross-country running). He even completed the Mizone race - the 30 day length of NZrace that was held 10 or so years ago. I think its fair to say that he's a bit of a legend. Check this out:

http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/worldchampionship70.3/matthew-dale-profiles-peter-wood-the-60-64-champion-at-the-ford-ironman-world-championship-70.3

Thanks Macka for adding the list of kiwis here as a comment under the last post. We have a team get together on Tues morning, and then there is a 'parade of nations' affair at 5 pm. A bit like the opening ceremony for the Olympics. Last time we were here, Teresa and I shared carrying the flag.

I've just found out that Jon Ackland (Terenzo Bozone's coach) has come over to see him race. Jon used to work with Teresa at the Institute of Sport in Auckland in the late 80's, and the three of us did most of our training together before coming to Kona in '88. Every time I see him, I remind him that because I beat him, what he knows about tris, he learnt from me...

Up on the Hill

Here's my humble digs. The house is split into three separate units, all of which have been occupied since I've been here. The house is at an elevation of 1000 feet, or 305 m. This means its around 2 degrees Celsius cooler than down in Kona township. The benefit of being up here is that I can train in race conditions on the course at sea level, but recover, and live, in slightly easier conditions. This doesn't really impact on acclimatisation, as the benefits are mostly gained from when you are training, and your core temperature is elevated significantly.

This next shot is taken near the house, and gives you an idea of the height.

I swam the full course today (3.8 km) entering the water at 0650 am. It was a beautiful calm morning; no chop, and just a gentle 0.3 m swell rolling in. The only danger with today's swim lay in colliding with other swimmers. Early in the swim I linked up with another kiwi named Liz, and it was nice to have someone reasonably close. We were probably the first in the water, but not long after reaching the turn-around buoy, we got mobbed by a group of around 30 swimmers. NZ Ironman champ Cam Brown was amongst them.

On exiting the water back at the pier, it was a case of who's who. Lots of the rock stars were there, and it was both entertaining and enlightening doing a bit of people watching. The real stars come across as pretty engaging with each other, but you can almost taste the tension. Well, it is the world champs, and it is THE race to win.

This afternoon I did a bit of sight seeing, visiting a couple of the better beaches on the Kona coast. I had plans of finding a shady tree to lie under and read Uncle Pip. Good in theory, but not achieved in practice. The winds at Waikaloa and North were living up to their reputation. Have a look at the palm trees:

Tomorrow I do a mini-tri at a fast pace as a bit of a shake-out. I'll do (in minutes) 30 swim, 60 on the bike and 40 on the run. I'm also going to do it in the hottest part of the day, probably starting at 1 pm. I'm looking forward to it, whereas 5-6 days ago it would have been a bit of an epic.

As of tonight, I'm also going to bed earlier, and getting up earlier. This is all part of the plan to make getting up at around 3 am on race morning not as horrid as it could be

History Lesson

This is a pic from Tuesday's ride out on the far end of the bike leg. Its taken about 15km from Hawi, looking back towards Kona, which is on the coast as far away as you can see (approx 70km away). This is not how I want the weather to be on race day - I want overcast, and no direct sun! It makes a big difference. I experienced this today, when I did a 90 min ride with intervals. I was working hard, and with an overcast day I found it warm, but not unpleasant. Maybe after six days here I'm also getting acclimatised.

I figured that its time to mention why I've chosen to invest nearly two years of my time, not to mention thousands of dollars of money, into this race. Well, in a way, I actually blame you, Mr Sean Waters, along with your partner in crime, Mark Rayward.

In mid 2006 the three of us were out on a 'mission' on Mount Bradley, which translated means a mountain bike/run session of a couple of hours following our noses (which is always a recipe for a hard time when Mark is there). Along with Rob Gathergood, a few months previously we'd come in as the first NZ team home in the Oxfam Trailwalker in Taupo, a 100 km cross-country circuit that we decided to run, rather than walk. That was an interesting 13.5 hours...

Anyway, when we weren't excessively panting, we were talking about what our next challenges might be. I casually mentioned that I was contemplating doing the Ironman again, with the aim of qualifying again for the world champs in Hawaii. I'm sure there was some one-upmanship going on; I should have kept my thoughts to myself...and I wouldn't have put myself through this again...and contemplating the hardship that is now only eight days away...

As I've already mentioned, both Teresa and I completed this race in 1988. From my perspective, I took the whole experience of qualifying for, and competing in, the Hawaiian Ironman pretty much for granted at the time. Sure, it wasn't easy to place well in the Ironman in Auckland to gain a spot, but I didn't realise at the time just how well I was racing, and how hard it is to get one of the elusive slots.

Racing the Ironman in Hawaii is a profound experience. It remains the iconic triathlon in the world, period. The race conditions are pretty brutal - finishing an Ironman distance race (3.8 km swim, 180 km bike and 42.2 km run) is tough enough at the best of times, but here the heat takes it to another level. Its also very special lining up alongside the best in the world.

Coming back after 21 years is a statement to myself, and a bit of journey of personal achievement. I need to have something slightly intimidating lurking on the horizon, but also something that I know is achievable if the necessary work is done to get there. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space, or something like that. So, being back here is very satisfying, as its been a significant and hard-earned challenge re-qualifying, and then putting in the huge volume of training through the winter.

Mind you, Teresa may have retired from ironman racing many years ago, but she's into something much worse. Her endurance horse racing, where they race one horse over 160 km in one day is, as far as I'm concerned, sheer masochism.

Shark Attack

It could have been, but wasn't. Thankfully.

I was pleasantly engrossed in a 45 minute ocean swim this morning, minding my own business, so to speak, when I saw the fin about 15m away. I was about 1.5 km from shore, so running up onto the beach wasn't a realistic option. I was trying really hard to convince myself that it wasn't a shark, but the bugger was just cruising on the surface, and I though dolphins do, you know, dolphin sort of swimming. After a rather anxious 20 seconds or so I saw another 3-4 fins surface, and finally realised that I wasn't about to become fish breakfast after all.

Now I know why the race organisers recommend that you swim in pairs; it would have been nice to have put someone else between me and it.

I'm really enjoying the chance to do the ocean swimming. I'm normally very comfortable on my own swimming away from the shore, and here it is especially enjoyable, as there are a lot of smaller (ie less than shark sized) fish about, and the water is clear and warm - about 28 degrees or so I reckon. I'm reassured that in the history of the race, no one has been shark tucker.

Tonight it was a 75 minute run taking in the section heading into what is called the Energy Lab. I ran between the 18 and 33km points, or there about. The Energy Lab sits down a dead end road, and there is a slight, but noticeable decent down to the turn around point. Reaching this turn around is a key part of the race, as there is a very tangible feeling of heading home to the finish. The 30 km point is also a traditional point in the race where people fade badly, as the accumulated fatigue really starts to be noticed.

Its a lonely bit of road heading out to the Energy Lab - open and exposed. Today I could feel the heat of the road coming up through my shoes after about 5 minutes.

Field report

CNN quality it is not, but I'm looking suitably hot and sweaty...

Myth Busters - Scrambled Eggs

Quite a few years ago I saw some Hawaii Ironman TV coverage where some guy cooked an egg on the black lava. Corrie and I quite enjoy watching the Myth Busters show on Prime, so I thought its was an opportune time to try my own experiment. But first, training.

Yesterday I cycled the other half of the course; Waikaloa-Hawi-Waikaloa. This is the 'notorious' part of the cycle. Most of the landscape is pretty bleak, but in a Waiouru - Desert Road sort of way, quite striking. The lava flow areas are certainly stunning, but up closer to Hawi its ranch country, but very brown and dry.

From Kawaihae to Hawi (a distance of about 30km) its just a gradual climb. That in itself is fine - the gradient is very easy. Its the wind that makes it mark. No longer is there a gentle to moderate on-shore breeze, up here its gale force. From about 10km out of Hawi, there is a wicked gusting crosswind, with enough velocity to move you sideways 2-3 m. Its scary enough to make you get off your aero bars and use the conventional grips for security. Fortunately (?) about 4km out from Hawi you turn into the wind so that it is head on. Whilst its hard work, at least its not intimidating. Turning around at Hawi its great to have the wind behind you, and going down hill its easy to go 50-60 kmh, well, at least for the first 4km. When I hit the crosswinds again, I slowed right down, as I had two scares, nearly leaving the road both times. Bugger that!

I think that the wind is a product of the weather being squeezed between Hawaii (ie the big island) and the next island north of us, Maui. A bit like Cook Straight I guess.

The rest of the ride was great, but obviously hot. After 3 hr 20 min on the bike I got off and ran for 15 min. That wasn't so nice in the heat of the day. A marathon after the bike still feels a bit daunting.

Eggs. Well, I decided to try the experiment on the side of the road, as the tarmac was just as hot as the black lava, and it was hard to find a flat bit that would contain an egg. The egg was duly cracked, and I waited to see what would happen. Not much, actually. Well, if anything, the egg just seemed to evaporate, rather than cook. I decided that scrambled eggs might cook quicker, so I stirred it up a bit. It was definitely cooking, but slowly. The road was certainly hot enough - I couldn't keen my bare hand on it for more than about 20 seconds. I didn't eat the egg.

Back on line

The wifi has been re-established - it just needed rebooting after what was probably a power surge. At least I know how to sort it now.

A good training day today. 3km in the free local pool; hardly anyone there, and it was nice to blast out some 200m and 50m intervals. Tonight I did a 50 min run over the first part of the run course, out along Ali'i Drive towards Keahou. The road hugs the coastline through this part of the town, and so thankfully its a pretty scenic run. 2/3 of the run is out on the Queen K Highway - pretty sparse and boring. I was quite surprised with today's run, whilst I felt pretty hot, I ran at a good pace and it felt very smooth and flowing.

Lodged next to me are a couple of Canadian professional athletes. Trevor and Heather Wurtele have some good race results under their collective belts, Heather has even won one of the Ironman races in the mainland US. She's racing Kona, Trevor missed out on qualifying as a pro, and so is racing the Arazona ironman in November. Check out their website at www.fyzz.ca

Tomorrow its off to Waikaloa by car around 8am, and I'll ride the other half of the course - Waikaloa to Hawi return. This is the part of the course with legendary crosswinds and headwinds. I'm also going to film an experiment involving an egg. Check it out in tomorrow's post.

Technology

It was going so well (the wireless internet connection where I'm staying) but it ain't working at the moment. I'm sitting in the 'Beach Dog' cafe in downtown Kona at one of their internet terminals, sipping away at an iced latte (if I had a hot one I think I'd expire). I've just emailed the owner of where I'm staying asking him if he can sort out the wifi - the signal has been very weak from yesterday morning, so I was unable to post anything until now.

I had a great ride yesterday, biking the first half of the course from Kona out to Waikaloa and back. There is a bit of a loop one does in Kona first, but all up its about 90km. I started around 0830, so a similar time to when I'll actually be doing it. It was windy all the way; mostly a cross wind (on-shore), but it was neither good nor bad on balance.

It was certainly hot, and I was a bit worried that my four bottles of drink wasn't enough. There was a big difference in how it felt depending on whether the sun was masked by cloud. Even with SPF 50 sunblock on, there are tan lines today.

Rightio, off for a pool swim (easier to do intervals), and a 50 min run later today.

No photos/vids until the home connection is re-established.

Thanks to everyone posting comments - its appreciated.

Tripping...down memory lane

After assembling my bike, I went down to Kona Pier about 5pm for a swim. Parking is a nightmare, and then I had the challenge of working out what to do with keys, clothes etc as I went for a swim. In the end I just barrelled up to a shop and asked if they would mind me leaving bag behind the counter while I went for my swim - not a problem. I'd better buy some stuff from them!

Walking to the pier, and its adjacent small beach, took me along Ali'i Drive, which is what we will run along for the final km or so to the finish line. Talk about bring back (happy) memories. Standing on the beach was even better. Its so special being back here 21 years since Teresa and I competed in this race.

The beach is colloquially known as 'Dig Me' Beach. I'm sure you can work that out. And yes, there are some pretty fit looking bodies around.

Coach John had me down for just a small, very easy swim, so I only did 1km, or around 16 minutes. There was a reasonable swell, and quite a current, but the water was very warm and so, so clear. There are plenty of fish to see, and it really was relaxing and quite enjoyable being in warm, buoyant and clear water. Despite thinking about the congestion of the swim start with around 1800 competitors, I'm feeling positive about being in the water.

I really do enjoy flying, but...

Those that know me, are aware that I'm a keen pilot - and dabble in a bit of aerobatics. I don't count sitting in a metal tube for 8 hours being fed plastic food much fun though...so, here's 8 hours condensed into 18 seconds for you:

After overnighting in a hotel about 5 minutes from Honolulu, I boarded a short (40 min) flight this morning, through to Kailua-Kona (normally shortened to Kona), arriving here around midday.

Teresa and I have vivid memories of getting off the aircraft at Kona and thinking just how hot is was when we first raced here in 1988. I wasn't let down today. At least this time I can rest assured that two weeks will see me adjusted.

Anyway; I found my rental car, found my accommodation, bought some groceries, and have settled in. Later this afternoon I'll head down to the Kona Pier (where the race starts) and have a short swim.

Its bloody great being here!

The important, but tedious, task of packing...

I really don't like packing up. It starts of course with a list; categorising items into swim/bike/run gear, along with all the odds and sods that I need for the trip. There is a lingering feeling that I've forgotten something important.

On the plus side, I've had some great training the last two days. As my training volume comes down, I start to feel like I have so much energy. Yesterday I swam 4km straight (well, apart from a loo stop at the 2km point - I just couldn't hold on...) and biked what we call the 'Short bays' circuit in the afternoon. I tacked on an extra 30 or so minutes to make it a solid 2 hour ride, and I pushed it pretty hard. Both sessions felt very easy, and that is great after months of almost deliberate and permanent fatigue. Tonight it was a brisk 11km run in the steady zone. It felt almost effortless.

I fly to Auckland early tomorrow morning, with a connecting flight through to Honolulu. It feels 'real' now. After months of training with the end point so far in front, it was easy to wonder if race day would ever come. It also felt a bit like it was training for training sake. Those feelings are gone now, and my anticipation is well and truly building.

The count down has started...

Well the count down is on. There are two more days before I fly out on Saturday morning, and of course there are a myriad of things that I need to do before I go. I've got to replace an arm rest on my aero bars (which broke 100km into my 200km ride last Saturday, bummer!), I've decided that I really do need to replace the cleats on my cycle shoes, and of course I need to get my head around all the bits and pieces that I need to take with me.

About the blog - friends, colleagues and family can't all come along for the Kona adventure, but I can certainly share a bit of what its all about; why I'm on this journey, and even an insider's view of what its like to be a small fish in a big pool of very talented athletes.

So, you're invited to come along for the ride. Let me know what you think; ask any questions you have and perhaps above all else, start thinking about what your own next personal challenge might be.