TEAM IRONTOM: ALOHA FROM THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII

Greetings from Hawaii where I arrived on Monday night after an almost 24-hr. trip from the east coast. This Saturday I will be racing the ultimate triathlon race in the world - the Ironman Hawaii World Championship. I am staying with my amazing friends in Waimea, about 40 miles north of Kona. Yes, they are simply amazing!!!! The climate here is quite different from the one I will be racing in a few days. The air is cooler and thinner in oxygen. Especially, running gets your attention when you have to dig deep for the precious O2.

I have been training yesterday and today and feel very good, although, my left hip and knee flexors are giving me a little trouble. To balance it all, I got a blister on my right toe - so, I think I am all set ;o)

So many things are happening here. I will try to blog this week as much as I can, so here is the first report in pictures.

Arriving in Kona on Monday night. Boston - Chicago. Chicago - Los Angeles. Los Angeles - Kailua Kona.

The welcoming Kailua Kona International Airport at night

And this is what it looks like during the day

Triathletes know the Energy Lab. Here is where we turn and continue running in the "oven"

I suppose, this is why they call it the Energy Lab. Once you are at this point during the marathon - the end will be in sight

A view from the Queen K highway where athletes will be riding their 112 miles. In the distance behind the haze is the ocean. Between is old lava fields and a few palm trees.

Registration time on Tuesday morning at the King K Hotel. The wrist bracelet culminated the registration process.

Palani Drive. Drivers and riders are forced to share the busy street downtown Kona. The run course will go up that hill. It only looks flat in this picture ;o)

I shot across the pier into the picturesque downtown Kona

And a close-up

Another view of the Ali'i Drive, which will be a part of the run course and the site of the best finish line anywhere

This is the Kona Pier, where the 140.6 miles will begin. To the left will be the transition area. The athletes will be going down those stairs to begin the 2.4 mile swim.

My maiden swim training in the Kailua Kona Bay is over. The water is very salty but on the flip side, it keeps your hips up. Yes, I need that.

Every day is filled with many activities. This one is for a children race and a worthy cause to eliminate doping from triathlon racing. Unfortunately, it still happens all too often.

With Paula Newby-Frazier at the Kona Pier. My last picture with her was at my second full Ironman race in Lake Placid in 2006. On Saturday, I will be doing it for the 18th time. Time flies, indeed.

Taking a break after the swim. Behind me a gallery of all Hawaii Ironman professional world champions

Now, this is what I call a tree trunk. It majestically sits in the middle of downtown

A relaxing moment in the afternoon. Behind me the Kona Bay. We will be swimming out into the open ocean for about 2 kilometers and turn back. It is far - trust me. I could not see the last buoys ;o)

En route the the Ironman Village. A quick picture with Macca. He will try to win back the Ironman title this year. Always smiling.

I enjoyed meeting Norman Stadler from Germany, a two-time IM World Champion and Marino Van Hoonacker from Belgium who has posted the fastest Ironman time in the world at Ironman Austria last year. I think, he will be a major pro player on Saturday. I was glad to meet Norman and tell him my bike story (earlier blog). I am riding exactly the same bike (the Norminator) he rode to his Ironman championships. I told him to look for it on the course.