THE HALLOWEEN

I am about three weeks behind the schedule on writing the Kona finale and I promise to finish it by the end of this weekend. Since my return, each day has been very busy at work and for the last week I have been nursing a lower back muscle spasm.

Anyway, today is October 31st and the national holiday - the Halloween. Most people dress up, or down, for this occasion. However, today, Megan made my day. Of all the choices she had, she picked to be an Ironman.

And not just any Ironman. Megan was in Kona during the race week, but could not stay to watch the race. Today, for the Halloween, she was an IRONTOM!!!

IN LESS THAN ELEVEN HOURS .........

......... the cannon will go off to commence the start of the 35th Ironman World Championship. Over 2,000 athletes this year will dive into the pristine water of the Kailua Bay. I wish to thank you for the well-wishes I received and promise that I will leave all I have on that course. The weather conditions will likely be oppressive. Between the wind, heat, and the seemingly endless miles of he lava fields, the race will be a true test of a physical and psychological endurance.

Despite my best intentions, I have not been able to update the blog each, but will definitely catch up on it right after the race. Attending the sports medicine conference and daily training sessions have consumed a lot of my time.

The alarm clock is set for 2:30 in the morning. I am looking forward to having a good day, tomorrow.

Athletes were still training on Queen K today.

And so was I.

The bike caught the attention of a few camera lenses.

On my way to rack the bike this afternoon.

A sea of bicycles.

And here is my Blue "K" in a great spot. Right by the "Bike Out" gate.

Among a sea of transition bags.

Next time I will be standing here will be after crossing the finish line just behind me. It will be a party!!!

And the most touching moment of the day upon returning home this afternoon.  It needs no comment. Thank you Alison!!!

And finally! www.ironmanlive.com

IRONMAN WEEK HAS OFFICIALLY OPENED

Tuesday was another day filled with multiple events.The afternoon, marked the beginning of the Ironman week. The "temperature" is raising. Suddenly, English is not necessarily the predominant language spoken in Kona.

Its official.

I am not quite sure how many athletes will start the race, but I definitely plan to be one of them.

Earlier today, I attended another interesting day at the Ironman Sports Medicine Conference. Today's topic was "Performance and Health." Individual seminars covered subjects such as common running injuries, barefoot/minimal footwear running, altitude and resistance training, as well as the role of exercise in disease prevention. Culminating the day, DJO Global presented a lecture on a ReactionWeb knee brace.

Doning the ReactionWeb brace and learning how to walk in it.

Meeting interesting people all the time. Sherry is a retired physician and a National Head Coach for the Wounded Worriers Foundation, where she works with a wide variety of disabled individuals. In the past, I have learned a great deal from my former Master Swim coaches in Vermont and New Hampshire, and I continue adding new skills to my swim "toolbox."

The theory.

And practice. I plan to be "water waltzing" the entire 2.4 miles on Saturday.

Another swim training practice in the turquoise waters of the Kailua Bay. The workouts are getting shorter and intense.

"Waltzing" from one buoy to the next. I think, the right elbow may be a little bit to high.

This is very comfortable.

And so is this. For the first time ever, I was able to put my hands behind my neck and float, almost falling asleep. Thank you salinity.

The day culminated with the Parade of Nations. The streets were lined up with spectators cheering on each nation. I was asked, how do you say "Ironman" in Polish? So here it is: "Czlowiek z Zelaza."

Our contingent.

An impressive and creative Canadian team. Ehhh.

A "cautious" Kiwi team.

Marching along the Alii Drive. For a secret reason, this time, I am not caring the flag.

The 1 km-long parade culminated at the gate to the Ironman Village.

At the entrance to the Village I heard his voice - how is your shoulder? It was the "Voice of the Ironman" himself, Mike Reilly.

Always classy, multiple world champion, Sydney Olympics silver medalist, Michele Jones from Down Under.

This lady does not need an introduction. Four-time Ironman World Champion, Chrissy Wellington. Her winning record is unbelievable. She has never lost an Ironman race as a professional triathlete.

This lady has a story which reaches back to 1982. As many might remember, in that Ironman race Julie Moss was leading the women's race until about 50 yards from the finish where she collapsed from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. As she was crawling toward the finish line, there from behind came Cathleen McCartney to win this race. This event was captured on NBC's Wild World of Sports and the rest is history. Kathleen will be racing this year again.

With Dirk Bockel from Luxemburg. One of the best in the business and a 2008 Beijing Olympian.

Another piece of trivia. These two one-piece suits were designed by a local artist and manufactured by ZOOT following the first Ironman race in 1978. Things have change a little bit since then, but not by much.

And, here is "our After." How about yours?

LIGHTS OUT

Folk artwork can be found anywhere on the Big Island. These turtles form a centerpiece at a mall on Palani Drive.

This morning half of Kona lost power for about an hour, thus, part of the conference was conducted in darkness and without an audiovisual. Today's topics included musculoskeletal concerns of the hip, knee, and the shoulder in athletes. Although all fans stopped working, the cool ocean breeze kept the air comfortable.

On my way to the conference a brief pose for a picture with the King Kamehameha.

And with Kasia at the Royal Kona Resort

Later on that afternoon came another "brick" training session. An hour bike ride along the Queen K Highway and an immediate run off the bike along the Alii Drive. The town seems to be getting busier with every passing day. It is beginning to look like a "Fit Persons'" international convention. Tomorrow (Tuesday), the Ironman Village and the registration will open, officially marking the beginning of the race week.

Riding among the motorists on Alii Drive. It took over 10 minutes to get out onto the highway.

On Alii Drive finishing the run.

Next came a short swim in a lagoon and the reason I found it worth mentioning was because it has likely terminated the life of my cell phone. So, unless tomorrow, it miraculously comes back to life, I will have lost (perhaps, permanently) all my contact numbers (including yours) and will be incommunicado until my return back to the mainland. No calling, no texting, no checking emails. As I come to think of it, how bad can that be? In any event, I will likely need your phone numbers, again.

Culminating the day was a reception at the host hotel and an another opportunity to network and meet new colleagues. In the backdrop, the Kailua Kona Pier at night.

A DAY OF WORK AND TRAINING

While driving to Kona on this beautiful morning I stopped to take a couple of pictures to underscore the landscape contrasts between the sea level and a 2,600 feet elevation.

The top of the Kamuela Mountain as seen from about 2,600 feet above the sea level.

The scorched, and seemingly endless, lava fields along the Queen K Highway. Six miles and 2,600 feet of elevation separate these views.

The Ironman Sports Medicine Conference opened this morning with lectures focusing on "Heart Issues in the Athlete." Topics included an overview of an athlete's heart and whether or not exercise can damage the organ, discussion of challenging cardiac cases, an update on the pre-participation in sports exam, and a debate on whether an EKG should become a standard operating procedure in athlete's screening. The day culminated with a speech by an "Ironman Legend." This year, a three-time Ironman World Champion, Australian Craig Alexander, discussed his life as an endurance athlete.

In the last six years all pro races have been won by an Australian male. This year, Craig will be racing in Kona again, for the seventh time, as a 40 year old.

Later this afternoon I joined a swim clinic (the best I ever attended) and later returned to the Kailua Pier for a swim training. Some of the buoys were already out on the course. I counted seven of them and there were probably more that I could not see from the shore.

This is the point where it will all start and end on Saturday.

The swim course will be a single, 2.4 mile (3,800 meter) loop.

My first encounter with the Pacific Ocean this afternoon.

The water was unbelievably clear and the swim practice felt fabulous. I could see the bottom for meters on end and admire the marine life beneath me. And yes, the shark-encounter thoughts have crossed my mind several times. I am sure, I was not alone in that.

In the end, it was a very productive, as well as, a tiring day. Some of it had probably still to do with the 6-hour time difference between the Big Island and Ohio. One aspect is easier, though. I have no trouble getting up at 4 o'clock in the morning.

On Alii Drive one can be always sure to encounter some of the best pros in the sport. Here displaying the Aloha sign with Chris Lieto, one of the best U.S. professional triathletes. His bicycle prowess is unmatched.

Here with Kevin McKinnon, the commentator and writer for Ironmanlive.com. A year ago, he wrote a story on my accident for Ironmanlive.com. And yes Mary, I did make sure to pass your greetings to Kevin.

And here is today's report closing question.

What is wrong with this picture taken at noon?

THE FIRST FULL DAY IN KAILUA-KONA

Another gorgeous morning in Hawaii. Waimea, where we are staying, has its own micro climate. Situated over 2,600 feet above the sea level, the town offers colder temperatures and stronger winds. It is in a stark contract with the humidity and heat of Kona and the Queen K Highway.

Saturday was a busy day. First, on the way to Kona, somewhere on Queen K, we noticed an athlete at the side of the road. From my last years experience, I knew something must have been been wrong because he should have been on the bike, not off the bike. Indeed, he was in a "little" trouble about 35 miles from his hotel in Kona. We pulled over to the the side of the road and learned that he caught two flat tires on his training ride. Unfortunately, he had only one spare. Soon after that, we disassembled his "Specialized, and in a few minutes we were all driving south. Otherwise, I would have been a long, long, long walk back home.

The streets of Kona are not too busy, yet. The city will pick up the steam on Tuesday when the race registration opens and athletes march through downtown waveing their countries flags, officially opening the race week. This gave us the opportunity to visit familiar and not so familiar places

In front of a giant sculpture at the Royal Kona Resort.

Having lunch at the Lava on the Rocks. In the distance, and to the right, is the Kailua Bay where I will begin my 140.6-mile journey next Saturday.

Afterwards, a cup of tea at the Lava Java. OK, so what am I thinking?

Perhaps, whether or not I got chocolate milk? No, I did not get it. Perhaps next time? Wrote about it earlier this year.

Next, I checked-in at the Ironman Sports Medicine Conference, which will start on Sunday. Then, came the bike pick-up time from TBT. Last year, after being denied the start in the Hawaii Ironman due to the bike crash two days before the race, TBT's owner offered to bring my bike back to Kona in 2013. And this is exactly what he did. Indeed, a classy man and a company. After the bike set up, Mark and I went together for a 20-mile bike training ride along the Queen K.

The bike has arrived in a perfect condition

Navigating the traffic on Palani Drive.

Holding tight onto the aerobars in the cross-winds of the lava fields.

Then, an 8-mile "brick" run on the Queen K Highway. The heat and wind can, indeed, be oppressive. Hopefully, I arrived in Kona with enough time to acclimate.