First of all, thanks so much for your well-wishes. It has
been four weeks since returning home and time to finally reflect upon the
Ironman World Championship race. Needless to say, we had a great time on the
Big Island, which was in a stark contrast to my last year experience that ended
with a crashed dream of racing due to the bicycle accident. This year, things
were indeed different. Arriving in Hawaii eight days before the race allowed me
to better acclimate to the challenging weather conditions. Daily commutes between
Waimea and Kona offered the necessary exposure to all weather elements ranging
from humid and hot days to cold and windy evenings and nights. In addition,
staying away from Kona with our Hawaiian Ohana provided the needed
decompression and relaxation.
With Alison and Kukui
Finally, the race morning has arrived. Surprisingly, waking up at 2 o’clock in the
morning was not as tough as I thought it would be considering a short night. My
morning routine was similar to most races, except for eating my breakfast in
the car on our 40-minute drive to Kona. It was dark, warm, and windless as we
left the house around 3:30. The trade winds must have been blowing in a
different direction, so the chances were that they may not be as punishing as expected.
The darkness was magnified by the endless lava fields until we arrived in Kona
after 4 o’clock. The famous Alii Drive was already alive and filled with athletes
and their entourages heading for the transition. Most coffee shops and
restaurants were also open for business. I remember walking and feeling complete
calm and not knowing what to make of it.
The town was already pulsating with life at 4 o'clock.
A grainy picture of the busy body-marking tent. Hello first body contact of the day.
Two Ohio State Buckeyes. The start is near.
The morning was beginning to break in the distance as the BIB
number “511” was “tattooed” on my arms in the body marking tent.
From there a five-minute walk to the bike transition area for the final bike
checkup. My Kuota was racked in a prime location just a few meters away from the
“Bike-Out” gate. Standing in the transition area, in the "sea" of bicycles and
athletes, felt just surreal. Here I was standing on the Kailua-Kona Pier, in the
place I have only known from the NBC Hawaii Ironman broadcasts. And yet, I
still felt this unexplained calm about 60 minutes before the start – as if it
was just another race. I spent the last
30 minutes lying down by my bike with my eyes closed trying to visualize the
next 140.6 miles. Miraculously, no one had stepped on me in those tight
quarters.
This is what I mean by tight quarters? The transition area was jam-packed with over $10M worth of bikes. I can see my Kuota from this vantage point. Its the nearest to the gate.
Through a wide-angle camera lens. The last 20 minutes before the start.
And to the drum beat..........
..........the professionals are off and on their way.
As soon as the professionals were off to the race, the
amateurs started filling out the Kailua Bay. It was a little chilly so I
delayed my water entrance for as long as I could while thinking about where to
line up on the starting line. The spectators lined up the shore for as far as
the eye could see. I have decided to go wide to the left and swim at a tangent
to the buoys. In any event, I anticipated a tough swim with a relentless body
contact.
And we are off. What a view - from above and below.
The cannon went off at 7 o’clock releasing over 2,100
triathletes on their way to a 140.6-mile journey. The swim felt great from the
beginning. The water, while tasting nasty salty, kept my hips and legs buoyant.
Soon, I was able to settle into a comfortable pace. Except for a few instances
of a body contact I found more open water than I knew what to do with it.
Things were going very well, indeed. The pristine water and an amazing visibility
offered an unobstructed gateway into the marine life for the initial 1,000
meters. After that came darkness and all points of reference have disappeared,
except for the buoys and the “Body Glove” catamaran, which kept getting larger
and coming closer with every stroke. When I finally got to it at the
turnaround, I had only 1.2 miles left to swim. I had no trouble navigating and continued
to swim very relaxed until reaching the pier in 1 hour and 17 minutes. Not bad,
I thought, for a non-wetsuit swim.
Coming back home. I am sure, I am not in this group.
Next, a quick run through the fresh-water shower tent to
rinse off the salt. By then, I have already noticed skin burning sensations
from chafing. The transition tent was already busy with athletes. I stepped
outside the tent for more room and dumped all bag contents on the ground.
Everything seemed to have been there. Then, a lengthy run to the bike and I was
off to the next leg in about 5-minute total transition time.
First meters on the bike course. Leaving the transition area. The crowds were spectacular.
All was going well. The cheering crowds were amazing. About
2 miles into the ride I reached down under my right trunk leg to get my salt
tablets, and to my consternation, they were not there. This was not good. My
entire electrolyte supply was gone. I
did a quick math and realized I will not get enough electrolytes on the bike as
my only supply would have come from the Powerbar Perform drink. If I only drank
Perform and nothing else, at the most, I would get about 1,700 to 2,000 mg of
sodium. Far too short of the 4,000 to 4,500 mg I would need. So, there was one
think I knew for certain, I will be in trouble. I just did not know when.
Cruising along the Queen K Highway.
Imagine riding all 112 miles using your arms........
...... or puling a wheelchair ............
.......... or just wearing one of those helmets.
The ride felt good. Once out on the Queen K Highway the
crowds have disappeared and all the excitement had to come from the heat and
the wind. I made sure to stay hydrated and take in enough calories at each aid
station. Once on the Akoni Pule Highway en route to Hawi, I past the site of my
last year’s crash. Then came a 7-mile steady ascent to the turn-around in Hawi
and then a long and gradual descend back to Queen K. The “real fun” started in
the last 35 miles to Kona where demoralizing head and cross winds dropped the
speed to single digits in some places. For at least 30 miles there was no
respite from the wind. The sparse vegetation lining the side of the road stayed
horizontal pushed by the southwest wind. The almost 23 mph average speed by
mile 80 slowly started to dissipate to about 20 mph by the time I reached T2 after
5 hrs. 38 min of riding. Nevertheless, I felt surprisingly well and strong
despite the sodium deficit in my system.
About 25 miles left to go. The head and cross winds were oppressive on this stretch of the highway. The speed dropped to single digits in some places.
The second transition went well. Fortunately, I had
additional supply of salt tablets in the second bag. I took the first 750 mg
right away, but did not have to wait too long for the initial effects of the
deficit. Within the first mile I experienced cramping in my right hamstrings
and shortly after that in my left adductors. It was not looking good, but to my
surprise, once the initial cramping subsided I was able to get into a steady
pace for the next 17 miles. At that time, I entered the famous “Energy Lab.”
There was nothing about energy for me there. I started going into dark places,
feeling flat, and hurting. I felt the lactic acid building up in my legs which
each step. This lasted for about 5 miles, at which time, I started running at a
steady pace, again. With three miles to go I started increasing the pace.
On Alii Drive with with about 25 miles left to go
Frozen in motion.
For the first 11 miles we had plenty of company. They looked less tired than some of us.
Running in the "Energy Lab." This is where I dag deep.
But maybe not as deep as this athlete. They call it "running." Imagine doing 138 miles of it with nothing but your arms.
The
gas was long gone from the tank but the remaining fumes were enough to run the
last 2 miles at a 6 min 40 sec pace to finish the marathon in 4 hrs 20 min,
about 40 minutes slower than my typical Ironman marathons. To put things in
perspective, I ran the last three miles with a young athlete from Canada who
qualified for Ironman Hawaii in 9 hrs 15 min. He finished a couple of minutes behind me – a testimony to the incredibly
tough nature of the course.
In the finishing chute. Living in the moment..........................
Elated at last, I crossed the finish line in 11 hrs 28 min.
Kasia was waiting just beyond the finish line to place the lei on my neck. It
was a special race, indeed. Racing with the best age groupers in the world made
this race very different from any other qualifying event. Needless to say, I
will train and race hard to earn the right to return to Kona in 2014.
..........worth every ounce of effort.
And so is this.
And this.
The post-race celebration did not last long. Soon after the
race I dropped off my bike at the Tri Bike Transport for the return home. I
have been transporting my bike with TBT for a couple of years, now, and I
continue to be impressed with its staff and the high quality of service. Last
year, when I was prematurely returning my bike to TBT for the return shipment,
Marc, the company’s president said he will transport my Kuota to Kona, free of
charge, if I return to the race in 2013. And this is exactly what he did.
With Marc, TBT's president, on the final training ride before the race. Behind us is the "Energy Lab."
Hundreds of spectators stayed until midnight waiting for the final athletes to cross the finish line. The atmosphere was electric until final moments, fueled by performances, such as these.
Early Sunday morning, after a quick breakfast with Alison and Kukui, we were on our way to the airport for the return flight home.
The 2013 racing chapter has effectively ended providing time to rest and heal
my overworked body including the aching lower back. I have already started
planning the 2014 racing season, which will be upon me in not so distant
future. Again, thank you for your ongoing support and well-wishes. Your words
of support made all the difference.
NBC will broadcast this year's Ironman Championship race on Saturday, November 16th at 16:30.
