SO CLOSE, AND YET, SO FAR

I am writing this blog with very mixed feelings, because yesterday afternoon my dreams of racing in the Ironman World Championship this coming Saturday came to an abrupt halt when I crashed on my bike training ride. I suppose, I will probably never know what and how it had happened other than I had ended up in the local hospital with bruises and a broken left clavicle.

Athlete #538 will not open this packet for Saturday

I want my family and friends to know that I am OK and recovering well from the accident. All my cognitive, motor, and sensory functions are intact. It is, nevertheless, a bittersweet day knowing that my plans for this Saturday have been altered in such a way, but also knowing that I will be fine and back on the racing circuit, again. They do not call us the Ironman for nothing. Right?

Before going any further, I must say that I am most fortunate to have such great family and friends. I know, this news has upset Kasia, Damian i Ania, but on the flip-side, Kasia is due to touch down in Kona in a few hours. My deepest words of thank you go to Alison, Kukui, Nani and David, my host friends in Waimea. Words themselves will not describe how I feel and how grateful I am for their hospitality and support. THANK YOU SO MUCH for being a part of my family.

Thank you to all of you for your kind words and best race-day wishes :o) I will keep you posted and continue to report from the Big Island. Its a beautiful day out there, today, but the wind is especially angry today :o) I can hear it laud and clear outside the house, as I write this blog.

I had to stop an take this picture on my way back from Hawii. Nothing but the lava fields and the Pacific Ocean

Hawii, a small, but a famous town to the world of triathlon. The bike turn-around is right here

And this is a less glamorous picture - though all smiles. Trust me, helmets save lives :o)

What a majestic view of the mountain taking from Alison's front yard. Through it goes another passage road to Hawii. I was up there on my training run earlier that morning

So, Mahalo, Aloha, and stay tuned :o)

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.

Getting ready for the parade of the nations

And my Polish contingent - a team of very fast guys

And a family parade portrait with our friends from the Russian Federation. We have always been very close

Natasha Badmann, another icon of the Ironman racing traveled in style to lead the Swiss Ironman contingent

Ending the day at the Ironman Village

More to come during the week. Hope you have enjoyed the pictorial report. Aloha!!!!!!!!!

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 70.3

Despite the record-breaking temperatures we had a wonderful time in Las Vegas during the championship weekend. This was not our first trip there. We visited Las Vegas/Henderson twice before for the Silverman triathlon, although, we were there during a much cooler season. This time, we chose our lodging away from the race venue. Instead, we opted to stay within a walking distance to the Las Vegas Boulevard. Not experiencing the excitement of the race all the time was quite relaxing and allowed us to explore quite a few attractions the city has to offer. As an added bonus, being close to the "Strip" offered me the opportunity to do training runs on the Las Vegas Boulevard at 5:30 in the morning, in a more reasonable temperature.

The race morning started for me at 2:30 after a solid, five-hour sleep. Within an hour, we were in the car driving, mostly empty streets, to the Las Vegas Resort for the swim start. My swim wave (M50+) of about 200 athletes was scheduled for 6:45. The transition opened at 4:30, so the two hours provided ample time to double-check the bike and gear, and to do my warm-up run, still, in a total darkness.

Warm-up before heading to the lake

Time to get going, right after this picture, though. Jose and I first met on the plane to Las Vegas and kept running into each other before, during, and after the race. Even among 2,000 athletes, the world seems to be small, indeed.

All buttoned up. The gun will go off in a couple of minutes. Another, non-wetsuit swim. It was just announced, the water temperature is 83F. Even without the wetsuit the water will be too warm.

This was a deep-water start. Lots of water treading and buoy-hugging. Kasia had a great observation venue for taking swim pictures.

At 6:45 my wave started swimming into the raising sun, which significantly handicapped our ability to sight the yellow buoys. I wanted to make sure I stay in line and get enough open water. Well, it did not happen that way as the body contact with the other swimmers persisted for a better part of the 1,800 meter course. Nevertheless, I felt relaxed and occasionally able to get on some one's feet, if only just for a little bit. I knew my swim time will be slower than if I swam in a wetsuit, but considering the traffic and sighting challenges, I was quite content exiting the water in 39 minutes. Not great, but I will take it.

Glad the swim is over. Now, a long run around the lake to T1. You can see the transition port-o-lets in the distance.

After a reasonably good transition, I was on my way out of T1. There was an initial uphill run to get to the bike-mounting zone followed by a 2-mile gradual climb out of the resort to the main highway.

Leaving T1 behind. At 7:30 it is already in the mid 80'sF

Within the first couple of miles

Despite the raising temperature I felt really good and strong on the bike. I was familiar with this bike course from my Silverman racing experience and knew what to expect. The greenery of the resort was the last oasis the athletes would see for the rest of the day. In a couple of miles it will feel as if riding on the moon.

Well, I take it back. There was a little vegetation along the well-paved and well-maintained roads. The traffic was manageable and the course, for the most part, safe.

The 56-mile ride was quite challenging and comprised of long ascends and descents with a total elevation gain of over 2,000 feet. The deep wheels handled the road very well and rolled nicely despite the occasional cross-winds allowing me to stay in the aerobars on the fast downhills. I was pleasantly surprised to ride this challenging course in 2 hrs 45 min despite having raced Ironman Louisville just two weeks earlier.

Transitioning into the run went well, and in about 2 minutes I was running out of T2, into what felt like an "oven." It was getting really hot and remembering to drink (without feeling thirsty) became an obsession, as the dry heat was sucking up moisture out of the body. Failing to balance the salt and water intake would spell a meltdown in a hurry. The run course consisted of three, 4-mile+ loops. Half of the distance going down, the other going up. I am not sure which was more challenging. Fortunately, it all played out very well as the temperature had risen to over 100F by the time I crossed the finish line after 1 hr 50 minutes of running. My official time of 5 hrs 22 min placed me 35th/103 in M50-54.

Mile 13.1. Always a sweet moment.

The final jump

 Kasia volunteered at the race and greeted me at the finish line with the flag and medal.

With Mark Allen, the Ironman racing legend.

It was well worth the hard work and preparations to race with the best in the world at the 70.3 distance and to take home one of these. An unforgettable experience, indeed.

My work is done here. Leaving the Ironman Village but taking great memories with me to New England ;o)

100F AND RAISING

Yes, this is the temperature which had welcomed us to Las Vegas on Thursday after a lengthy flight from Manchester.

On the descent to the Sin City. A majestic view of Lake Mead

A city in the middle of the desert.

So, here we are the day before Ironman 70.3 World Championship. There are about 2,100 athletes here representing all fifty U.S. states and as many countries. To our surprise, we have learned that Poland is represented by a contingent of over ten triathletes. It was great meeting some of them today.

Friday was a registration day for me and, although the heat has been oppressivee, the Ironman Village was "pulsating" with energy and excitement.

Athlete number 366 - its official

In the middle if the Ironman Village before the crowd settled in

No matter how busy, I always find time to undergo a little ART therapy.

Under the skilled care of Dr. Marone. All the blood went to my head, but it was well worth it. She did a great job. Today, she repeated the treatment and I feel awesome.

Next, a little time spent in the village, getting the bike tuned up and meeting some interesting people. Some of you may know them.

With Heather Fuhr, former Ironman World Champion and a multiple Ironman winner.

With an Australian, Richie Cunnngham after his ART treatment. He is one of the best in the world at the 70.3 distance.

With Deede Grisbauer, an Ironman champion, at the Amway expo booth. Amway is making a strong entrance into the triathlon market.

Who would not recognize this man? Meeting Graig Alexander at the Panera Bread in Henderson. Graig is the defending Ironman 70.3 World Champion and a triple Ironman Hawaii World Champion. At 39 years of age he will be defending both titles this year. There must be something in the Panera bread.

Last evenings athletic itinerary culminated with the athlete welcome dinner at the Westin Hotel in the Lake Las Vegas Resort. The event was graced by the performance of a couple of the Russian Olympic team's artistic gymnastics team members.

I think, WTC has done a good job, there.

The room was packed. They only ran out of cookies this time.

Today was a busy day, as well. This is a point-to-point race which requires a lot of coordination and driving around to get things done. The transition bags have been dropped off and the bike racked.

The volunteers were awesome, as they always are.

Time to finish this update and get some rest before getting up tomorrow at 2:30 AM. I hope the hotel will provide the wake up call this time.The race starts at 6:30 AM. My wave gets in the water at 6:45. It should be a fun day.

The back side of the swim venue. We will be swimming underneath the bridge and head for the T1 to the left. Until the next time ;o)