Day 1 started out very early arriving at the Kona pier at 5:30. In the morning darkness the athletes and crews prepared their equipment for the swim. Zane and I launched the kayak about 6:10 while the athletes got last minute instructions. I paddled out about 300 yards off shore and watched as the swimmers got into the water waiting for the mass start at 6:30. It was lighter, nearly dawn over the Kailua-Kona harbor as each athlete started their swim, while looking for their escort in the crowd of kayaks, stand-up paddlers, and small outriggers. Finally Scott caught up with me and we were in the race. In the kayak I carried 4 bottles of carb/electrolyte mix for Scott. We would stop periodically and he would drink one of the bottles. No problem there. At about 30 minutes into the swim making the first drink exchange the unexpected happened. I rotated my body to reach behind the kayak seat to get the first bottle and my balance shifted enough to flip the boat. Fortunately everything on the kayak was secured and that which was not floated as I gathered them in. We righted the kayak, I hopped in, and then we made the bottle exchange. This was a total adrenalin rush and kept me hyped for the entire swim. Up to that point current and surges were pretty strong and after losing precious minutes to my mishap, I prayed desperately for smooth water in the hopes that Scott could make up some time. say what you want but over the next 30 minutes the ocean did smooth out and stayed that way until just before our turn into Keauhou Bay. Scott swam well and was out of the water in 18th place overall. With a brief transition he was off for the 90 mile bike to Volcano National Park, the end of stage 1. I went back to the condo and took a nap.
Day 2 for Scott was a 6:30 start from the national park through south east Hawaii, up to Hilo, Kamuela, Waimea and across the island to the finish at the Kohala Village Inn in Hawi for the night, approximately 170 miles. By the time he finished he had moved into 12th place and looking forward to the double marathon tomorrow and hopefully finish in the top ten. One athlete DNF stage 1 and one more finished late on stage 2 so tomorrow for the run there are now only 35 runners. The course is direct: Hawi, Kawaihai, Waikaloa, down the Queen K. highway to the Old Airport Road park, 58 miles or so.
Since I had no responsibilities today and we were 90 some miles from the start of stage 2, in support of some friends back in Washington who are doing the Seattle Half Marathon Sunday, I ran my own unofficial half here in Kona. I basically ran the Alii Drive loop Kailua-Kona pier to Keauhou shopping center and back with a couple of side streets to make the distance. I was unassisted but fortunately there were a number of beach parks along the way if I needed facilities or water. I carried G2 and plodded along for 2:45 to complete the distance.
Tomorrow morning while Scott is running I'll swim part of the Ironman swim course in the harbor. A hui hou, and I will see you at Digg me Beach in the morning or on the road, at the finish of Ultraman Hawaii.
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