Training in Kona, Monday and Tuesday

Yesterday I swam the course. It took about 2 hours and it was a very enjoyable experience. As far as actually swimming, 2.5 miles in a single loop course in the ocean is way way longer than the same distance in the pool. I have learned some new skills and honed some old ones. It really is helpful to be able to alternate breathe because the current comes across your body so it is better to breathe away from the surges. As the swells come at you it takes some getting used to bobbing up and down, coordinating your breathing so you don't suck up a lot of water and to time your sightings. Several times I would try to sight but at the bottom of the trough and couldn't see anything. Consequently I spent more time sighting than I wanted and it took more effort than I wanted to make. On the way back it has more of an impact on you. I got off line a few times. Now the good thing about the swim is that it is just like being in an aquarium. There are so many beautiful fish, many colors and sizes, schools swimming right below you. The sea floor is either sand or layers of coral. There are several types of brain-like coral and many sea urchins. It is not a good idea to step on those. To some however they are a delicacy. When you climb down the stairs at Dig Me beach, I have no idea where the name comes from, it is sandy and calm in the morning, no beach and high tide in the afternoon. You walk into a brisk 70's ish water, put on your goggles and swim cap if you wear one and off you go. There is a single line of orange buoys leading out approximately 1.5 miles, at which point you turn around and swim back. You are several hundred yards from the shore. The water ranges from knee deep to what appears to be 20 to 30 feet deep. The water color is mostly green in shallow water but as the water gets deeper it gets blue. You can see for quite a ways but as the water gets deeper you lose sight of the bottom and it can be a bit disorienting.  I like swimming over the coral parts because there tend to be more reference points and fish. All and all if you don't let the distance from shore get to you or the fact that you can see so much under water, if you are patient and swim a good line, you can really enjoy this part of the race.

Today I went for a partial ride on the course, mostly around Kailua town, then out to the Energy Lab road which is just about a mile south of the airport. I was on the road about an hour and covered 16 miles. The first thing you notice is that the shoulders are nice and wide. Also the surface is quite smooth. When you come to intersections you are told by signage to move across to the bike lane and cars making right turns are to yield to the crossing cyclists. This works really good except for the occasional impatient driver. I rode about 10:00 a.m. and it was already quite warm, so I started to sweat and hydrate quickly. The quality of the road helps minimize the work and the wide shoulders let you concentrate on your aero position. After the turn around I did notice some headwind and slowed, but I think it will be alright at that point during the race. As I have talked with race veterans, the wind at the north part of the course is still very strong and will make the ride difficult there. Another veteran warned that the decent from Hawi can be difficult and in order to maximize brake use, riders definitely get out of the aero position. Thinking about heading out that way Wednesday and riding a bit of the course at that end. I have to wait and see if I have transportation because I don't want to ride too far or too hard so close to race day. I've been told that it is helpful. I think about it tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I have on the calendar: swim in the morning, then athlete registration, after that a focus group, and hopefully some food. Then off to a nap in the afternoon and close with a short run in the heat.

This evening I, along with Maureen, Charlotte and Bob, attended the Irongent Ironwomen dinner which has been a tradition for a couple of decades. It is a dinner for all racers who are 60 and older. When this dinner there only a handful of people in attendance, this year's race has over 130 entrants who qualify for the dinner, 4 of whom are 80 or older. Part of the festivities included talks by Mike Riley the voice of Ironman, and Lew Hollander, 81 years young, starting his 22nd Ironman Hawaii in a row. Also all of the racers were asked to speak. It is inspirational to see how many seniors who have completed multiple Ironman races. If you want to see how many there are just take a look at the bib number list, and look at the lower numbers around 200 and that is where you will find the seniors. You can see their names, ages, and country. I got to speak with several of these senior statesmen and they all say, keep on doing triathlon. One who was a retired MD said running is the best for you knees, he was 81. There you go, amazing. There also six lottery winners at the dinner, including yours truly. It was a great evening at the King Kamehameha Hotel, good food, good people, good times.

One of the secrets shared included from Lew, "do something anaerobic every day." Hope you are loving what you're doing today, we are totally loving it here. More to come so, a hui hou, and I hope to see you on the road

Race week begins tomorrow

Yesterday was a travel day. Went to the Big Island Grill for dinner after checking in at Sea Village condos. This morning i swam the Ironman course. It took two hours at a comfortable pace. Following that met Maureen, Charlotte and Bob and went to Bubba Gumps for breakfast/lunch.

In the afternoon I reassembled the bike, slowly hoping not to cause any problems. Everything came together finally and I had only to inflate the tires. The extender on the rear wheel and the air valve didn't work so I had to take out part of the tube, open the Schrader valve then put the tire and tube back together. Thanks to some quick texting help from Martin, I finally got it all together. I planned to run this afternoon but instead gave the bike a test ride for about 10 miles. The whole assembly project from start to finish took about 3 or 4 hours. While out on the test ride I passed Amber Moncreife, former Ultraman winner, and Chris Mccormick who has won ironman several times.. There were both quite fast. I also saw that Conrad Stoltz, Xterra champion is in town, holding court at Lava Java before swimming. I'm sure we will be spotting celebs all week. Also saw a few challenged athletes on the road.

Tomorrow I'll go for a one hour ride, low intensity, and a short run later in the day. Going to go to the Ironman office for banquet tickets for friends and family. Charlotte and Bob are here already, Kanoa and Anna arrived today, Kaleo, Mike and Maria, also sister Teri and Danny will be here Wednesday, Emmy and BJ arrive Friday. Martin arrives Thursday. Also will be attending the Iron Gents and Ladies welcome tomorrow. Comes with buffet dinner. Might check out the Ironman Village and souvenir shops when they open.

After dinnner at Rosie's Cantina, headed back to the condo to post todays blog and get some sleep.

There were competitors out on the roads all day and in the water. Saw Macca filming with a van and chase car for a two camera shot.as he was running down Alii Road. That is the plan for the next day so until I see you, A hui hou, see you on the road.

Digg Me Beach

At Rosie's Cantina

Eleven days! Taper taper taper!

It is down to the wire. Less than two weeks of training until race day. Instead of 15 to 20 hours of training every week, a cycle that began about ten months ago, the next two weeks will include approximately 15 hours, less frequency but with good intensity. My program is divided between shorter bursts of training and lots of rest in between. This week includes three full swim sessions, about 4 hours of biking, and 3 hours running. The following week includes 2 swims, 3 short bike sessions, and 3 runs. This of course is just the lead up to the final day, Saturday Oct. 8, which should be a very long day.

In addition to training I'll be organizing my gear for the trip. Planning on boxing up the bike at Snohomish Bicycle on Wednesday. I've got a ride to the airport arranged but have yet to get one home when we get back. We decided to skip the car rental since most of our friends and family will have cars. Not sure how we will actually get all our gear from the airport in Kona but have faith that everything will be fine. Just to drop a word here, between my own meditations each morning and Maureen's constant reminder, faith is what has brought us here, and faith will see us through. Lots of details as I start stacking piles of supplies and clothes for the trip, still need to be resolved. I've got a plan and a good checklist so everything should be fine.

This coming Saturday is our travel day. I will be glad when we arrive and all our gear is off the plane. Once on the ground in Kona I think any issues we might have we will be able to deal with. I know I will be more relaxed there focusing on the race. We've been to Kona this time of year and it is usually very relaxed and the weather is good. Our family and friends will be arriving at different times but by Friday we will all be together for the big day. As I get closer and closer to the race I will probably become less social but will try to let the celebration of the event keep me positive. I'm sure race weekend with all the competitors, friends, family, and other visitors, will be crazy around town. Kona is not very big and the numbers of visitors will make it seem even smaller.

Anyone who wants to follow the progress of the race can do so on the Ironman site. There is live video and you can follow everyone on the athlete tracker. During the day it will list times as the athlete completes checkpoints during the race. Also in the later part of the race long after all the pros and highly capable racers have finished, the finish line is broadcast live so you can see all the finishers cross the line. I'm hoping to be done around 10:30 HST. This will be after a day that will start around 3:00 a.m. with breakfast; 4:45 in the body marking line, then get the bike ready in transition; line up to get into the water around 6:00, it is a deep water start about 40 yards from shore;then at 7:00 a.m. the cannon goes off and the race is on.

I've been asked about goals for the race and as you can imagine I have visualized the race daily it seems for months and as I have trained attempted to develop time goals for each part of the day. What follows is my best guess for each segment, that is without any kind of mishap either human, mechanical or environmental. I feel very comfortable in the ocean swim, I have the patience for the bike which will be long, and hope to have the mental courage at the end of the day to run the longest distance of my life. These benchmarks do not include time in transition. There are also time cutoffs for each part which if not met eliminate you from completion of the race. Cutoffs from 7:00 a.m.: swim 2:20, bike 10:30, and complete the race before 17 hours total.

Swim: 2.4 miles 1:30; bike 102 miles 6:30-7:00; run 26.2 miles 6:30. These are my most generous estimates.

If by some chance I end up on the video slated to air in December, I'll be wearing my Snohomish red kit from the Snohomish Bicycle Shop. In addition to Martin and Brian who have helped me with all kinds of real support and encouragement, everyone on my tri-team, all of my Monroe Family Y team supporters, all my friends and family, the SCC family, Head 2 Toe Chiropractic, Jason and Bob my riding partners for the last month, I will be thinking of you all everyday from here on out. There is no possible way I could be contemplating this with out all of you.

Training summary for the last week:  swim 5.4 miles 3:45; bike 75 miles 5:30; run 14.25 miles 3:05. Total miles 94.6, total time 12:20, plus 3 hours with chiropractor, trainer, and Pilate's trainer.

For the next two weeks I intend to focus on my training, rest when I can, stay healthy mentally and physically, and maintain a positive attitude. In case you haven't heard me say this before, God has placed this desire on my heart and I am grateful for it. So till the next post, a hui hou, see you on the road.

This blog is published automatically on Facebook. To follow the actual blog go to Kanakahale-hoomau.blogspot.com

Ironman Boise 70.3 Finisher!

Just a warning, because I want to remember as much of this experience as I can, this posting will be lengthy. Also it is now a little less than 48 hours since I crossed the finish line and one of the things I have discovered is that I am mentally exhausted as well as physically. The mental exhaustion seems to manifest itself as having difficulty thinking and remembering. Great news as I am about to attempt to recall everything from my race day. I'll try not to ramble too much and stick to the main details but just like in the race on Saturday, I'm not really sure how I will get to the finish. For now, I will just start.

Taper week. The last week before the event, my taper week, seemed hectic though I was not so busy. I only had two light workouts on the bike and run, and three short workouts in the water. I spent most of the week gathering together the supplies I would need and getting those packed for the road trip. As the week progressed and I spent more time getting ready I became more apprehensive. The day Brian checked out my bike and put on the race wheels with the CycleOps computer I started to wonder how those items would affect me on race day. New things, new questions. Race wheels have extensions, how is repairing a flat different? Would the computer record like it is supposed to? Two days before leaving I was going over my nutrition plan and wondered how would I carry all the gels, and what fluids would I take, or even what race nutrition items would I take from the aid stations. I kept focused on my plan and hoped that my timing strategy was correct. Specifically pre-swim I would take a gel and some water. For the bike I planned on two gels every hour, I had on board water and Gatorade in two bottles. Gels would be taped to the bike frame, fluids were in a cage and an Aero container.

Pre-race. Thursday had been an all day long drive. We left Seattle about 7:00 am and arrived somewhere around 4:00 or 5:00 pm. Going east we lost an hour. Maureen and I and our friends Charlotte and Bob checked in to the Marriott Town Place Suites about a mile from the BoDo area and race center, it seemed perfect. Went straight away to the Quest Center to athlete registration. It took only 20 minutes or so to sign forms and pick up my supplies. There was the usual wrist band with my athlete number, then the packet with the number stickers, then on to the timing chip and strap, don't forget to match the chip with the computer. Finally pickup a very cool Ironman Boise backpack, also the green, blue, and red gear bags, and you are on my way. So glad I was able to get through that night because after the orientation meeting Friday morning the line was hours long. I really have to give a shout out to Boise. It is a great city center, lots of things to do, well organized, great restaurants, and many many greenbelts and parks, all with a river running through it and a major university, within a few blocks or walk-able miles. Thursday night we ate Italian at a place call Assaggio's. It was excellent! No trouble sleeping. Marriott provided breakfast in the morning so Friday starts off well. Funny to see so many triathletes at breakfast consume every bit of food available as fast as it came out. Friday morning Bob and I walked to the center for the orientation, he went to Tully's while I went to the meeting. Orientation meeting. Looked like everyone was there. There was one the night before but the auditorium was full. The meeting was typical, go over the course, go over the rules, ask questions and so on. There were 40 pros signed up. There were also a lot of first timers at this distance like me, and also many for whom this was their first triathlon ever. That was pretty amazing to me. After the meeting, we went back to the hotel to get my bike setup to take to Lucky Peak Reservoir. Bob went for some sun in one of the parks, Maureen and Charlotte went for lunch. After eating we went up to the swim site which was about 30 minutes from town. You could drive across the dam and unload your bike. We parked and all went to check out the start and transition area. It was about 3:30, a little cloudy and a bit windy. Transition was set up very competitor friendly. My bike was three racks from the bike out mid-way down the rack. Easy to spot when coming in from the swim. Good enough. The swim start was in waves, athletes would jump off a dock and wait for the signal to swim the triangle course with two turns. The exit was up a boat ramp and an uphill walk or run to the transition area. It looked quite long, perhaps a few hundred yards. From here we tried to drive as much of the course as was open, which was the first few miles and the last ten or twelve miles. Really couldn't get any idea of the entire course, had to go on what was said at orientation. What I did see was after leaving the dam there was a long fast down hill followed by a long up hill. From the meeting we knew there were a couple of more challenging hills out there but unable to see them now. Also the last part of the race back to town looked fast. From here we went to the gas station and the market to get some more supplies. I was so hungry I got a ready made sandwich and ate it immediately. Then we went back to the hotel and rested a bit. Later that evening we ate at an Indian restaurant, the Taj Mahal, downtown. I was a little worried about the food but it turned out just fine. It was really good and no adverse affects the next day. Finished Friday going to sleep about 10:30.

Race day. I got up about 6:30, sort of puttered around, read my bible and tried to get into my race mode which is somewhere near but not quite scared to death. Ate a pretty ordinary breakfast of oatmeal, yogurt, banana and coffee. Around 8:00 I took my blue bike gear bag and my red run gear bag, said goodbye to my mates and headed off to find T2. I had to drop off my red bag and see where I was in the 1400 or so spaces in the racks at T2. This was located right downtown. The transition area was the street itself about the length of the city block. My rack spot was very close to the run exit and of course far from the bike in spot. This made for a bit of a slow walk in with my bike shoes on. I made a mental note that if I could have time I'd get out of my shoes and just leave them clipped in. After that I went to the Quest Center to meet the shuttle buses and wait for my companions. It was really great having my own support group, Maureen of course is always there, but to have Charlotte and Bob as well was very special as we have been friends for nearly forty years. They helped in many ways both logistically and spiritually. The buses were to leave at 9:15, we were in the latter part of the line so left a bit later. It was standing in line again fun to see all the different people and talk with several as you waited. One of the more special aspects of this is the racing community. Most are amateurs, we are of many age groups and we are all about doing our best so consequently everyone is very encouraging to each other. Also, because you tend to wait a bit here and there you have many opportunities to visit. I can't say enough how great that it is to be a part of this event. The bus ride to the dam was fine, it was a school bus after all, and we arrived to sunny skies and good temperatures, not cold and not hot. I tried to get in the shade whenever I could. First I made one of several trips to the porta-potty. Then I checked out my bike and made sure I had all the gear I wanted. We had about 90 minutes before the transition area would close. The typical event circus was on, people wandering about, waiting here and there, comparing equipment. I refilled my tires and filled up my fluid bottles. Then it was wait until time to put on the wet suit. As I waited you could see there were many volunteers all dressed in green t-shirts. Everyone was happy and helpful and there were a lot of them. What I would see along the course is the the Boise community is very supportive and turns out in huge numbers to volunteer for the event. I couldn't tell the exact number but I am sure the number of volunteers was way more than the number of athletes. It was really nice to know and see as the race day progressed. I had done a lot to get here but they were doing a lot to make sure that all of us would finish.

The Swim. I was zipped up in my wet suit, Maureen, Charlotte and Bob were waiting in a small picnic area overlooking the start and I went through the chute to the wave staging area. Here with about 15 minutes to go I downed a gel and the last of my water that I had been sipping. I was in the 4th wave of 14 total. In front of me were the pro men and women and the physically challenged, the purple wave women who were young I think, then my group: 50+ men. We were followed by the 30 to 34 men and women and then waves of everyone else. I was sure that the red hats were going to swim right over me. While we stood in our staged groups the national anthem was played and sung, then it was gun time, no cannon here. the pro men started then a couple of minutes later the pro women and any physically challenged then I was at the end of the dock ready to jump in. Interestingly, one of the elite men had trouble right away and they had to escort him to the warming tent. That was a little unnerving as I waited on the swim dock to have medics bring hip up the ramp. Now it is my turn to jump in the water, I know it is cold, about 53 which is about 11 Celsius, but there is no turning back, no walk of shame. Cold or not in I go. You have to jump, no diving, so I sank feet first a few feet and as the water surrounded me and seeped inside of the wet-suit I could really feel the cold. I had double caps but the strangest thing was that the first thing I noticed was my goggles fogged up. I didn't expect that but I guess the temperature between my face and the water caused that. I rinsed them out but that didn't make much difference. I could see that my range of vision was about 5 feet under water and I had lots of people to follow so I would just swim a little wide and see where that led. Then it was the gun and I was going. I could still feel my feet and hands but that wouldn't last too long and I just tried to find my rhythm. The swimming was good, I soon forgot about my uncovered hands, feet and face and just kept plugging along. I sited every once in a while and was on a true course to the big red buoy. Eventually before I was halfway down the first length other swimmers started to catch up. There was a lot of contact but as usually the tough ones were the swimmers who tended to wander. They would get in front of you and the cross back and forth. During the swim I never felt tired per se, I maintained my general stroke cadence. After the first turn I picked it up a little. Someone hit my foot and I thought I lost my timing chip, but no it was intact. The swim was about 55 minutes and that is a long time to be in a lake just chugging along. I actually remember seeing some of the features of the shore and also clearly remember as I would turn my head to breathe I could see a moisture ring around the sun. As I got closer to the finish I realized that I was in a big crowd that was all going in to a narrow exit. It got really crowed quickly. I kept swimming and could see people on the shore yelling and taking pictures. Some with families and young children oblivious to the action in the water. Instead they were more interested in chasing their brother or sister. I finally reached the ramp and staggered up. Someone gave me a hand to get going in the right direction, "how are you doing?" he asked and pulled the zipper for me on the wet-suit. As I walked/jogged up the ramp I tried to pull my arms out but I couldn't so when I got to the wet-suit strippers I opted to have them do the work. Just a note here to remember not to sit down too fast on the ground, it hurts. Good idea because though I didn't know it I was hypothermic. Out of my wet-suit, got some sunscreen from a volunteer who had gobs of white on her blue gloved hands. Stopped off at the toilet because I really had to go. Then on to the bike racks. I dumped out everything and packed my wet-suit, cap and goggles in the bag. This is what they call a clean transition so everything you leave behind has to go in the blue bag then the race people load it up to come back to the end of the race. After the bag was packed I put on my jersey and then hit a wall trying to put on my arm warmers. My body was so cold that as I tried to grip the arm warmers and pull them up my hands would cramp up. It took at least 5 minutes just to do that. I finished that, got my helmet, sunglasses, shoes and socks, took a quick drink, grabbed the bike and started running to the bike out mat. I needed the arm warmers on the ride so I am glad I took time to put them on. Once there I heard the timing chip chirp and I mounted up on my way. Still very cold and a little shaky.

The Bike. I remembered that there were several speed bumps leading out across the dam so I took it nice and easy. There was a lot of bottles, gel packs, and CO2 cartridges on the ground every time you came to bumps or irregularities. Some parts of the course were very smooth but a good portion was like a washboard. Immediately after crossing the dam you make a left on to Hwy 21 with a long steep descent. I kept it down while others passed but I needed to warm up and get control of my body without having a mishap at the very start. As I sped downhill a gust of wind hit me and turned my front wheel. It startled me and after it happened again I was prepared for it. A little scary but no tragedy fortunately. After a few minutes I was on the flat, we had one lane to ourselves. Soon after began the long steady climb out of the valley. It was anywhere from 3 to 6 percent climb, within my ability but slow. And as the day would prove this was many of the times that others would pass me by. Before I had gone 10 miles the eventual pro first place finisher passed me going the other way headed in to town. There's a wake up call for you. For me I had to focus on what I was doing and since I had the CycleOps readout I knew that I just had to keep my average around 15 mph, I could see the percent of the climb and I could also see far enough ahead of me to see how long I would be in the climbing mode. This was extremely helpful. This helped me through the entire ride. On flats I was faster, nearly 17 to 20 mph and on downhills I was as fast as 35+. I felt very confident with my downhills and rested when I could. I was cautious at turns to make sure I didn't lose control, and then I would stand and accelerate out of them. There were a few hills that slowed me down along with the altitude of Boise in general but I managed to huff and puff my way past a few riders. When I got to the first aid stations about 15 miles in I had to use the toilet again. Just a quick stop and one that I was grateful for. As I dismounted my bike a volunteer ran up and held my bike for me. Amazing the help I would get all day long. Then I felt better on my seat and pressed on. At this point I just tried to keep my speed above 15 or so and kept pushing. There were some flats and rollers and one short steep climb at the second aid stop but I was moving ahead. I was still being passed but I also passed others. I knew by aid station 2 that I would make the cut-off for the bike, I just needed to stay steady and keep going forward. I had several interesting experiences while on the bike. Many younger men and women who passed called me by name and encouraged me onward. My bib number also had my first name printed on it so others knew who I was and my race age, 63, was written on my left calf so they knew something about me there. One woman said something like "great work Harry, 63 and still rockin it." I have to say it did make a difference. In the morning I wrote a verse from Proverbs 10:28 on my forearm, "the prospect of the righteous is joy." That and the other competitors reinforced it all day long. I was given joy by others all day and I focused on having a heart of gratitude all day. Meanwhile on the bike I took in a gel every 30 or so minutes, water or Gatorade every 10 or 15 minutes. Did not eat anything during the race except that. My stomach felt pretty good, I was a little hungry, uncomfortable in a good way. I think now I might have been able to get a few more gels in or maybe a banana during the ride but that is about it. I was so preoccupied with the ride itself that I really didn't notice. During the ride, on the out and back which was in the most desolate of the terrain I spotted a woman coming the other way as I was headed back anticipating the last steep climb. She was gesturing pointing to the ground and called out "snake." Well that got my attention and as I got to that point, sure enough a 3 foot long sidewinder was making it's way across the road. That was a surprise. The last 10 or 12 miles was mostly flat or downhill and my bike performed well. I moved along quickly and confidently. Near the end with maybe less than 3 miles to go I was pretty tired and sure enough there was a hill, about 3 or 4 percent, somewhat long, 5 minutes, in traffic. I did not expect or need that at all. Along the course in various spots because the ride was in undeveloped countryside, desert, and developed neighborhoods, people lined the streets to cheer you on. Some had picnics and family outings on the lawns to pass the day encouraging participants. As I turned into town and came down Capitol Ave. I think, I could see about a mile ahead the Bike in arch. Whatever I had left I spun it right to the end. When I got off the bike my legs felt pretty steady but I had not taken off my shoes so I had to clip walk to the end of the racks. When I got there another volunteer helped me dump out my run bag and switch over to the shoes and hat. They packed all my bike gear up for me to come back for later. Made a stop at the porta-potty again and it was out the chute.

The Run. I was a little disoriented as I started the run. The exit route was right next to the transition area marked by a KSwiss fencing, and my legs were a little weird. People there cheered you on and then you made a turn to go right by the finish line where the announcer was reading off the names of finishers, yeah and I had only begun my half-marathon. Anyway this part of the run, less that a mile had the most people watching and cheering of any place on the course. It was intimidating seeing the runners come in knowing that some were making the turn for the second lap of the run and others were headed for the finish itself. The bulk of the run was on a river front trail through a beautiful green belt, park, or past the Boise State campus. There were aid stations about every mile or so and toilets maybe every three miles. At all the aid stations and in a few places along the way there were people to encourage you, but most of the miles between you were on your own. You would come across a course volunteer at turns or talk with someone else running but mostly you were on your own. The weather was not hot but it was humid and the course was almost entirely shaded. It was lonely out there and I talked with almost everyone I came across. I visited with a woman who was 50 something, Colleen, a mother who had lost 100 pounds in order to come to this day, her first triathlon ever. I visited with a man who had knee issues and we would yo yo back and forth until it loosened up and he went on ahead. I also visited with competitors who I met at T1, who had numbers close to mine and were in my age group. Everyone had time to encourage each other. My breathing was good considering we were at over 3000 feet of altitude but my legs were heavy. As I noticed this I thought about my nutrition on the bike and considered that maybe that was the culprit. Anyway all I could do was press on. And also at the start of the run I had a little stitch on my right side so I might have had fluid too close to the start of the run. I kept moving forward dividing the run into 5 minute segments, run 4 walk 1 or just run it, and if I wanted water, Gatorade or ice at the aid stations I would walk there as well. On my second lap Maureen, Charlotte and Bob met me with some flat Red Bull and some ibuprofen, my low back was not good. I also had a gel the last hour. Both of those helped with a little boost. Needless to say, there were way more people in front of me than behind me so the encouragement I got on the route particularly the 2nd lap really helped. The end of the first lap I had to run almost to the finish and then turn around. The crowd on 8th Street was still good and loud when I started my 2nd loop but by the time I got back there, many were gone. The last 2 to 3 miles I actually ran my best, as I neared the finish line I knew I was going to make it. I took some fluid at about 2 miles out and then just put my head down and tried to pick up the cadence. The turn for the last mile was at the Anne Frank memorial, and I walked through that, thinking of the meaning of it compared to the meaning of my efforts that day. Then I turned on to the straight away and caught sight of the finish about 4 or 5 blocks away. At this end there were few people but as I got closer and closer the crowd was larger and the noise level increased. You could hear the announcer and music and cow bells, so many cow bells. The street for three blocks ahead was empty of runners, yet in the middle of the street was a car, who knows how it got there, with two policemen talking to the driver. They made him move to the wrong side of the street so I could pass. Crazy. Then two long blocks. The noise getting louder, then the last block. The finish chute with people lining the fences on both sides, yelling encouragements. "You can do it, looking good, great job..." I smiled, this is it, the announcer read my name, where I was from, my age, and exhorted the crowd to cheer me on. I smiled even bigger. I saw Maureen and then I stopped at the finish mat, raising my hands hoping to form the best 'Y' I could, Monroe Family YMCA, and listened to the timer beep. I had finished what I started. And there were still more runners behind me. The elation was amazing. Someone gave me a space blanket, then a medal and a hat and I just stood still as someone else removed my timing chip. Next thing I know a woman is directing me to take a picture in front of an Ironman logo backdrop. Then I walked out of the recovery area and it was over. "Where are the bag pick ups?" I asked. Then Maureen took a picture. She told me that Charlotte and Bob went for the car. She waited to hear from them at the finish line and I wandered through the food area grabbing a banana. Next I went to the bike transition and picked up my blue and red bags and bike. Charlotte and Bob met me there and we walked over to the car across the street in a parking lot. Maureen joined us there. We loaded up the gear, I climbed into the car and we headed back to the hotel. Physically I'm not sure if I could have done anything else that day or gone any faster, I was done. I had to struggle during the run to keep going mentally to keep going physically. At this point I was done. My mental state was somewhat confused as well. I had trouble processing and was just getting bits and pieces of what people said. I was glad to be finished. In minutes we arrived at the hotel. We unloaded and went to the room. We talked while I sorted out my gear and in deference to the Beasleys, consumed my first beer of the day. Slowly I regained my senses and realized how tired I was. I ate something, had another beer, and after I was sure my wet-suit was rinsed, gear set aside, I took a shower. After that it was straight to bed. No trouble sleeping there but my body was sensitive to pressure so it took a little while to relax.

The day after. That night I was elated and slept until about seven. I got up, had some breakfast with coffee, waffles and hard boiled eggs. Then I just sat. Bob was out walking, Maureen and Charlotte were not yet moving. Charlotte got up, grabbed some food and we visited for a while. Soon Bob came in and Maureen was moving. We slowly got ready to go, eventually getting packed up and ready to leave by 10:00. The drive home was long, uneventful, just long. We drove through Baker, then LeGrand for gas and lunch at Safeway. Then on stopping for gas again in Yakima, dinner at the Cottage Cafe in Cle Elum. It was good, and they had great pie! Sometime late in the day we finally arrived at Charlotte's in Greenlake, bid all farewell and made the last part of our trek home. Unloaded the car, put things away and finally went to sleep about midnight. I was pretty tired during the drive home and thankfully Charlotte drove a few hours. We also stopped quite often which allowed me to stretch my legs which were tight. While driving I continually thought about the significance of the event. Something two years ago I could not conceive of doing let alone accomplishing. I thought of the many many volunteers with smiles and helpful hands that it took to make this happen. I thought of the organization that orchestrated this. I recalled fondly the people of Boise who lined the roads and streets, who cheered for me and 1500 athletes. I loved my experience there. It was great no doubt about it. Today I am still overwhelmed with the thoughts about the race. I am still very much physically and mentally exhausted. Muscles are sore but my joints feel good. I'm not thinking ahead, because I know I have work to do. Each day I'll come back to the training bit by bit and I'll start to consider what I must do to finish what I've started because Boise is the validation, and Kona is the goal.

Dedication. If you're reading this, thank you because you too are part of the team. You all contribute in significant ways to the possibilities that I have found in triathlons. I am lucky to know you and have your support. In the lore of Ironman there are two things that I'll be thinking about: finish what you started, and, anything is possible. So until the next time, a hui hou, thanks for following, and I'll see you on the road.

Race details:

Total time 8:07:16

Rank 1173

Swim 54:54

Bike 3:38:43

Run 3:12:48

Since the email from WTC

First of all, WTC, why aren't you following my blog because this is a cool story.

Okay maybe not so but I am having a great time. Since the email announcement I have started the last few days to panic, of course. I mean, I thought, I wanted the Hawaii Ironman spot, I thought I'd get the lottery, sure, but really, really. Now that I've got it now I've got to make it count.

Immediate changes: change up training program to emphasize the Boise 70.3 in five weeks to validate my entry then back to the full Ironman training schedule. No problem, I started in January with Kona in mind so I'm on schedule. Feeling good with a good amount of training races ahead and support. Also I've got a couple of rest breaks built in so I don't over-train at any one point.

I'm starting to obsess about all the if's, all the details I've got to work out. It's good, I've got checklists going, checking in with my support group, and working it out little by little. For me, I'm a bit obsessive compulsive detail oriented anyway so I need to give myself lots of time to work out the details.

I've been thinking alot at this point and the most common thread right now is "why do I do this, triathlons?" I feel like I have a good handle on my personality and what drives me so I've come up with a list.

• Because God has given me the gift that I can do it.
• My family supports my little hobby.
• For my family, friends, supporters who encourage me.
• For my former students and athletes because I always encouraged them.
• Because I get so much support and accountability from my Tri-Team and sponsors at Snohomish Bicycle and my trainers/coaches from the Monroe Family YMCA.
• I am having such an amazing time and every day discover what I can do.
• Finally as I started about the gifts from God, I am so grateful.

So there's a little up close and personal and WTC if you're listening or watching, there is more to come. A hui hou, ho'omau, see you on the road.

Hawaii Ironman

Last two weeks on the road. San Jose to do some home chores for Kaleo. Quick stop in Santa Monica to check in with mom. She's doing well. Out to the desert to quick check on the condo, everything was fine. Brother John and friend in residence for a couple of weeks. Back to Beaverton, dinner with Em and BJ, all is well there. Finally home, rest a day, yard work for a day, back in the routine tomorrow.

Big news, received email from Ironman with notification of winning lottery for Hawaii Ironman 2011. I'm in. One of 200 selected. The odds of winning is unbelievable and now, it's on. In order to validate my entry I have to complete an Ironman event so I've registered for Boise 70.3 in June. Now I'll adjust my workout to 70.3. After I'll switch back over to the full IM regimen.

Race schedule now includes:

Boise 70.3 in 7 weeks

Tri Monroe in 10 weeks

Whiskey Dick in 15 weeks

Kona in 24 weeks

More on the training adjustments later. A hui hou, see you on the road.