Cool, wet and happy in Lubbock

My Ticket to Kona (again)?

The Buffalo Springs course is a hard one on a cool day like we had this year and a brutal one when the sun is out. It can also be windy, as evidenced by the two wind farms around the town that have been built in the last two years since I was here last. When hit with wind and sun the race takes on a Kona feeling but it gets worse. There is a vast Feed Lot less than a ½ mile from the turnaround of the out and back run. With the wind from the west you can smell the stench for 4 of the 13 miles; again we were lucky this year.

Competition in my AG was deep. Larry Krutka and I have raced in Kona more than once and I have never got closer to him than about 45 min, he has I think been on the podium. Ron Dent and I have raced in Boulder together several times and always been close winning and loosing. Michael Dwyer, who I did not know, was a major worry of Larry’s and Michael Zinn was a potential threat. He was doing his first ½ but was top 10 in USAT’s ranking last year. Larry, and the two Michaels had home course advantages of sorts all living in this heat bubble of Texas and Oklahoma. In half IM races I don’t think I have ever run against this depth of field.

At the Expo was a friend running the Computrainer Booth, Jack Weiss. Jack knows almost everyone in the sport in Texas and the country (he runs a whole bunch of very popular races in and around his home state) and especially my competition the next day. I asked him about Michael Zinn on Friday evening and then Larry on Saturday. By this time I think he had talked to all of us except Ron so we knew all our secrets and successes. Jack’s assessment was that we are going to have an interesting race. I don’t think he was putting money on any of us.

Reversing the clock a bit, I ran Eagleman two weeks earlier. My quest for a Kona slot this year was to smoke the bike on that flat course and cruise to a win on the run. I had two worries with competition in Cambridge. Both of them beat me the year earlier but not by much and I had always taken them in the past. A year can make a difference and William Wren and made big improvements with his swimming and overall fitness. My plan was working by T2 but his swim split meant that the difference was close.

He almost slipped by me at mile 3 as I stopped for a pee in the Port a John (remember this when we get to Buffalo Springs), I saw him go by thru the vents. We rand together for the next 4+ miles and I felt I would be able to stay with him to the end. A sprint to the finish would have been exciting. But that was not to be. I cramped, hamstrings, just past mile 7 and watched my potential Kona slot glide off into the distance. Those last 6 miles were punctuated by thoughts of a very hot and unpleasant race in Lubbock, my fall back plan.

The plan had a successful precedence; I came here two years ago after missing out in Eagleman and got lucky. I followed a very similar two week training plan, very easy workouts, low volume with race pace intensity intervals with the 5430 Sprint sandwiched in between. This time however I went nuts with all kind of therapy. This included a massage from my regular massage therapist Keira McMahon, ART Treatment from Phillip Bammer, Acupuncture (for my gimpy knee) from Whit Reaves, an IV full of vitamins and minerals from Kelly Parcel and finally some Muscle Restoration from Josh Shadle. Advice was gathered from anyone I could think of but most important was tips from Bobby McGee, Mike Ricci, Keith Watson Barry Siff (my frequent bike companion) and Mike Monastero. Even included was a group therapy session (unplanned) with Scott Fliegelman and his Fast Forward group of IM Louisville bound athletes who were doing a training race here in Lubbock. Special mentions should go to Donna Mitchell who came up with the mantra; “I will not Fail” There are many others who have helped me get to this point and many thanks to all.

I was dreading racing in the normal Lubbock heat/wind and two weeks out the forecast looked grim, It was still grim a week out and then a crack in the 95-100 deg heat appeared for Sunday. Collective prayers, offerings, and rain dances (well at least clouds) were made by the F4 group for the rest of the week.

Rain hammered the skylights during the race meeting Saturday evening and we knew the cool front had arrived just on time. I stuck my nose out of my room at 3:30 am and found another competitor doing what I was doing, checking to see if any stars were visible, and no twinkles, not even a glimmer. So my two traveling companions and I were happy as we drove to the race site at 4:15 for a 6:30 (for me) start.

The transition and swim venue is the nicest part of Lubbock and the residents, those with some money, make that obvious with homes around the lake. Those not quite so lucky have a couple of nice camp grounds and beaches. This is all in a gully that is over 2 miles long and perhaps ¼ mile wide. It is filled largely with a spring fed lake keeping the water temps always wetsuit legal, just.

The pros went off 5 min ahead of my wave. At 6:35 in the morning it is still not full daylight and with the cloud cover sighing was a challenge thru tinted swim goggles. My navigation was a bit off coming out of a cove at the start and turning right to the next left hand turn. But I was feeling very comfortable in my Desoto Wet Suit with, for the first time, no sleeves (Thanx Gail and Roger). I do seem to have lost my drafting skills loosing several feet that were swimming just a bit faster. The water tasted much better than the Boulder Res but visibility was not much better. The old geezers in that first wave were much more civilized than the mad crowd at the Stroke and Stride series.

I came out of the water looking at a slow swim time but quickly put that behind me as I know that courses can be off a bit (it looks like it was long). . 100 yards out of T2 and you are heading up the steepest hill, about 9%. The hills are produced by going in and out of the gullies along the stream that starts at the lake. Each has a drop/rise of about 250 feet. We climbed out of them 7 times. On the top the roads are almost dead flat, certainly dead flat by Boulder standards.

After that first hill, I pushed a bit harder than planned, the road screams back down to a dam at the end of the lake with a dangerous turn (at speed) at the bottom. With a Zipp 808 on the front I was breaking the golden rule, nothing new, and a wind gust caught me at the bottom at near 40 mph, dreams almost came to an end at that point. Another steep climb got us up on the flats for the next 15 mile or so. With the excitement of getting out on the bike over I settled into my plan to maintain a constant power output of about 240 peaking at 300 on the hills. The plan did have a problem early on in that I could not read the power meter thru my sun glasses.

It was windy this year I would guess 15mph+. I had a rental 808 on the front (again thanks Roger and Gail) and early in the bike that was a bit wild. Skies were threatening rain; there was a thunderstorm to the north as we dove out the race. The forecast was for clouds all morning and that was what happened.

The wind was almost blowing across the gullies from the North East. So the descents were screaming ones hitting almost (for me) 40 mph, my guess is some of the mail pro’s were getting close to 50. Coming back into the wind was a different story but I think both played to my advantage of more body weight than my competition and an aggressive aero position.

I passed my big worry, Larry Krutka at mile 30; he swam about 4 min faster than I did. I did not know it but I was in the lead at that point. Mother Nature then dished out a home court advantage to me, it started to rain, hard. I grew up with rain in Ireland and conditions were very much like my first and only bike tour at about the age of 16. I heard complaints about loosing time in the rain but I don’t think it altered my speed a much.

There were a number of keys to my success in this race and one, more than anything else was a new skill in body functions. Last fall I had peed on the bike on a very long downhill. That had taken several attempts earlier in that race and I thought it was a freak of nature (I had no hills and no luck at Eagleman). On the last three slight and short down hills I coasted and peed a bucket full (I had hyper-hydrated using Glycerin before the start). In races past that would have cost me minutes.

We got back to T2 with about 2 min between us and I felt OK the first 1/4 mile and then my good old hamstrings cramped, the left one. I recovered reasonable quickly (lost about 90 sec looking at my Polar watch data) now Larry was less than a min behind me. We ran down to the end of the lake and partially around the other side. I was debating on what to do on the 9% grade out of the canyon. Last time I had no choice and walked up. This time I ran to the steepest section and started walking. I needed to pee again and knew that if I stopped I would be passed. As I walked I tried to pee and to my amazement it happened, another bucket.

Magic, well not quite, I switched to Hammer Nutrition products in the early spring including their PSA pills. I have been taking Saw Palmetto for years to very little effect. Hammer has some critical dosing advice that you do not take them with protein. It must have worked. Their advice on carrying Perpetuem, their new Café Latte flavor, yum, was great. Double the concentration in your bottle, in my case a Never Reach Tank, then take a sip of the mix and water, in an aero bottle up front, to keep get the right concentration in your stomach. I was amazed and very happy to find that I had nailed my consumption on the bike with both containers one sip away from empty when I checked at the end of the race.

Gradually Larry ate up the little time I had on him and at the turnaround there he was ten steps behind me. I had a choice at this point. Continue at my pace or go faster and risk another cramp, I chose the latter. Larry conveniently is a noisy breather and slowly he dropped behind and then I could not hear him. At the bottom of the next downhill I cramped again and he by me while I was bent over massaging my leg (all’s fair in love and war). Again I did not loose too much time (about 30 sec) and was able to run up the last hill after another short pee (this is gross I know but it felt good warming up my leg). I was finishing up my pee when I heard heavy breathing coming up behind, I cussed at my protesting muscles and started to hustle again. This time the breathing got louder and louder and at the top of the hill he drew up along side and passed me. I got a new appreciation for young noisy athletes; there was a 24 on the calf of this athlete. So I thought I was still ahead of Larry and there was 3.5 miles to go.

At the 3 mile mark I started to fear I was reading a 60 on the back of another calf and creeping closer it was more competition. I eased past him wondering what he would do when he saw who was passing. For some reason, I was loosing focus on everything but myself, I did not hear any heavy breathing. All the way back on the south side of the lake I could feel my hamstrings protesting (now both sides). I focused everything I had on form. Bobby McGee’s advice rang thru my head constantly, lean, push and arm swing. I did a few exercises Josh Shadle showed me that could be done while running, I thought of my old friend a doctor in Ireland who tragically died at 50 and wondered if he could put in a good word with the boss (I am not religious but it could not hurt). It worked. At about 1/2 mile from the finish I willed then not to cramp and pushed a bit harder. Somehow I felt a presence very close. It was Larry that I passed and he finished 30 sec behind me.

The cramping in the run was the least disruptive of any of my recent races. I have three people to thank for that, Donna, I kept thinking of her mantra as I massaged my leg, Josh for giving me a great work over and some very valuable exercises that I was able to do in the car as I drove down her and a product called Cramp 911 (a topical homeopathic ointment) given to me to test by the developer). It did not stop the cramps completely but I have never recovered so quickly. I think with time the exercises I got from Josh will further diminish the chronic problem I have been having.

I was especially nice to have so many friends at Lubbock. Scott and Ivy Kroger had done the Sprint race, held while the 70.3 gang were out biking and won their AG. They were on hand to welcome us home. Many of the F4 athletes were doing their first ½ and it is always fun to be around people finishing their first long race, or a race of any distance. They are in great hands with Scott and Michael Kelly (Michael raced and had a great day) and the Fast Forward team as they prepare for their first full IM in Louisville. I know you guys will do great, “Will not fail” and have fun. I hope I can do some riding with you as we train for an end of season IM.

Ingrid was not with me at Lubbock but she was in spirit. To settle my mind when it gets too cluttered with negative thoughts I think of those who got me to this point. Parents naturally, two childhood friends no longer with us, the doctor mentioned before and Connor who loaned me he 4 speed racing bike with no brakes and almost got me killed at 10 and of course Ingrid. When I called her after the race she said she was very proud of me. Those of you who know Ingrid know she speaks her mind, like the time she told me I looked like Sh@#, at mile 3 of the run in my first IM in Hawaii. This complement was very special and I it was good to be reminded of how lucky I am.

The Perfect IM (My Plan and Actual Events (italics), IM World Championship 2007)

A wise man suggested to me a week before the race that I very good way to develop the visualization needed for a race like IronMan is to write a story of how you nailed the race before you do it. So hear goes. I plan to add how I did it to this report in italics before I leave the Island.
Previous Days Before the Race
The big taper started almost 4 weeks out with cutback of my long run from 3 to 2.5 hrs and long bike was down from well over 6 hrs to 5. While cutting the long rides I increased the run afterwards with a 1.5 hr run after the 5 hr bike. That last Brick was a breakthrough workout with Power under tight control for the first 4 hrs picking up the pace for the last hour (my race plan). The run was my best ever off the bike and the pace 30-45 sec better than any of my ½ IM races this year. I was a bit giddy after the workout with the success. Thanx have to go to three people how have helped me over the past year and longer. Mike Monastero an old friend and coach who has helped me grow my knowledge of riding with Power. Scott Fliegelman who got me focusing on the important stuff just in time this year, nutrition, pacing and key workouts leading up to the race. Bobby McGee who, starting last year with a 1 hour group session at the Tuesday night track workout and continued this year with private and group workouts, has I believed transformed my running. I know there is much to improve even now but much has been accomplished already.

Since getting to Kona on Monday and for the rest of the time prior to race distances are getting much shorter. The longest workout was a ride from Kawaihae (the end of the Queen K) up to Hawi. This starts out as a series of long rollers gradually gaining altitude to the last 7 miles that is clearly up hill. I warmed up on the rollers and then built to race pace for the hill part. This we hoped (I am rode with a friend Danielle Sullivan who is racing as a Pro for the first time) will also let us test riding in strong winds with or Zipp 808 wheels (Zipp's deepest rim real wheel and 404 up front).

The Day Before
I started the Day early, 5am, with an early night on Wed to make the switch to very early on Saturday morning easy. Breakfast was my favorite per race meal of toast, honey (raw), peanut butter and sliced banana.

I spent some time sending off some emails and updating my journal. Then at 6:30 I headed down to Dig Me Beach, the location of the swim start for an easy 30 min swim. A long warm up was followed by three pickups to race pace. After I turned around I spent the next 5 min anchoring in my mind the view to the finish of the swim sighting every other stroke. Behind the famous King Kam hotel is a tower with a Tsunami warning siren, a very good landmark. A short last session with the ART folks worked out some of my last kinks.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing on the beach, reading a good book and staying well hydrated. All week I have been having one liter each day of a Mineral water recommended by the massage therapist I have been to twice. It is his cure for cramping. It has been going down well so we shall see if it helps. Every other bottle of water I am taking a Salt tablet.

Lunch was a light salad with chicken. Then I headed to the Turtle Beach with my book. .Late afternoon I thoroughly checked the bike and then laid out all my nutrition and equipment needed for the race. Dinner was guess what at the King Kam Carbo dinner. I skipped the after dinner race meeting. Not something I usually do but I wanted to get to bed early again.


Day Before
Got up at 5 again and had my race breakfast and updated my journal. I got back to reading my book for a while. At 8:30 headed out on the bike for a 30 min final test of everything, me and the bike. Then I ran for 18 min along Alii Dr, sure would be nice if things felt that good race day. Big focus on hydration today. Good stretch session after the run.

Snacked on healthy carbs and some protein during the morning and had a light salad lunch again around 11. Then I headed off with my bike and Transition bags to town. First stop a little publicity with the Never Reach inventor, my water tank. After that dropped off my bike and stuff at Transition.

Got home and relaxed on the bed with the book for an hour and then made one final check of what was left of my gear and reviewed my race plan. Prepared the following fluids and food for the race:

Pre Race Hydration: Mix up Glycerol 20% solution.
Initial race fluids and food for the bike: 3 Cliff Bars and 5 gels (enough food to get me to Hawi). 24 oz of water and 12 oz Gatorade (enough to get me past the second aid station 20 miles out). Six packets of Salt Tablets, two per. Three packets of Acid Zapper and Overdrive, one each per.
Bike Special Needs Bag: Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich on whole wheat. 6 gel packets, 4 packets of Salt Tablets. Three packets of AZ and Overdrive.
T2 Supplies: 2 packets of Gel with Caffeine. Four Glucose Tablets. Race Belt with one bottle with Gatorade. 4 packets of Salt Tablets, two packets of Acid Zapper and Overdrive.
Run Special Needs: 6 packets of Gel with Caffeine. Four Glucose Tablets. 4 packets of Salt Tablets, two packets of Acid Zapper and Overdrive.
Post Race Needs: 2 Acid Zapper, one Overdrive.

Dinner at 5 included poached salmon and stir fry veggies. Sat in the hot tub for 10 min and did some light stretching. Got out the Loofah and followed Bobby McGee’s recommended exfoliation procedure to insure lots of sweating on Saturday before getting to bed at 8.


RACE DAY: Pre Race Breakfast
Alarm went off at 3:45. Breakfast at 4 was the usual. At 4:15 I started into another recommendation of Bobby’s, hyper hydration using Glycerol. I used Glycerol several years ago and based on his recommendation have tried it before a long Brick three weeks ago and the Open Water Race I did last Saturday. It works. While digesting that I covered the bare minimum of skin with suntan lotion, another Bobby recommendation. Took care of other necessities, suited up and headed down Alii with Ingrid and supplies.
Equipment Check
Drop off Special Needs Bags
Tire pressure 135 psi
Fill Fluid Tanks
Check Wheels and Brakes
Clear Power Meter
Set Gear in 50-19
Add food to Transition Bags
Warm Up
One hour from the start I found a quiet spot near the King Kamehameha’s and started my warm up routine, muscle activation, dynamic drills, and an easy jog. At T-30 minutes dropped off my post race bag at T2 and headed to the water, the line is long (so far this is what happened).

After taking in the start scene and looking out for friends, spotted Barry and Jodee on the stands. (I missed a few important points here. Had to pee of course and I also let my mind wander and think about the five other times I stared up at Hualalai. There were no clouds this year but you could see the humidity in the air as the sun lit up more and more of the top of the mountain. In the sun you could see the haze, below it was not visible. The demarcation line was sharp as a razor. Houses on the slopes stood out between the green of the tropical rain forrest climate. Yes, I am reasonably sure that 1,500 ft above Kona the climate changes from an almost desert climate to rain forrest.) I got in the water with about 10 minutes to the start. The start line is about 4 min of swimming from the beach; I got there with nice long strokes thinking of my constant admonitions to my master’s team, MDPS.


Swim
At most past races I have stuck myself in the middle of the pack about 4 or 5 rows back. This time I am a bit more conservative moving a bit further away from the buoy line but slightly closer to the start line. Wisps of Clouds are trailing off over Kailua Bay from the top of Hualalai 8,000 ft Peak; it is a morning I have come to know quite well. Man did that not go to Plan. I must have selected the spot were all the high testorone one men, and women, lined up. It was the most difficult start of my career. I got mounted more than one, kicked in the face several time and that kept happening at every buoy until almost the turnaround.

First 10 min
A recent Triathlete article by an old NY friend suggested doing catch up drill at the start of a triathlon with the idea that it protects your face from errant feet. I give it a go (a total impossibility. I don't quite know what kind of stroke I was doing, probably a combination doggy paddle, side stroke and simply just getting pushed alone) as a gun goes off and the coral reefs disappear in a cloud of bubbles. A second benefit that I discover is that it focuses you on your stroke. Hawaii as usual is not as bad a madhouse at the start as mainland races are. Number of athletes help, much fewer, but also better swimmers who know that kicking hard at the start of an 8-17 hour day is a bad idea.
First Leg
It takes about 10-15 min for the crowd to thin out a bit but there are still plenty of fast feet to follow and progress is good (as you read above that did not happen). I am now sighting every 10th stroke and keeping an eye on others in-between for navigation. I have started my new kick technique of letting my feet collide for a few kicks to wake up the calf muscles, it seemed to help in several practice swims. I go through a mental stroke check after each sighting to stay in the grove.

It is always hard to see the sail boat at the turn around buoy at the start but now it is very visible. Progress seems to be good but I am keeping the enthusiasm in check, there is a lot more to the day and from swimming out here the last week I know that the current if any is always carrying you out not back.

Approaching the boat I sight a bit more to determine how many bodies may be going around at the same time and were the anchor line is running. I aim for a spot about 10 feet out from the boat and get around without serious body contact (finally the plan happened).
Return
As I swim out to the second boat, about 100 yards apart, I sight for signs of current off the hull and anchor lines (a nice idea in theory). Non noticeable out here but I will be doing the same on the Buoys on the way back. I want to know the direction of the current more than its strength out here (I have not been out this far on practice swims.

Closer in I know the current is going to carry me away from the buoy line a bit and I sight every 6 strokes on the way back. Sighting is a bit of a challenge in the swells (there were not any) and the timing, sight on top of a swell, is essential. By now I have the wave pattern in my head.

All of the new things I am trying to eliminate the calf cramps are working. I can feel the warning signs of trouble and when they happen I got to foot tapping (I also found that twisting my foot out and down helped). The pier is now visible and it looks like I have made it to the finish without problems (The buoy line on the return was lined up with the beach to the west of the end of the pier, the pier is a long rectangle with the short side facing us as wee swim in. About 400 yards to the short side the course made a slight right turn to get around to the east side and Dig Me Beach. I did not make a sharp enough turn and I realized also that there was a current sweeping us from right to left. I picked up the pace and was less than 100 yards from the corner when my left calf cramped and it was a bad one. I probably lost 5th place right there because not only did I stop moving forward but the current was carrying me away from that corner). 01:32:00 is on the clock as I exit the water, that’s from the pro start so I have just swam my second fastest non wetsuit swim in 1:17, a good start to the day. (Despite the cramp I am still back on land in 1:18 and change)


T1
Bike: The Escape from Kona (first 15 miles)
My average power goal for the bike is around 180 Watts. Based on what I have learned from Mike and others the closer you can keep the output to your goal the better. Some variation is OK and I am trying to stay within 30 watts of this goal.

It is very hard to contain myself the first 6 miles (hard is not the word when I am being passed on the hills but I did a good job). I was focused on other things the first 400 yds getting away from Transition and up a slight hill to Kuakini Rd. Once I got my feet in my shoes and strapped in I got the Watts under control. The next challenge was the climb up the Queen K to the top of Palani. I did fine not going over 220. I realized now that I have a power meter how hard I used to go up this hill.

There is almost no choice but to coast down Palani as it is a no passing zone. a good opportunity to start sipping some water (I am taking Dave Scott’s advice and drinking just water for the first 20 min). Then came the long climb up to the top of Kuakini, about 2 miles. I am getting better with a peak of 215. The decent back down is a bit hair rising. There is a lot of traffic, bikes that is. Going up Palani, which has the steepest grade of the race I cheat and for a few seconds get up to my AT Power of 260.

The Queen K, now I have to get serious about pacing. It is tempting to hammer here. The wind is calm or a slight breeze from behind. Speed climbs to 22-3 easily and it is tempting to maintain this as the grade changes slightly from positive to negative. But with frequent checks of the Power meter I keep things under control. I am actually shooting for a 175 average for the first half of the ride something I have done with great benefit to my running in training. (I did quite well for the first 10 miles with a Norm power of 191 watts. Norm Power is something like the average power without counting coasting down hill. That's not an exact description but good enough for today. The Queen K for the first 3 miles is a construction zone, they are adding two lanes. They throttled us down to a narrow three bike width lane with cones on one side and the yellow line on the other, inside of that was a lane for running. Why they did that so early in the morning I don't know but it was DUMB. Both Harry and I almost hit a cone and as many of you know Natasha did with very sad consequences. I sure hope she can come back and stun us once again with her athletic ability next year. Through the grapevine I have heard a comment from a Massage Therapist that he has never worked on anyone with such
healthy muscles. )
Speed is frustratingly slowing down as I climb up a slight grade to the Airport turn off but I am staying in the zone. It’s 30 min into the race and I am now stating my nutrition eating every 20 min and drinking every 5. First up ½ a Cliff Bar. (Got that right and it is the first time I have started eating and drinking so early in this race)

Airport to Waikoloa (Next 15m)
Getting out to the West Hawaii Vet’s Cemetery is in my mind the first milestone of the race. You are now out in nothing but Lava. The traffic has thinned a bit but there is still plenty of company passing and being passed. There is a long decent out to Waikoloa and if there is going to be some ugly wind this is were it will start. Hydration is on schedule and I picked up my first refuel of Gatorade

So far the forecast has been quite accurate. Winds have not turned real nasty, about 10-15 mph crosswinds. I am still doing well with the eating and drinking, power is under control and I have averaged a bit over 20 mph as I approach the turn off to the Hilton and the first timing mats. (Madame Pele is not being as kind as last year. She surprised us with headwinds starting around the airport, never seen that before. They were not strong but got stronger and veered a bit east as we got to Waikoloa. It was subtle but I was going much slower than a training ride with Barry a few days earlier.)

Crossing the mats makes me think of friends following me online, other friends in the race and friends no longer with us. My childhood friend who tragically died in a car accident is always with me on the bike. He was the only kid in my town who has an 8 speed racing bike. It almost killed me going down a hill in my home town because, unknown to me, it had no brakes but it was my start in bicycling. My father is also with me especially in the water swimming with his one leg. And, I am on the lookout for One Arm Willy. He almost beat me out of the water in 2001 with one arm. Then we rode near each other for the entire race. Only the other day when I was out here in high winds did it dawn on me that he survived 50+mph gusts holding on with just one arm. Any wind ahead will no longer be a big deal to me. (Willy was not here this year but I did pass two hand cycles before Waikoloa. Ingrid had asked me how these guys swam without legs or paralyzed legs. Here was the proof and they go very fast thank you. Connor if you had set up my brakes for this race it would have been fine if the pads were missing. I only needed them twice the whole day, Hawi and the finish, and could have scraped the handlebars along a wall as I did 50 years ago to slow me down. An expensive thought with my Vuka aerobars.)

Waikoloa to Kawaihae Harbor
I have to be mentally prepared for slowing down if I am to maintain my power output from here to Hawi. The long decent is over and there are a series of big rollers and then a fast downhill to Kawaihae. I am using the uphill parts to stretch out with some out of the saddle climbs.

Fuel and Fluids continue to go down on schedule with the help of my watch alarm and I have picked up some water from the Aid station at the Hilton.

I am getting better at maintaining my power goal on the rollers keeping it within a range of 150-210 and most of the time a bit narrower than that. (Norm Power was a bit high here in retrospect, 181 watts, I think I would have been better off if I had kept it below 180. Hydration and fuel was on the money, I had 500 calories in me from Cliff Bars and two Gatorade bottles + water a little over two hours. There was some feeling that it would be nice to pee but for some reason, perhaps the Glycerol, I did not pee on the entire ride, but T2 was sure slow.)

Kawaihae is in sight, it would have been much earlier it I had dared to look into the distance, you can see the town 30 miles away (I did that anyway and it was not scary but reasuuringly familar, I am getting to know this place.). The downhill into the village, and the main harbor on the west side of the Big Island, was fast, average speed is still right around 20 (Unfortunatly that was not the case, it was just above 19. I think I would have been on target if conditions were like last year but they were not).


Kawaihae to Hawi
We (Danielle and I) rode this part of the course a week before the race, conditions were ugly and I wondered about the wisdom of racing with a deep rim front wheel that day. The good news is that the wind is not as bad so far. Power output peaked a bit high, 260, going up the steep hill out of the village but only for a few seconds. Food and Fuel is on target and I picked up more Gatorade and Water at the Aid Stations before Hawi. (Peak power was a bit more than planned at 317 but not for long. Norm power was good for this climb at 181 but I was about to start paying for going a bit too hard at the start)

Thoughts of Lunch, Peanut Butter and Honey loom larger as I get to the turnaround and the Special needs bag. The ride is going well, I am eating and drinking well and for the first time in this race it looks like I will have to stop for a pee around the half way point.

Hawi to Kawaihae
This is the twelfth time passing thru Hawi on a bike, 6 races and 6 training rides, the place looks very familiar. The sandwich is going down well as is the speed downhill. Sandwich eating has become a fine art thanks to some wild rides down this road. This time conditions are not the best I have seen but not the worst. Wind is 10-15 mph from behind for about 3 miles then as we turn from a westerly direction to South it becomes a cross wind. Eventually the wind switches to a sea breeze from the SW. It was cloudy at Hawi but as we get back to Kawaihae the sun comes out again. Kona way off in the distance is overcast, the forecast is correct. (Winds were higher than I had hoped getting upwards of 25 I suspect. For the first time I took a look out at the channel between Hawaii and Hawi. It was 25 to 35 out there and sailing would be wild. Just as those thoughts went through my head things got wild on the road. I had one hand dipping into my zip lock bag for another bite of sandwitch when a wild crosswind gust caught me. I was traveling over 40 mph and I thought I was dead. It was a dam good thing no one was passing me. It was a wake up call. I kept eating my PBJ, the wind was not going to postpone lunch, but it did have me watching out for potential gust spots, abrupt ends to hedges, high sides to the road ending in an open field ect. It was wild for about 6 miles as I expected and I was passing lots of bikes. Norm Power dropped to 164 on this section as expected with all the downhill but somewhere I peaked at 353)

Power is a bit low coming down the long mostly downhill road from Hawi. I refuel at the last Aid station before the village

Kawaihae to Waikoloa
This is where I usually find out if I have gone too hard on the bike; we are 36 miles out from Kona. It starts with the second steepest climb of the course. At the top is a welcome sound, my name being shouted by friends, Janet and Dan Sullivan and someone else I could not identify. Then follows a series of step ups to the high point before descending into Kona at the Cemetery. It is beginning to look like I have got the power right, average power is right at 180, a bit above what I targeted to this point but not far off (Things did go well up to this point but not any more. Dispite making a consious effort my power dropped to 170. I am not sure if this was focus or fatague, probably both. I did realize this was happening but I was now passing more and more bikes so I thought I must have done something right). I now need to maintain this and if feeling good perhaps a bit more. I wait to pass Waikoloa before pushing just slightly harder.


Waikoloa to Airport
I cross the timing mats again thinking of friends and start looking out for Donkeys (and singing a verse of "It's a long way to Tipperary". I guess I was having fun). Yes there are Donkeys in Hawaii, wild ones abandoned by their Sugar Cane Plantation Owners over 40 years ago. Power is up (Power was down but I was feeling good) and I am feeling very good. Average speed is down to a bit over 19 mph. This is very encouraging as it looks like I will be back at T2 by about 2:20. Doing the math that could mean a PR for this course of about 11:20

The watch is still keeping me honest and I am fueling and fluiding on schedule. These hills are not too hard on their own but we are back to the SW sea breeze that sent us flying out of Kona. Progress has slowed but the effort is only just above the goal (The sea breeze that slowed us going out had switched and was doing the same thing coming home. I was very focused on my legs trying to judge if they were ready for a run and perhaps I was trying to save them a bit by reducing power which was down to 170).

There is a landmark at the West Hawaii Vet’s Cemetery; a very old cinder cone that is getting bigger and bigger, around the corner is the Airport and a mostly downhill ride home


The Ride Home
There is nothing like a 25mph breeze on your face to make one feel good and the downhill past the airport is providing lots of good feelings. This can be an ugly part of the course as the sea breeze is often stiff. In 2004 it was so and we were doing 15-18 mph on the downhill. Last year it was a tail wind this year it is strong but more west than south west and the yaw angle for the Zipp wheels must be at their optimum. The forecasted cloud cover is above us and it looks like it will probably rain as was predicted. (Wrong and Wrong, the sea breeze is in our face and getting stonger, yes I had a 25 mph wind in my face but the bike was not going that fast. Still I felt good. I was going to get home in time to make a race PR if I could run like last year and at that point I was sure I could)

I need to pee again rather badly, it will mean a slow T2 but I think that is good news. Some years I have not pee’d until well into the run.

The big test is coming, can I run into and out of T2. I did for the first time last year and it looks like I will be able to do so again. I just better be ready mentally for a disappointment.

T2
So far so good, I ran in with voices calling my name, sorry guys if I did not acknowledge you all but it was a great welcome. Changing went fast, I sure needed to pee, great news but slow and I am running out, even better news. I sure hope that my competition can not do what one of my younger friends can do, pee on the run. I never knew why a Chlorine bottle was in her post race kit, until I learned of that trick.

I have my race number on my fuel belt with one bottle of water and caffeinated gels for use staring in about 90 minutes, hopefully when I get back to town. I also have 4 Glucose tablets and 8 Salt Tablets.

The legs don’t feel great but they are running and at a reasonable pace as I run out to the timing mats. It is 7 hours and 22 min into the race. The plan is to make it very easy to Lava Java, mile 1, then, a just easy to the Turnaround. Ultimate goal is a sub 4 hr marathon

(Well I did run thru transition but it was not fast and I did not feel as strong as last year. The pee took forever. Are there any doctors reading this who could perform some miracle that would let me pee on the bike and in the water, that alone cost me fifth place. Still no complaints I had come very close to getting the bike ride nailed. My optomistic power goal was a bit over 180, 77% of my AT power. A more realistic number was 175 and I cam home with 176, thanks Mike. Nutrition was the best ever by far, thanx Scott. I had two gels left in my pockets and had picked up fluid at every other aid station after the intial supplies ran out 90 min from the start. The proof positive that this was a successess unfoalded in the next 26.2 miles.)

Run: To Lava Java
More voices accompany me out of T2. Fortunately I do recognize one of them and stop for a sweaty kiss. Ingrid looks almost as tired as I do, they should give awards to spectators (sorry Ingrid missed that opportunity, perhaps if I had run over from the opposite side of the road and taken the time to give you a kiss I would have had more energy to run faster later).

Got to Lava Java and mission accomplished, pace was about 8:45. I am now picking it up 5-6 sec faster. I have been thinking lean, foot down, cadence, hands pulling a string from somewhere just above and in front of my head. The many sessions with Bobby the past 6 months are about to pay off.
To Turnaround
First Aid station is ahead just past mile 1 and I consume a Gel before a fast mincing walk thru the getting water a replacement gel and an ice bath. (and finding Bobby McGee on the other side. He said I looked good and I felt I did but it was sure nice hearing that from a world expert)

The first small hills on Alii look so easy when training but now it is a bit of a different story. I focus on form and the hill seems smaller. What a contrast to 2001 when I walked up all of the 5-6 inclines on Alii.

Hamstrings are telling me that they have been working but so far have not cramped. I stop for a short stretch of the left leg that seems to be in the most trouble (Yes they were telling me a sad story but no worse than most of the rest of me. I am past the spot were I cramped once last year and several times in the earlier races. I am geting a bit giddy, pace is under 9 min miles, not quite as good as my dream race but that was more than I realy expected. What is making me real happy is the slugish feel for the first 3 miles is drifing away. After the trunaround I hook up with a 50 year old and start chatting, the pace seemed to get faster for a while). I also start sipping on my water bottle about half way between each aid station and take my first two salt tablets. The plan is that every other mile I will pick up a Gel and eat it just before the next station. Every 30 min I will take a salt tablet. Ice and sponges will be taken at each station.

As I approach the turnaround I see an older gent who could be my age moving slowly back to Kona.

At the Turnaround I check progress, even at this pace I will come close to my goal and once on the Queen K I hope to pick it up as the temps drop with the lowering sun. I catch up with my target and he is 62. No special tactics are needed to get past.


Back to Kona Village
It is hard to keep my growing excitement under control. A mile past the turnaround I feel ready to up the pace a bit but hold back a bit longer. I want to get to Palani with the feeling that I can run up it I have yet to do that in this race. I will start using my caffeinated gels a mile out from town and keep that up for the rest of the race. (I had spotted friends Barbara and Harry on the way out. I knew I would not catch up to Barbara but Harry did not seem to be having a great run. I was right, I caught up to him walking just before we got back to town and found Nancy at the same time, time for a Photo Op. Harry was having a wee problem with gas. Still he was game for my pace for about a mile, thank for the company Harry)

I test a bit more speed on the last downhill into town and then settle back to a bit easier pace (Did that but the sun was out as we left the trees along Alii and the heat suddenly felt opressive), it felt good. It is also good to be back in the crowds. I can feel some extra energy coming my way.

Goal number 1 has been achieved. I missed Cam Brown pulling off a stunning win this year and upsetting all the experts predictions I also missed Macca and Faris finishing second and third but did see the rest of the initial parade of finishers. (I sure don't know nothing about picking winners)


Palani Hill
I am sure this is a challenge to everyone including the best. I start up just above a walking pace; the first 100 yards are the steepest. I get over that crest and I know there will be no need to walk, except at the aid station at the top. The effort is hard but not too much so. My mind is kept off this by hearing my name and finding Ingrid again. She is buried behind others so no kiss this time. (None of that happened. I chickend out of running up most of the hill. My excuse to myself was that it was getting very hot. If only I had know that I had closed 5 min of the gap to second place at that time)

The second and third competitors ahead of me are walking up the hill and they are well behind me as I turn onto the Queen K. (I never saw one competitor the entire run but in looking at the results I did pass one person in my AG)
Queen K to Top of Energy Lab
This has been a hard part of the course for me in the past, last year it was way better and this year it started even better with an easy fast pace down the first hill. I am now 11 miles into the run and have maintained an 8:50 pace so far, a bit faster than that between each aid station.

There is a big glow coming up the road towards me, it is Natasha with no one in sight behind her, I wish her well. (There was a glow somewhere along that road but I did not see her. Chrissie Wellinton, from her acceptance speach must have been glowing brighter than the sun at that point in the race as she had it in the bag. Again the rest of my predictions are way off) I note the time on my watch. Four min later Desiree is in hot pursuit with Miss Jones not far behind. I could forget what I am out here for if I am not careful. That is going to be an exciting finish.

The feeding fueling routine is going well, consume a gel just before an aid station, get water and an ice bath and get running again in less than a minute. Between every other station I have another salt tablet and now an Acid Zapper Tablet. The Glucose is ready for when/if things get a bit unglued. (In hindsight I should have been using up my Glucose tablets at this point. I was slowing down and did not know it. I was also taking too much time in the Aid stations. I was so happy about the fact that the only time I had walked so far was in the Aid stations and on Palani. I had alson not cramped, a whole new way to run an IM Marathon. These facts and what seemed like a good pace made me hold off on the Glucose.)

The short uphill then down to the Harbor turnoff goes quickly, now it is a long climb first to a short flat section by Costco and then another moderate but mile long grade. Think positive, this is downhill on the way home and mile 13 is getting close.

1:55 min and I am just past mile 13. It requires a bit more mental effort to get going after each aid station but it does come back (this was not happening, see comments above). I think of my last session with Bobby practicing walking thru an aid station and taking a bottle from him every mile. He also comes in handy with my frequent reviews of my body position (that I was doing).

Fueling must be working also as I stop to pee at the top of the Energy Lab road and visualize a fast mile ahead (that had happened earlier and was another milestone in this race).


Down to Energy Lab Turnaround
(Bobby materizes beside me as I walk thru the Aid station at the top of the hill and immediatly askes if I am lucid and passes on some other advice which I take. I had planned to take a Glucose tablet at the start of the decent and I am encouraged to do so. About three minutes down the hill the sun gets brighter, but it is not the sun it is me. I have tried Glucose tablets in training but never with the fatague that has set in in my body. I could not believe what was happening to me. The sun dancing up and down over the rim of my sunglasses was anoying but I realized that I would not have noticed this 5 min ago. Distances seem to take on more focus and I knew that I would be eating Glucose from here to Alii Drive.) The sun, what we can see of it thru the overcast is lowering. The Energy Lab road looks almost welcoming and downhill is indeed fast. My pace starts out near an 8 min mile and creeps under that (that was a nice dream but I was going well under 9). I check my HR to make sure I am not going over my goal max of 118 (HR monitor had failed in the swim and I never got it going again. I will not be racing with one in the future for running. My AT HR is so low and therefore ranges so narrow that I am much better off going on percieved exersions)

My contingency plan for cooling off is not going to be necessary again this year. There is a tidal pool that is fed by water from an underground stream coming from Mona Loa. It is about 65 deg at low tide and you can smell the sulfur. I am tempted to hop in anyway but I have a date I want to keep on Alii Dr.
Back to Queen K
At special needs I pick up more caffeinated gels, salt, acid zapper and glucose tablets. I pop my first Glucose tablet as I turn back up the hill.

As I start up the hill I realize that the old hamstrings have been very good to me this year and there is no sign of problems. So I get brave and push a bit maintaining just under a 9 min pace (more dreaming but I did go back up quite well). While there are no specific problems with all my running parts they are feeling like they could use a rest. I passed one of my competitors on this hill last year and do so again.


Top of NELA Rd to Costco
10 miles to go. If I can get this done in less than 95 min I will have set a new PR for the Marathon and the race. I may be delusional but I think I might even set a PR for any of my races (not including flat Florida). If that happens I will be home before sun down for the first time. (Those dreams are out the window but I have lost track of time a bit and I think I am still doing well, under 11:45 total. I can no longer read my watch in the declining light which explains my delusions but I feel strong and the periodic Glucose kick is magic. )

The grade trend is downhill all the way to the Harbor turnoff and my pace varies between 8:15 and 8:45. I realize I am gaining on a gent with a 60 on his leg, I slow a bit to run behind him for a few minutes and then pick up the pace and surge past, he does not respond. That’s the fifth competition that I know I have passed and none, that I know of have passed me.
Costco to Top of Palani
The last part of this run is the hardest. We will go down hill for a bit less than another mile then comes a sort climb and more descending to the Harbor turnoff. Another short up and down and then it gets rough. A long climb with an increasing grade to the top of Palani, the last climb of the race.

My vital signs are telling me that this better be over soon but I am still running at my dream pace just shy of 8 min, on the downhill. I managed 8:45 on the first short climb and back up to 8:15 coming into the aid station at mile 23. If I can keep this up I am now on track for something under 3:55, yahoo!!

I drive up and down the short hill and prepare myself for the last big climb. Then the magic sounds of the finish line reach me on the wind (no such luck. It is probably my hearing because the wind is in the right direction and this is were I heard Mike in 2001). It is a most welcome and inspiring sound. I pop my second Glucose tablet (I think this was number 4 or 5 at this point) as I start up and it kicks in quickly as Bobby promised. My pace is 8:45 going up the hill.

Adrenalin is kicking in as I turn down Palani and for the first time I see a solid sub 8 min pace on the hill. It is not doing my joints any good and I shorten my stride to get things a bit more comfortable, the pace holds.


Palani to Alii Rd
(As I round the corner at the top of the hill I hear a "Nice Job 282" followed by a "Nice Job 285" It takes a few seconds to let this bit of intelligence to sink in, I have competition on my sorry ass. Caution goes to the wind as I crank it up downhill. That 400 yards of downhill running is probably why my knees hurt today. Anyway at the bottom I hear no feet behind me but I have had another Glucose tablet on the way down to get me to the finish line. I push hard as I dare on the oh so long 1/4 mile to the second last right turn of the course. I look over my shoulder, no signe of the competiton) I let my mind wander a bit on this downhill about all my friends and family who have made this possible, I am very lucky to be alive and doing this.
Experience tells me to watch out for this last mile running away from the finish and I take one last Glucose tablet at the bottom of Palani and make a special effort to maintain my pace. I know once I get to Alii I will be on automatic. It is very hard but it feels good now and it won’t be long. Pace is under 8:30 and I am going to finish about 3:53, Oh am I on a high.


The last ½ mile
It is still daylight (It's night time, bummer). I don’t think the sun has even set and I am finishing the marathon in 3:52 or 3, qualifying for Boston, I wonder if I will go. I wonder if I am in the top five. This year I do see Ingrid at the finish shute were the clock reads 11:16 and change. A 20 min improvement on last years PR.

(Well the finish dream was not as planned but it sure was exciting. I must have taken the last Glucose tablet right at the right time. I was on the biggest high ever on Alii, and I am not just taking about racing and I did inhale a few times. Never before has my pace picked up the way it did the last 200 yards and thank goodness it did because number 285 was right behind me, 6 sec away. The only dissapointment was seeing the clock. My first reaction it was displaying the time from the pro start. Good thing I thought that way as it might have slowed me down thinking that I was so slow.)


Post Race
Pizza, Ingrid, water, ice cream, not quite in that order but it all goes down very well. I may be tired but I am on a cloud.

I knew in 2001-2 and even 3 I had a lot more in me than shown in the results. 2004 got messed up by cramps in the swim but still was a breakthrough year mentally. 2006 gave me an idea what was really possible with the 4:06 marathon, this year, well it all came together. (It did all come together but not with quite the results I had hoped for. Conditions were not as benine. Winds were not so gentle temps were hotter and the clouds did not do much to help. As a measure of the impact the fastest bike in my AG was 5:46, almost 20 min faster than the best last year. No one went under 3:45 and I think several did last year. That 3:45 was set by the chap who was 6 sec behind me, Scott Balfour from the UK. I also had the best help ever and I know that counts for a bunch. Mike has been counseling me on the benefits of Power training on the bike and two years of that finally got me to rind within my limits allowing me to run. Bobby got the running form to a much higher level, but I think there is more to that still, and Scott got me focused on my other critical deficiency, nutrition, and he helped me test that out in several key workouts leading up to the race. There have been many others who have given me ideas and insights into how to do this race, my team mates in NY and then Boulder, my training buddy Barry who reminded me to listen to my own advice recently, and it is not bad advice if I say so myself. And most important to all those voices, acknowledged or not who willed me on my way around the Big Island this year. Perhaps that was the secret of this race, I had the largest group of fiends on the sidelines cheering me on and when I went past the most important she revised her comment from the first year from, “You look like Shit” to “Wow, you don’t look like Shit this time” I still kissed her.

Natasha did make it in first but she had to hustle the last few miles, Deserie was just 45 sec back having passed Michelle as they turned on to Alii. Danielle did not make 10th as I was secretly hoping but she had a great race finishing in the top 50% of the Pro's, what an accomplishment. My other friends from Boulder and NY I think did very well from what Ingrid told me. What a day.

As I knew before the race I had a bunch of friends new and old to thank for getting me to Kona and racing I believe close to my potential. Notice I said close. That can be translated into I have not had enough of this race. For the second time I crossed the finish line thinking I want to do this again and go faster. That happend last year but before that 24 hours had to pass before I was ready to admit to Ingrid that I was not done with this racing. I have done a lot of thanking of people in ths report but missed her out. I blame that oversight because she is always there for me. She says some funning things about my passion and does not trully understand it, not sure I do either. In 2001 as I ran up to her on Alii at mile 2 the comment was "You look like Shit" This year she thought I look very hot in my new red while and blue tri suit. She was worried when I did not make it to the finish in under 12 hours that I would be very dissapionted. I was for a few seconds but her greating at the back of the finish line banished that thought for the night (love you Ingrid).

I am I must admit dissapointed that I did not push a bit harder, hustle through transition a bit faster or got going a bit quicker out of each Aid station. Just under 12 hours would have put me ahead of the chap in front of me, Charlie Windus (an old friend and rival) but 30 sec or so. But this is also motivation for the next time.