The Big Hula in The Lava Fields

I sit here typing this race report just after Mary took off 18 minutes ago on her night time trail race, I conjure up the details from this time last week (shortly after 3 pm Hawaii time) and think how fleeting the pain of that day disappears. (Except for my foot), that is for later in the story.

I will skip over the details of getting to the Islands, luckily there wasn't anything to talk about. We had a seamless trip, non-stop flight into Kona from Phoenix arriving at 2pm, simply perfect! The few days leading up to race day where full of the usual. Watching everyone and their brother and sister swim/bike/run 24/7 up and down Alii Drive and Dig Me Beach. I tried to stay under the radar as much as possible. I had nothing to prove, and decided to save as much energy both mentally and physically as humanly possible. Mostly spent my time doing the "have to's"

Have to register, have to pick up my bike from Tribike Transport, have to check in my bike and T1 & T2 bags.

We swam from the pier twice, did a little bike, and ran just enough to not feel bloated and fat :)

One highlight was watching Mary make her debut on the SUP. After quite a fiasco the first morning with said SUP, she got really good at it. Going out everyday for at least and hour or so.

Race morning dawned at 3:30am. I woke up feeling rested and ready to race.

I had my pre race breakfast of oatmeal, bagel, water & EFS drink and we headed to the pier.

Through body marking smoothly (with a lucky #888), and then after the crew secured their spot

on the sea wall over looking the swim start, Mary and I hung out in the hall way of the King K

hotel, just relaxing and chillin before the craziness of the day would start. The pro field was called to the water at 6am for their 6:30 start, and that pretty much was my sign to start making my way

closer to the ocean. Mary and I said our I love you's and shared a few kisses and then she headed

back to her spot on the sea wall as I headed over to the transition area to collect my thoughts and get good and body glided for that salt water swim. The chaffing caused by salt water under your

speedsuit is instant and painful for the remainder of the day if you don't catch it before it starts.

At 6:20 I finally entered the Pacific Ocean with 1900 would be Ironmen and Ironwomen.

6:30 a.m., No count down just the cannon blast and we are off. Elbows and feet ass deep for

2.4 miles. I had decided that I would line up on the most inside line heading the straightest line

to the buoys. Well this was an interesting decision. I'm not sure it was better or worse than the other lines, but it was definitely frustrating. Once you pick the inside there is nowhere to hide. You are stuck there for good, no pulling off to the side to stop the pounding for even a second. So

about every 250 meters there is a pile up at the red buoys as everyone is forced around the outside by the paddle and SUP boarders. Frustrating, more elbows and feet and knees than before. Finally We make it to the turn around buoy and start out way back to the pier. By this time you have swallowed so much salt water that your tongue and mouth are swollen and your stomach is not so happy either. Now this year was a very choppy year in the water with some nice

strong currents on the way back in. With about 1000 meters to go I swear it was just like swimming in a spinning drum. No going forward,no going side ways, just staying in the same spot going nowhere. I just dug in deep here and gave my last bit of real effort to break loose and then before I knew it I was standing in the sand again. Hell yes, get me out of this water,

Swim Time 1:12, T1 3:00

Onto the pink steed, a.k.a. the Bike

Once through the long ass transition area of Kona and onto the bike I didn't feel like I had brought my legs out of my T1 bag. I was being passed like I was standing still one after another, but I tried to stick to my plan and not blow up in the first 30 minutes of the bike. I passed my crew around mile 8ish, I think? They where screaming and yelling their heads off (Loved it), so out to the turn around and then knowing I would pass them again I blew a big kiss as I went by again ( I knew they needed some energy from me as much as I needed it from them)

At this point we head up Palani Hill and out onto the Queen K. Hwy, My main focus for the section out to Hawi (the bike turnaround) was to stay on top of my hydration and nutrition, and to stay within myself, one thing a pro friend told me once was to go one gear easier here than you think you can go all day long. This paid off big time as we started our 19 mile climb up to Hawi I was starting to pass EVERYONE! It was crazy cross winds and I was loving it. This is what Kona is all about :)))) Loved it!!!

During this section is when I get to see all the pros heading back to town, and we get to see how the race is playing out. As usual Chris Lieto was the first bike to pass me going the other way, but

a big surprise, he only had a small lead on a pack of about 5. This race is going to be exciting!

Then after counting about 15 men I see the hammer known as Julie Dibens go flying by me! Are you kidding me? Holy crap, I check my watch and count for the next lady 8 minutes and it is Caroline Steffen, and then Leanda Cave and finally 12 minutes after Julie comes Chrissie. Damn, this is going to be very exciting, I can't wait to get back onto the run to watch it play out first hand. A few minutes and ladies later I see my good friend Linsey Corbin come by and I figure she is in the top ten which is awesome because she will bring back some girls on the run.

Finally I reach Hawi and the turn around and start the crazy descent for 19 miles at 30+ mph into a major cross wind. Love it!!!

Finally we get back to the Queen K and I know I have somewhere around 2ish hours of serious concentrating to get me back. This is the hardest section for me, this is where the winds become head winds and the fatigue and humidity starts to take a toll. Just keep it together and stay focused. I take water at every aid station (every 7 miles) and either drink it or pour it on me.

Somewhere in here my right knee starts to really hurt. Are you kidding me? I bike 100 plus mile bike rides every week of the year and no knee pain, what the hell is this? So I try to minimize then pain of pushing to hard with my right leg, I change positions, everything but no good, just get off this bike and onto the run ASAP! I end up losing about 10 minutes in this last two hours, but still within reach of my goal to be running before 7hrs. Into T2 and start running away from that bike so happy to be running, even if it is only into the change tent. Another very speed transition and we are off.

Bike 5:39, T2 3:00

Out onto the run and instantly my foot is in pain. No, this is what I dream of all day, time to smash the run, my foot just is asleep from the bike, it will go away just keep running. Well mile 1

I stop and take the shoe off, there has to be a nail in my shoe or maybe a beach ball. Nope, nothing in there. Well just keep moving, it will go away, just forget about it, block it out and get running.

So mile 1 1/2 I come up on my crew, they are screaming and cheering and jumping up and down,

some great energy from them, I give Mary a kiss and keep moving. Just 3 ish miles and I get to turn around and head back to them. That was a long section, I keep feeling my foot with each foot fall and tried to think about everything and anything else. I finally stopped for my first pee of the day? What, I have been drinking non-stop and it is now 7 1/2 hrs late and only one pee. Not good.

Also along this section I have a hell of a time keeping my race number belt up around my waist, I must have lost some major weight on the bike because it won't stay up. Finally I stop and a spectator takes it from me and tries to tighten it up. No go, well lets go old school and just pin the

damn thing. Finally I hit the turnaround and head back towards town. a few miles later I get a lift

from the drunken part of the crew screaming out from the bar as I ran by "Beaver" the Buckeye's are winning. This preoccupies me late for a few miles trying to figure out if they where telling me a lie to make me feel better or where they really winning?

So I finally turn off Alli Dr at about mile 9 and there is my crew again Mary high fives me and tells me Crowie set a new course record and that Chrissie is just around the corner in first with less than a mile to go. Now we made a semi deal that when we passed each other she would high five me, so I stopped and put my hand out, and instantly could read her face and eyes. She was out of it and totally focused on getting to that finish line first, I slapped her on the butt and keep on running. Wow, chills go up my arms and a tear in the eyes at seeing this amazing sight. It can't be put into words, you had to be there to see and feel the strength and internal fortitude that women

exudes. Simply AMAZING!!! Just two minutes later I pass Rinny she is hammering and I yell over to her as well. What a freaking race. They both break the old run course record on a day that

many a pro blew up on that hot run. As I head up Palani Mountain and make the turn onto the Queen K again, I pass Leanda Cave, she is in 3rd place and digging very deep. I send her some energy and keep on trucking. At this point the women's race has and is playing out just two feet away from me. So Stellar, I Loved it!!! Unfortunately my foot still is killing me and I just can't land on it or push off normally. This is a loooooooong section out to the Energy lab, never seems to end. Finally at about mile 15 I am forced to walk for a minute through an aid station and my teammate Erica "Hank" Mcclurg passes me. So happy for her, she is having a nice day. As much as I try to pick up the pace to run with her I can't get another gear. My mind says your strong go, my body and partially my foot says you don't have another gear. Come on, get to that Energy lab.

I pass Linsey around this point and give her some encouragement and her me. Later I found out that L.C. had some major issues for over her last 6 hours and it wasn't her day, but I assure you she will be ready to win IMAZ in November!!

Now I have Michelle Simmons come up and start running with me and we keep each other company for several miles. Finally up ahead it is The Natural Energy Lab, I make the left turn and enter. It is just a little out and back in there but seems to go on forever, I make the turn around and start back out, no special needs bags for me just keep on moving. On a side note, probably the funniest thing ever found in a Special needs run bag at an Ironman, Michelle's daughter pack her a shovel, you know the little sand shovels for the beach! So Michelle picked it up at mile 18.5 and carried it all the way to the finish line. Love it!!!

Anyway, finally we hit that last climb out of the energy lab past mile 19 and back out on the Queen K for our return trip to Kona. By this point my foot is on FIRE, and this is really the first time I start to question if I could keep running. I kinda ran/walk here for about a mile or so. Finally I remembered what Samantha Mcglone once said, "the fastest way to the finish line is to keep running" and I am ready to be done. So I start making deals with myself at this point. Just run to that aid station, and then once I get there then I pick another small goal, anything to keep me going. I even make a deal with myself that I only have to get to mile 25 miles and then it is just a 1.2 mile victory lap. When I hit mile marker 20 I can not carry my water bottle any further and I drop it right onto of mile 20. Ok only 5 miles to go and a 1.2 mile victory lap. I keep running and

promise myself no matter how much it hurts I am going to run that last hill before turning right onto Palani at mile 25. Finally there it is mile 25, now that down hill is a major quad buster at this point of an Ironman, especially when you are on a screwed up foot, but I just suck it up and finally make the last turn onto Alii Drive, I have nothing left, I wanted to pick it up the final 400 meters or so, and I could not. I see my crew and Mary and barely can manage a low five. There is the finish line and I just want to get there. I climb the last little incline ,raise my hands and after about 5 seconds give myself over to the medical staff.

Finish Time 11:00:50

I am finally handed over to Mary for about :30 seconds before I am then taken to see the medial

tent for an hour. That is another blog, for another day.

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