Day 8 - Friday 11th October 2019
The day before the Ironman World Championship… Almost a week ago, when I arrived to Kona, because of the jetlag, I had been waking up and getting up very early. Now, nearly a week later, I had gradually adjusted day by day to be waking up progressively later. So this morning, I tried to get up a bit earlier, to try to adjust in advance of the early start on race day tomorrow morning.
My neck, although still painful, was definitely a bit easier. I knew from yesterday that I could run, and would be able to run, even if it was painful. I’d find out today how my neck would hold up to holding a “turtling” aero position, tucked in tight and low on the bike. I had another hard massage from Deirdre. I told her to get right into it. I was grateful. She’d have run through a brick wall if it would have helped.
The day before the Ironman World Championship… Almost a week ago, when I arrived to Kona, because of the jetlag, I had been waking up and getting up very early. Now, nearly a week later, I had gradually adjusted day by day to be waking up progressively later. So this morning, I tried to get up a bit earlier, to try to adjust in advance of the early start on race day tomorrow morning.
My neck, although still painful, was definitely a bit easier. I knew from yesterday that I could run, and would be able to run, even if it was painful. I’d find out today how my neck would hold up to holding a “turtling” aero position, tucked in tight and low on the bike. I had another hard massage from Deirdre. I told her to get right into it. I was grateful. She’d have run through a brick wall if it would have helped.
I had breakfast and
completed my final bike preparations – packing up the puncture repair equipment
I hoped I wouldn’t need, securing the carbon dioxide re-inflation canisters
behind the saddle, then taping the zip-lock bag of puncture repair equipment
onto the canisters, making sure that nothing impeded taking the bottles in and
out of the rear-mounted bottle cages. I stuck a few shamrock and name stickers
onto my frame. They looked decent.
Then I had to head out for
an hour on the bike. A short bike was better than a run, as it’s less
fatiguing. I had two objectives. One was to open the legs out. The second was
not to crash or be crashed into. I’d have to pay maximum attention to
everything. Ali’i drive was packed. Bikes, runners, walkers. Traffic could
barely get through. It was slow going. The final stretch was closed to traffic,
but I was able to weave through the foot traffic, past the finishing chute and
finish line gantry which was taking shape, and then up onto the Palani hill and
onto the Queen K.
I couldn’t relax because in
the first few miles of the Queen K, there are a lot of intersections and
traffic lights. A video had been released in advance:
I was very careful to say
the least, but was able to do a few short, sharp efforts. My neck was
uncomfortable but not acutely painful. Hopefully over the rest of the day and
the night it would continue to ease. Hopefully it wouldn’t restrict me in the
race.
I waved at most of the
cyclists heading back in the opposite direction. Some were happy to wave back.
Some didn’t even look. Some saw, but were taking things far too seriously to
wave back. I turned and headed for home. Tomorrow the Queen K would be closed
and would have 2400 bikes on it.
I didn’t fancy trying to
get the bike through the crowds at the finish area so I headed down the Kuakini
highway off Palani and then down Hualalai road onto Ali’i drive, towards our
condo. I got back in once piece. Great success. Then a quick swim in one of the condo's pools...
Various colours of plumeria flower around the condo.
Yet another very cool feature of Hawaii.
Then I had to get ready for
the race. Steve and Natalie and Deidre headed into town for a “mooch”, leaving
me in peace. We’d meet later, after I had racked my bike and bags. A "mooch" turned into eating and drinking their way through a happy hour at one of the restaurants by the ocean.
Meanwhile, I had a lot to think
about and a lot to prepare. I laid out my blue transition bag (swim to bike),
my red transition bag (bike to run) and my white bag (for after the race). I
laid out all my swim gear, all my bike gear, all my bike nutrition and
hydration, all my run gear, all my run nutrition, all my after-race gear, and
everything I would need immediately when I woke up. I loaded the bike up with
gels and bars and energy chews, and then anything extra went into my tri top,
which I would put on after the swim. I’d put the bottles on the bike tomorrow
morning before the start.
I ran through the stages in
my mind: pre-race, swim, transition, bike, transition, run, finish. I’ve done
this many times. I was sure I had it all covered. Everything was done. Wasn’t
it? No it wasn’t… I needed some flat Coke for immediately after the swim. I
messaged the others who were in town: “Can you please buy me a bottle of
regular Coke and get it as flat as possible? Shake the hell out of it and open
and close it repeatedly.” I meant to buy the Coke ages ago and leave it open in
the fridge for days, which would have flattened it.
The others obliged…
I met them just outside the
King K hotel, where athletes were wheeling their bikes into transition to rack
them. We did the serious business of transferring flat Coke into my small
bottle.
One looking serious and wearing silly, one looking serious and wearing normal,
one looking silly and wearing normal...
It was time to rack. There
were ominous dark clouds covering the hill behind Kona. It was going to rain. I
wanted to cover parts of my bike to keep it dry. I should have brought a few
big plastic bags. We dug through our stuff and found one small bag and one
elastic hair bobble to hold the bag in place, which would have to do.
Then I joined the parade of
athletes making their way into transition. A few companies were lining this
parade giving away freebies to “their” athletes. Riders of Felt bikes and users
of Enve wheels got freebies. I didn’t, being a Trek and Hed rider. We paraded
passed the volunteers who recorded the make of every component on our bikes, to
be used for statistical and marketing purposes: wheels, tyres, handlebars, hydration
systems, frame, gears, power meter, pedals, you name it. Here are the results:
I had a Trek bike, Hed wheels, Sram groupset, Bontrager aero bars, Shimano pedals, a Stages power meter, Bontrager saddle, X-lab front hydration (assisted with cable ties), Bontrager rear hydration (assisted with cable ties), regular sized wheel pulleys, and round chainrings. How they can spot all these different things as you walk past is beyond me!
On the way into transition I was stopped by a spectator who said my helmet was the coolest thing she'd ever seen, and she asked for a photo. No problem! Plenty of effort went into "decorating" that helmet!
On the way into transition I was stopped by a spectator who said my helmet was the coolest thing she'd ever seen, and she asked for a photo. No problem! Plenty of effort went into "decorating" that helmet!
After the bike security
photographs, everyone got their own personal volunteer escort in transition. My
bags were taken from me by my volunteer, and I was walked through transition,
to my bike racking space away up at the far end of the pier in the second-last
aisle, level with the gap in the aisles. Easy enough to find on race morning.
The helmet was very distinctive as well. I was given a small Hawaii Ironman "M-dot" logo sticker for my bike. I already had a few of these on my bike. One more wouldn't hurt...
Then it was down to the bag racking areas, where I was walked and talked through everything. I left transition via the hotel,where there was a good display of historical memorabilia.
Then it was down to the bag racking areas, where I was walked and talked through everything. I left transition via the hotel,where there was a good display of historical memorabilia.
Stormy and moody
A replica of the first ever Ironman winner's trophy
Finisher medals through the ages
The first-ever Ironman results
Promotional posters
A random photographer taking photos. Why not?!
In many senses, there was
an ominous air of anticipation and stored energy that was on the cusp of being
released. A storm was brewing in those dark clouds up on the hill. 2400
athletes were about to let loose months and years of work. Perhaps
appropriately, it was like a volcano just before eruption.
We headed back, but not
before I saw my own personal street art on Ali’i drive. It was so cool.
It was an early dinner
before an early night. The others took charge and cooked up a massive plate of
sweet and sour tofu stir-fry with pasta. Perfect. I could have eaten twice what I
did, but had to limit myself. This time tomorrow, I could eat and drink
whatever I wanted. I had to keep the discipline for one more day. We agreed
that I would have to leave earlier than the others in the morning. I’d get the
shuttle bus (for athletes only) and they would walk down to try to find a spot
on the sea wall to watch the swim.
After another neck massage
and a bit of stretching, it was to bed, to try to get some sleep before a 3:50am
alarm on Ironman World Championship day…
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