Hawaii 2009 – Kona Race Report

If you come here expecting it to be hot and windy, that’s what you’ll get.

As I rode up to Hawi the winds were mild by Hawaii standards, still windy but not as bad as I have seen.

I saw Pete Jacobs coming back in about 20th place and his body language was not good at that time. He must have been going through a tough patch, he was unable to get his special needs, they were just not organised in time for the lead group. I was pleasantly surprised later in the recovery area to see him smiling like a winner. Our goal for this season was top ten in Hawaii.

I had no idea where I was in the field, I knew I was second out of the water because all the age group was racked together and only one was missing. I mounted up and got out of there as quickly as possible.

I only saw one rider pass me, but I wasn’t focussing too much on anyone else. Just peeling my own potatoes.

I rode in total control up to Hawi and back down to Kawaii (I have suffered on the ride back to Kawaii in the past, it can be very hot and there is a surprising amount of climbing in this section)

The ride from Kawaii up to the start of the Queen K. hwy is only 2km of up hill (lots of people suffer here, I’ve spent my time in hurtsville here in the past) this year I just rode up easily.

Then when we turned right onto the Queen K, the wind was in our face, it was 60km from here back to Kona (it was like a solo ride to Warwick on a westerly wind day in Queensland) 

I was happy with the way I held it together mentally, just counted rpm on all of the tough bits, I probably got passed by more people than I rode past but we were all in our own world doing the best we could. It was surprising to see the number of fit looking young athletes who had taken 120-140km on the bike to catch me. Some beautiful young female athletes. It seems to body type most prevalent in the female athletes competing in Hawaii these days is a compact muscular build. The skinny, scrawny, runners build is rare. The girls are all very strong looking. They have muscles. They don’t look like they live on lettuce leaves.

I got off the bike in good shape, I was able to run right round the transition area without any problems. I guess I was in as good a shape as you’d be when you arrived in Warwick in August after riding into the wind all day.

The transitions are slow I’d say (I haven’t seen the times) they have you run right around the transition area so that no athlete has any advantage be his/her bike rack position. It’s like running around a football field to get to your bags.

They have about fifty volunteers in the transition area alone.

In most Ironman races I take about 2-4km for my running rhythm to come good, this time my plan was to get to the first aid station, stop get some drinks into me, then run on (just like when we do the repeats at the Uni dirt track) I had to run to four or five aid stations before I started to feel like I had a rhythm. It was about as hot as I have ever remembered Kona to be. One of the girls told me last night her bike computer registered 39C somewhere out there on the bike course. I’d say the run was not much cooler for the first hour or so. 

I do have to admit I was fighting for survival, I lost a couple of places here. I was trying to look after my own square meter, but things were not good in this particular square meter. I have never drank so much in any of my previous 31 IM races. On the bike I could not count the number of extra bottles I picked up in addition to my own 6. Then on the run, it was so hot that at each aid station I stopped and drank a minimum of 3 cups. I have never stopped at so many aid stations in the run.

I ran well from 10km through to 30km then as I ran in through the Energy lab I met an Austrian competitor in my age group. As we ran towards each other, he gave me the “please don’t shoot me, take me prisoner” look. He’d given it away immediately. He put in an effort up and out of the lab, once we got on the hwy, I had him in sight. I hurt myself seriously. Up until that point I was limited by my legs, as I chased after him it became my lungs which was the limiter.

I had no idea what position I was in. I closed the gap on him and recovered behind him. I wanted to be fresh when I went around him. I was pushing it so hard, I was surprised with how much I still had. It’s amazing what happens when your mindset changes.

I ended up running in with a young girl from Australia. I didn’t look back until the second last aid station. My competitor was gone.

I finished in 7th place. I gave all I had. I didn’t come to Hawaii looking for a seventh place. But I have to take what I got on the day. It’s two days later now and I still feel like I have had the oxy torch down my throat, and my legs feel like I’ve just run up the Empire State Building this morning.

I am enjoying a few days of recovery, banking what I have learned. Yes, after twelve Hawaii Ironman races I’m still learning.

Sandy (wife) had a disapointing day. She was taken off the course at the Energy lab with an electolite imbalance. She had gained six pounds when they weighed her. We’ve done a race analysis and have learned from this. Only problem, we have to test her under similar circumstances to know if what we’ve learned is truly the answer. The doctors can’t help, they’re learning from us?

Pete has not stopped smiling, Marc was celebrating hard last night (sub ten hours in his first Hawaii and finishing in front of his training partner)  Susan is happy with a 35min PB on a difficult day. She has trained through Tasmania’s wetest winter in cold conditions and has handled the best Kona could throw at her like a champ. Darren has left the Big Island holidaying with his family, but I would say his smile will be there for a long while with his 1.03 – 5.08 – 3.47 – 10.09 in his first Hawaii Ironman. (if anyone out there thinks they work too hard to make it to Kona, ask Darren about his work schedule) he’s earned the holiday.