You’ve heard the tale so many times before, maybe it has even happened to you, it is the tale of unrequited love. My tale begins on the Big Island of Hawaii in a small town called Kona. I have been to this sleepy hamlet more than a dozen times for racing and training. While most of my time in Kona has been spent riding along the lava fields and running up and down Alii Drive, I have lounged on many of the beautiful beaches, enjoyed the aquarium-like water (I even swam with dolphins near the pier this year), explored the Volcano and taken in the vast waterfalls and lush foliage. Each trip to the island enhances my appreciation for all that it has to offer and remains one my favorite places to visit. It is the diversity in terrain and landscape, the weather, and the escape from reality. But, alas, this relationship is very one-sided as the island does not love me back. It tortures me with an annual pilgrimage called the Ironman World Championships. Each year I prepare for this event wholeheartedly, my fitness increasing weekly, my times on the track improving, my bike rides getting faster, my hunger for the ultimate race unsated. For many years, the race eluded me due to injury and then last year, amazingly enough, I started the race healthy and fit. A blow to the head during the swim ended my race prematurely with a concussion. Wow, more bad luck on the Big Island. But, my love for this place and the desire to conquer my demons there conned me into racing another year.

A new training regimen brought me to the start line relaxed and ready to tackle the challenges of the day. I had everything dialed in, with a plan for the effort I would produce on the swim, how many watts to generate on the bike and the pace I would try to hold on the run. My nutritional plan successfully saw me through my training and was ingrained in my head for race day. So, you can only imagine my surprise when the place that I love foiled me yet again. A great swim put me on the bike course in second position. I monitored my wattage carefully so as not to let the excitement of the race make me go too hard. I was feeling quite strong when a pack of 8 or so women caught me. I locked onto the back of this group feeling like the pace was very comfortable. I knew I could maintain this effort for the remainder of the ride. Things started to crumble around mile 56 when a familiar dizziness took over. For the next 90 minutes I fought through this terrible light-headedness. At the 90 mile mark, I was able to increase my pace through the end of the ride. I was not where I wanted coming off the bike, but I felt a strong run would still put me in a good position. My legs felt good in the first mile, no effects from the ride. By mile 2, I was on my hands and knees retching and vomiting and feeling generally miserable. I truly believed my race was over and another DNF was impending. By then, I had water baby (i.e. extreme bloating) and stomach cramping. I slowed to a walk and continued for the next 24 miles inching my way forward walking and running. It came as a great relief to cross the finish line for the first time since 2000. While I still do not have a complete handle on what happened on race day, I believe that extreme thirst leading to the consumption of 50 oz. of liquid each hour may have been problematic. When the answers become clearer, I will post an update on my website.

It was an extremely disappointing day, yet again. I was buoyed along the course by the incredible support of not only my family and friends, but spectators and competitors as well. So many kind words were uttered by those around me that I knew that I had to get to the finish. The next morning, sitting on the lanai of the house we rented, overlooking the beautiful Kona coast, I knew that I would come back next year to make the Island love me back.

Thanks again to all of my sponsors. Without them the finish line would be much further.

Race hard, have fun.

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