Another Great Swim, Along with Before-Ironman Thoughts…

The ocean has been GREAT to swim in lately! Today the waves were up, especially at the swimming entry point at the pier. It was churning away, and we had to time our entry just right. We considered jumping off the wall like the locals…but too scary for us 50 and close-to-50-year olds!

We heard reports from exiting swimmers that there were dolphins around the 1.2 buoy, so we set off to find them. Sure enough, dolphins! Unfortunately the water was a little murky, but I still got some good pictures.

One of my swimming buddies said she hoped I see dolphins during the Ironman race swim…I responded I would love to, but often don’t notice much sea life while in a race. I am usually concentrating on the people all around me, trying to find a good draft, making sure I’m staying on course, and thinking about using a good, strong stroke, so there’s not much time to “snorkel.”

While swimming this morning, I was thinking about the race-day swim…where I plan to start (far-ish left – toward shore), how I’ll build to race pace, and then try to hold onto a draft just a little faster than my comfort zone. I was also thinking about what a shame it is that the 2.4mile swim will be only about 1/14th of my entire race on October 9!

Most of my Ironman training has been cycling, which will make up about 1/2 of my race-day time, then running, then swimming. Hopefully, all of my pre-race cycling will pay off in a faster time than my previous 2 Ironmans in Wisconsin…2003 my bike time was 7:32 (average pace of 14.8mph) and in 2004 my time was 8:21 (average 13.4mph). Wow…it hurts to even type those times…ouch! Slow! Hitting my goal of 15mph this year would make me very happy!

Yes, my very speedy niece and nephews, and daughter are cringing/laughing at my (super-slow-to-them) 15mph goal, but riding faster than 6 years ago, in the famous Big Island winds, will make me smile! And I did just read in a triathlon publication that there’s no such thing as having a great bike and a bad run in a race. The reasoning is that if you leave it all on the bike course by expending too much energy, and have nothing left for the marathon, you were not riding wisely. I’ll be thinking of that as everybody passes me…I’ll just pass them back in the run!! Haha!

In 2003 I was #654 out of the water, #1469 overall in the bike, and #1320 overall on the run, with an overall finish place of 1344 out of 1806 finishers. In 2004 I was #764 out of the water, #2066 overall in the bike, and #1883 overall on the run, with an overall finish place of 1946 out of 2188 finishers. If you do the math, you can see I was passed by m-a-n-y on the bike…but I did pass a few back on the run.

Anyway, all that to say I’m really looking forward to race day, knowing I’ll be out there with age group champions and professionals, trying my hardest and having my best race ever!

What’s New? What’s Old?

Well…not too much is new right now, unless you consider lots less training “new,” which does actually feel very weird! There’s more intensity in the rides and runs, but the long weekend workouts have really eased up.

I did start a new cleaning job today…I really do like cleaning for a job! There’s just something about starting with something one way, and making it cleaner by the end of the work hours – very satisfying! And it’s active, which I enjoy, too!

Everyone has been so kind, inquiring how I’m doing and how my training is going. I fully realize and appreciate the honor and privilege it is for me to be competing in the Ironman World Championship, and I want to share it with as many people as are interested!

I am also very excited to be “Racing Ironman With a Purpose,” helping to bring awareness and donations to friend Annamari’s Deep & Beyond programs, which directly affect residents of Kona by providing outdoor activities…concentrating on teaching, appreciating and feeling the freedom the outdoors can offer those with disabilities. So far, so many have been so generous, which is a very big blessing for Annamari, and me! Thank you!!

In old news, one Saturday a few weeks ago, Cliff and I combined a 6-hour ride with a mid-ride break at Kealakehe High School to watch niece Allison (designer of my blog!) and nephew Cappy compete in a cross-country meet. We’d never been to one before, and it was fun! It was basically lots of kids, running their hearts out, and looking like they were enjoying themselves! In the pictures you can see Allison and Cappy (both in blue) running in to the finish – both of them really turned it on at the end!

We continued on our bike ride after the meet, and I have the proof to show we did, actually, go 6 hours. At the very end, I was riding around our (hilly) parking lot until it turned to 6:00! That’s why the speed is showing 2.5 mph! (Note the "cheat labels" Cliff has added to my bike computer...I have them for shifting, too :).

Finally, in more old news, we ran with friends and family on the Hao Street trail earlier this month. It is the best…higher altitude so it’s cooler, and it’s like running in a rain forest, with beautiful flowers (see photo) and vegetation. All the way to the end (with a few twists and turns) is 2.5 miles, and takes you to the edge of Makalei Golf Course…on a good day you’ll see peacocks, sheep, chickens, and cows! As much as I love trail running and the Hao Street trail, I won’t be doing it again until after Ironman. Every time I run it I trip, and a few times I’ve fallen. The terrain is packed dirt (or mud), roots, and lava rock – you really have to pay attention! For those who are really ambitious, it makes a great mountain biking trail, too!

Can’t wait to see what’s new tomorrow!!

Gotta Love the Pacific Ocean!

Yea! We did see a shark on our 2.4-mile Ironman swim this morning! On our way back from the 2.4 buoy, we saw a white-tip reef shark just beyond the 1.2 buoy. It’s hard to judge the size, but we figure it was about 5-6 feet long…just hanging on the bottom.

Along with the shark, sister Robin almost ran into a turtle, and, the waves were really crashing! We had quite a ride!

The pier is definitely getting busier and busier with triathletes in town for the Ironman World Championship. It’s fun to see everyone enjoying the water and sea life, and we appreciate our local kayak volunteers who are now out patrolling the course!

Sunday…a Day of Rest…

Actually, Sunday as a day of rest will have to wait for one more Sunday. Ironman training has been very heavy on the weekends – today, Cliff did the Team Mango Pre-Ironman Triathlon Challenge as a relay – a friend swam 1.2 miles, then Cliff rode 15 hilly miles, and ran 6 hilly miles. Mango races are always lots of fun…they usually start at the pier, are varying distances, and are free!

While Cliff was bike/running, I was on a great run with a friend – we did about half of the Ironman course. The time went by so fast as we talked and talked; she has Ironman experience and lots of run/coaching tips which she was so happy to share…and I was so happy to receive!

Most Sundays we’ve been able to get the workouts done in time to make it to the 11:00am church service. Toward the end of the workout, along with thinking of what would be really good to eat (a hamburger, or a salad with grilled chicken and lots of replacement salt (!)…yummmm) the real “reward” is to go to SRM Church and let the great music encourage and calm me. Then comes the message, which is always delivered by Pastor Tex knowledgeably and humorously – he has a way of getting across spiritual truths while making it very interesting.

Today the message was on “That’s My God” and specifically on a few of the names of God; one being “El Shaddai,” which means God Almighty. We were encouraged to never doubt what God can do in any circumstance.

When I’m on long training rides or runs, I love to sing in my head…usually short verses, like the Planetshakers song, The Anthem. If you’re familiar with the song, you know it has one of those never-ending tunes…this one can keep me occupied for a long time! Hallelujah, You have won the victory. Hallelujah, You have won it all for me. Death could not hold you down, You are the risen King. Seated in majesty, You are the risen King…and repeat!

Tomorrow is the Ironman swim with my sister and a friend – hopefully the water will not be as wavy as the picture, and we will swim with dolphins! And sharks! And beautiful fish!

Only 2 weeks…

…14 days to go! Fourteen days until the big Ironman World Championship! Now that it’s almost here, it’s time to start figuring out a schedule for the week before, getting gear ready for the transition and special needs bags, and prepare for houseguests – daughter Kailin and two friends will be staying with us, while my sister hosts my parents.

In 2001 I participated in my first triathlon…but is it considered my first triathlon? We were living in Sheboygan, WI at the time, and I had started training with the Masters Swimming group at our YMCA. Some of the guys were doing tri’s, and encouraged me to give it a try. The Elkhart Lake Triathlon, held in a nearby town, consisted of a 1k swim, 30k bike, and 8k run. I did it…but did I really do my first triathlon? That was debated for a some time after the event, since the weather was so bad (early June in Wisconsin – you just never know what the weather will be like!) that the bike portion was cancelled due to rain, wind and cold! We did the swim, and then the run, and then we were done!

Well, I continued swimming, continued getting lots of encouragement from the swimmers, family and friends, and just couldn’t resist signing up for Ironman Wisconsin 2003, in my hometown of Madison. I did it the year I turned 45…the birthday I was calling my “Halfway to Heaven” birthday. I felt an important birthday needed a special remembrance, so Ironman it was! My brother also competed that year, so it was great to have him on the course, and see my parents, and others along the way!

Actually finishing the Ironman was so exhilarating, that I just had to do it again! So I signed up for Ironman WI 2004, and promptly trained less and worked more – not the best training plan for racing 140.6 miles! For the Ironman World Championship in 2010, I’ve been training more, had LOTS of encouragement from so many, and am also racing for the purpose of drawing attention to the Deep & Beyond program that my friend, Annamari, began here in Kona. Various outdoor activities are offered at minimal or no cost, most specifically involving our beautiful Pacific Ocean, with a special emphasis on those with disabilities. If you would like more information, please let me know!

Following are some stats from my two completed Ironman’s, and my plan for this one:

2003 Ironman WI swim – 1:09 bike – 7:32 run – 6:25 final time – 15:37
2004 Ironman WI swim – 1:11 bike – 8:21 run – 6:42 final time – 16:43
2010 Goals swim – 1:10 bike – 7:30 run – 5:30 final time – 14:59

On a different note…I sure like my job as Assistant Site Manager at Kona Sea Villas! It is so varied, and you never know what the day will bring. Yesterday I attended our quarterly Site Manager meeting, which brings together Site Managers from Kona and the surrounding area. This meeting was all about vermin and bugs! We had a plastic bug on our chair, heard from different service providers who treat termites, bed bugs, little fire ants and coqui frogs, and had pudding with gummy bugs and worms inside! And I, who very, very rarely wins anything, had my number drawn for a free…tube of ant-killer-gel!! Yes, there are a lot of insects, ants, and “pests” in Hawaii, but I still say most are way less annoying than what we dealt with in Wisconsin…namely mosquitoes! P.S. Cliff captured and released (outside) two gecko’s tonight!

More Old news…

It’s so fun to race (and train) in Hawaii!! The weather is so steady…HOT…but it sure makes it easy to pack for a race! In Wisconsin you had to consider all types of weather and be prepared for anything, but here, you’re good-to-go with one tri outfit, goggles, bike and run shoes...and sunscreen. Oh, and lots and lots of liquid, salt and electrolytes.

August 29 was the 2nd Annual Lavaman Keauhou Triathlon, and once again, it was a great race! The 1.5K swim was in Keauhou Bay, which was a nice change from our usual pier swim route, and the 40K bike started out with a nice (!), steep uphill climb to the top of “Kam III.” Then it was down, down, down, on the highway, all the way to the Natural Energy Lab, and back to Keauhou on Alii Drive. The 10K run was beautiful, including lava rock, grass and golf-cart-path running surfaces. While running on the Big Island Country Club Golf Course, you are literally right next to the ocean…during the race I made sure to look around and appreciate all the beauty!

I was very happy with my time, considering I had done a half-marathon race the weekend before, and was coming off some heavy Ironman training. I ended up beating my time from last year by 18 minutes…16 of that coming from an improved run. Well, more accurately put, the difference between actually running the run vs. walking the run! Niece Allison had a great race…she’s getting faster and faster!! The picture is of Allison and I with our age-group-winner awards and gifts.

The same day as Lavaman, our friend Monica was racing her first-ever Ironman, in Canada. We were tracking her progress, and she ended up having an amazingly fun and fast race even with the challenging weather conditions and tough course. Before Monica left for Canada, we wanted to encourage her by “writing” her name in coral on the lava…and Monica did totally rock that Ironman!

We try to remember to take the time to look around us, and enjoy and appreciate all the beauty here. I was up early enough one morning to get these awesome pictures of the sun coming up over Hualalai Mountain, and then see the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the words of this great song:

Indescribable by Chris Tomlin
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea; Creation's revealing Your majesty.
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring; Every creature unique in the song that it sings…
All exclaiming; Indescribable, uncontainable; You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name; You are amazing, God; You are amazing, God.

All powerful, untameable; Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim.
You are amazing, God; You are amazing, God.

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go; Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow.
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light; Yet, conceals it to bring us the coolness of night.
None can fathom; Indescribable, uncontainable; You placed the stars in the sky, And You know them by name. You are amazing, God; You are amazing, God.

Incomparable, unchangeable; You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same.
You are amazing, God; You are amazing, God.

Still Catching Up…

Since I have been very busy training for the Ironman race on October 9, I have neglected updating my blog. So for the next few posts, you’ll get a glimpse of some of the “old news” and some of the “new news.”

Old News…The weekend after the big surprise 30th anniversary party, we celebrated again; this time half-way around the island. Cliff and I drove 90 miles to participate in the inaugural Rain Forest Run through the village of Volcano.

We were fortunate the morning of the half-marathon race on August 21 - it was so much cooler than the 80+ degree Kona weather we’re used to running in, and the course was lush, green, had wide-open roads, and some trail running thrown in. Except for the fact that I thought the race ended at mile 12 (heard people cheering, saw a tent, etc. – it was an aid station!), I was happy to finish under a 10-minute mile pace. Cliff did super-great – 55 minutes faster than his previous half-marathon!

That evening, we had a really nice dinner with friends at the Kilauea Lodge, to celebrate our race, and Cliff’s 53rd birthday. We all got a good laugh as the wait staff carried over a dessert with a lit candle on it, set it down and sang a rousing “Happy Birthday”…to one of our friends! He was pretty surprised and so was Cliff! Cliff said “no thanks” to another round of singing, but did enjoy the dessert!

The next day was spent relaxing in the outdoor hot tub, and enjoying a leisurely drive home, around the other side of the island. We stopped at Black Sand Beach, and South Point – always fun, especially when locals and visitors are jumping off the high cliff into the water below. Note the picture of son-in-law Jason taking the plunge!

More Old News…I’ve been riding a new bike! Yes, my bike-builder, bike-mechanic husband bought parts and put together a new tri-bike for me! It has been an easy transition from my road bike to the tri-bike…and it’s pretty!

New News…Yes, there are sharks in the Pacific Ocean! And on occasion, we have the joy (!) of seeing them as we swim from the pier (the official Ironman swim start) on our twice-weekly 1.2-mile swims. Monday, at the third buoy, we encountered a very mellow, approx. 5-foot long white-tip shark, just leisurely swimming along the bottom. Unfortunately, my picture’s not too clear, but you get the idea!

Part Two…Surprise! Times 30!

Sunday, August 15, after a hard two-hour bike ride and an inspiring Solid Rock Ministries Church message about being “generous” I was anything but. I was hungry, thirsty, crabby, tired from lots of training, and not at all sure why Cliff had arranged that we’d meet our friends at the beach. I just wanted to have lunch and take a nap!

We pulled up to the Old Airport Beach, and I was still whining about being hungry and thirsty, but I put on my “I’m happy” face as we greeted Kelsie and headed to the beach (without chairs, towels, etc...now that I think about it!). As we neared the pavilion, people jumped out and yelled "Surprise!!" and I sure was!! I can’t even remember who all was there for the initial surprise, since I was in shock! And as the day went on, so many friends came and went…and I appreciated every one!

On the wall were posters of pictures from before 1980, of Cliff and I, our families, our three daughters, our travels, and, yes, even our wedding! Because the reason for this great "Surprise! Times 30!" was our 30th wedding anniversary! Apparently, Cliff, daughters Robin, Kailin and Michelle, Kelsie and my dear sister Robin had been planning and organizing…and I thought I was a pretty aware person!

There was great food, great conversations, and laughs over the old pictures! I thank everyone who came, and everyone who sent their well-wishes and continue to do so! And like when I turned 50, I plan to be "celebrating" our 30th anniversary for the whole next year, at least. Maybe even when we’ve actually been married for 31 years, I’ll still be saying "30" just like I still say I’m 50 years old, even though I’m just a little over that! I like nice, round, fun numbers!

Anyway, a huge MAHALO to all who participated in any way, and to my super-great husband Cliff, who is so thoughtful, and knows what I need and what I want…even when I don’t know myself! He’s been THE BEST HUSBAND – a true GIFT to me for more than 30 years and THE BEST FATHER, too. Every woman should be blessed with a man who truly puts her above himself, is generous, kind, faithful, caring, and can even pull off a surprise anniversary party 30 years after the wedding!

Stay tuned…I am only 17 days out from the Ironman World Championship! It’s hard to believe race day is almost here…I’m looking forward to a GREAT day, not only as I swim, bike and run, but as I take part in the activities leading up to the race, entertain family and friends that are coming to town, and put the finishing touches on my training.

In the midst of all the "big" training days, preparing for guests, etc, little things can mean a lot. I was soooo happy when I found out my race number…#567! Easy to remember, rolls off the tongue, brings a smile to my face!

Trust you are finding something each day that brings a smile to your face! Check back daily…I’ll be adding something every day until Ironman, as well as a full race report after!