…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!
No comments:
Post a Comment