4 days out now from the big day. What they say is right. There is an energy here different than and other IM. It's an assembly of very best long course athletes in the world. The course is perfect, in that it's the opposite of what's become popular, flat, fast courses with wet suit legal swims. This is a deep water ocean swim, a exposed, hot, humid windy bike course with rolling hills in what you might call a tropical desert. Surrounded by lava rock with the ocean on one side and the looming Manu Kea on the other.
My list of pro and celebrity sightings so far includes meeting Pro Tyler Butterfield at the airport. On my first OWS I met Rachel Joyce by the showers. While having dinner Bon Babbitt was at the table behind us and Alex Zanardi rolled past on his hand cycle. Staying in the spare room at our condo this week is Ben Kanute, one of team USA's top Olympic hopefuls for Rio in 2016. He's here training for a race in Korea at the end of the month, meeting folks and learning what Kona is all about.
For me, it feels like a big training camp with a race at the end of the week. It's hard not to go ride the whole 112 mile course, go for a longer run up into the mountain, or swim for a hour in the ocean. But you have to stick relatively close to your plan.
How is the heat? Wind? It's humid, very humid. It's not really that "hot". This isn't Houston on an August afternoon. The sun isn't as bad as I expected. The heat isn't quite as bad as I expected and the winds are strong, but not that bad either. However, doing a IM in them is different, and I haven't been up to Hawi where its windier. For myself, I think I'm going to do very well in the heat. I'm looking forward to the challenge.
Just 3-1/2 days or training left on this 2+ year journey!
By the numbers:
Swim: 3h01m, 13,287y
Bike: 6h32m, 130mi
Run: 4h03m, 31.9mi
TOTAL: 13h48m
TSS: 873
Not sure if I"ll have a post pre-race or not.
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