Aloha from the Big Island!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Like clockwork I awoke at 2:00a.m. With a 6-hour time lag behind the eastern time zone, I opened my eyes without the aid of an alarm clock, and I remembered where I was...Hawaii. Yes,

cue the classic Hawaiian scene- crystal clear Pacific waves crashing against jet black lava rocks, palm trees rustling in the light ocean breeze, the chill tune of a Jack Johnson song in the background...just like the movies, only better. Better because of the reason I am here. I am blessed enough to get to witness what is known as the world's toughest endurance event. A test of the human body, mind and spirit.  A race against a 17-hr clock, a battle against the doubts

 and fears conjured by oneself.

"Swim 2.4 miles. Bike 112 miles. Run 26.2 miles. Brag for the rest of your life."

- Commander John Collins.

This is the Ironman!

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I woke again at 3am. Then 4am. Then 5am. By 6am I was up and dressed ready for an early morning run. As I left the lovely (maybe back in the 80's) King Kamehameha Beach Hotel, a.k.a. the King Kam, the sun was rising above the water line in the distance casting light orange rays upon the steeple of the frequently-photographed St. Peter's Church. Behind the church stood a fog-enveloped, or "vog-enveloped" rather (volcano + fog), mountain scattered with houses.

And so my early morning run down Ali'i Drive began...Ali'i, the same road that father-son team Hoyt has traveled, father pushing handicapped son for all 140.6 miles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GziL6UiGvY&feature=related; the same road that courageous Julie Moss, on hands and knees, crawled to her inspirational finish broadcast on ABC's Wide World of Sports http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRB1p89k7_I; the same road that double amputee Scott Rigsby ran on to his superhero-esque bicep-flexing finish in 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqg-2bHjjN4; the same road where every October http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EokseUskyDI a few brave souls conquer 140.6 miles of brutal winds and torturous heat to hear amidst the roaring crowd those four magical words that make the journey worthwhile, "YOU-ARE-AN-IRONMAN!!!"

Yes, I was running on THAT Ali'i.

On my run I passed rows of small shops, restaurants and hotels all highlighted by dozens of species of lush, tropical flowers and plants.  I passed opening where the ocean spray shot high into the air like lava erupting from the nearby volcanoes.  It was pretty much heaven on earth.

At the close of my hour-long run I stopped by the seawall near the hotel at the official start of the Ironman swim course and finish of the run course.

The sun had fully risen by this time so there were plenty of athletes out for a morning swim.  The average body fat percentage of those entering the water was probably around 7%.  I'm not exaggerating!  Everyone there earned their slot to Kona, so it was no surprise at how toned and fit they all were.  That's kind of what happens when you train hours upon hours and miles upon miles each week.  Strong, lean arms and back from thousands of yards of swimming, six-pack (sometimes eight pack) abs from yoga and a strict diet, sinewy quads (no chicken legs here) from hundreds of miles of cycling, and sculpted calves from countless runs...truly Ironmen and women!

Well, after getting ready for work and eating a hearty breakfast I headed to the VIP hospitality suite, my new home for the next 2 weeks.  The day was spent organizing stacks and stacks of boxes that contained the contents of the swag bags we are going to assemble for 900 VIPs.

We also did some decorating of the space with furniture and plants.  By the end of the day the room was looking more like a VIP suite than an out-dated hotel conference room.

After a full day's work our crew headed to Huggo's on the Rocks for dinner.  It was outside with tents as the ceiling and sand as the floor.  We enjoyed our food and enjoyed the entertainment even more.  Three local girls sporting hideously cheesy 80's-style tops and leggings took to the stage with their rendition of old songs.  We watched from our table as the tunes slowly took hold of several diners, giving them the urge to get up and dance (move awkwardly or drunkenly to the music rather).  Regardless of how bad it looked, they sure were having fun.  By the time I got back to my hotel I was toast.  Day 1 on the Big Island was complete, and what a great one it was!