Epic camp lite Kona 2014 chronicles:- Honu 70.3 race report/day7

So...where did we leave off? Oh, yes. Up at 4.15am after a fitful sleep; coffee machine on was no.1 priority, followed by dressing and multiple sunscreen, vaseline applications. Ate my Em's bar, a couple of spoonfuls of nutella/almond butter mix, two cups of coffee and then it was time to meet the others at 5am for departure+ drop off to T1 at Hapuna Beach.

Pffft- just a half-ironman today. Piss easy.

Once dropped off( after an impressive twenty point turn by Mark when we headed down the wrong road) everyone scattered to attend to the typical pre race routine of tire checking, portaloo visits etc etc then we headed down to the beach. Aaaaaaaaand relax....... the ocean Gods were on my side today; a little chop and current as is normal in Hawaii but otherwise perfect swim conditions. We saw the pros go off, followed the sea of blue caps ( relief that there was a 7 min gap between women and men , optimistic that I would avoid the bashing I received at IMNZ) then we entered the water and swum to the start line. I stayed close to the back, preferring to avoid the melee , checked my sighting targets and then BANG! We were off.  Karlyn had given me some sage advice prior to the start - swim ugly in the open water, if you can't talk to the fishes then you aren't relaxed enough and breathing properly and enjoy- its Hawaii after all!

Swim- 39.
And guess what? I loved every minute of that frikkin' swim. Sighting went well, I relaxed and focussed on my technique and keeping my stroke rate high, had minimal bodily contact apart from with some very slow age group men ( what it is it with you f******g misogynists in blue swim caps) who were breast stroking around the turn buoys. The hardest part was coming into shore directly into the sun and I was blinded to the extent I couldn't even see the massive Red Bull gantry. I put my faith in the other pink caps and duly followed them. Super stoked ( and surprised to see 39.xx on the clock!- I honestly thought I was in for a 45 minute swim. )

My puku looks a bit more insignificant now.....

Am in there...somewhere

Bike- 3h.09-

NO Power or cadence files for this as it was still dead from the high pressure showers received in Hilo. I can't remember much about the bike; we climbed up from transition and headed right towards the entrance to the Mauna Lani then turned around a cone and it was back along the Queen K to Hawi.  I passed a few people and was passed by a few people , saw a few poor souls with punctures by the roadside and I had some empathy for them mixed in with a little smugness; I think I had paid my dues to the puncture Gods during the week! It was quite hot and some wind, nothing too severe. As I anticipated, it felt hot  climbing back out of Hawi and there was some side wind there on race day - nothing worse than we get in Christchurch through the summer though so it didn't bother me but i did spot a few nervous looking cyclists so I gave them a wide berth. Triathletes'  bike handling skills are generally on the poor side and make me uneasy at times....
I ate Clif Bloks, poured water on myself periodically and pedalled along at a ( skewed) half Ironman effort. At around the 60km mark I had the most incredible urge to put my head down and curl up on the side of the road and go to sleep. Unsure if that was calorie related, heat related or the 30 hours training in the preceding 6 days??!!
Anyway, rather than go to sleep I kept pedalling doing a bit of to + fro with some guy with phosphorescent legs - I had to pass in the end for fear of inducing a seizure. Poor lad obviously lived in a very cold climate. Once I saw the welcome sight of the Mauna Lani, I followed a narrow line of cones to transition then ran to try find my bag; I think they were arranged in numerical order but I remember feeling a tad confused.

No bike photies I am afraid.......

Run  1h 59:03

Flexing my deltoids for the camera :-)

John had warned us that this was a "slow" run - not just because of the preceding 30 hours of training acquired in the week - but due to the twists and turns, grass sections and minor ups and downs following golf cart paths. My only goal for the run was to ensure my time was under 2 hours as i have never run 2hrs or more in a half IM and I didn't wish to start. It certainly felt very hot out there as there wasn't much shade and altho I was trucking along comfortably ( albeit at more tortoise than hare pace)  I was consciously aware of the heat, despite 9 days of acclimating. Best cooling was ice down the front and rear of my shorts and dabbing my face with wet sponges. However, towards the end my trainers were soaking wet from melted ice + fluids and I made a mental note to be VERY careful if I am ever doing a hot Ironman to ensure i don't end up drenching my feet as that could make for a slow marathon and fast blisters :)

This is not what people supple in the hip flexor dept look like running

Then it was all over... made it in just under the 2 hr mark and a 5h56 half. Not too bad given the week previous and kept my intact streak of half Ironmans with a 5 xxx and runs with a 1 xxxx up so I was satisfied. Couldn't find anyone else once I was finished so I cashed in my token and had a tasty burger, an orange and a bottle of water; desperate to find some shade.

Post-race dissection.

Later on........

I headed back to the Mauna Lani with fellow camper, David and we duly packed up our bikes ... something I like done asap, especially with a morning departure combined with potential hangover, given the cocktail menu here. We did all head back to prize giving then returned on the shuttle for a shower, shave and shampoo and glad rags on to celebrate the end of a massive week.

Wearing our leis with pride.

We managed a pre dinner cocktail then a tasty dinner with more cocktails on tap. Scott ordered Zarnia and I some orange concoction - that signalled the beginning of the end of respectable triathlete type behaviour and the slippery slope downwards to drunken shenanigans.

'Nuff said

We ended up at the bar in the Fairmont for a while once the canoe bar closed then we returned to the Mauna Lani where certain members of the party stripped off to their underwear and gave us a demo of their best freestyle stroke. But thats classified information; as the rule states that what goes on tour, stays on tour. I can confirm that I was not one of said swimmers.

Mixing it up with Mark the mega talented  masseuse/mechanic

Next day began with a feast at the breakfast buffet to savour the last of what the Mauna Lani had to offer us as well as nurse the hangovers  and replenish all those lost calories....!!!!  Dave dropped us at the airport in Kona and after a nervous wait for my bike in Honolulu, I arrived at my hotel around 3.30pm and duly dumped my bags and marched along to Ala Moana shopping centre to complete the shopping list. Mission accomplished!!
Sarah and Nadia were in the same hotel so we all headed across the road to the Hilton Hawaiian village to find an eatery and have our last supper ( as it were).

My flight was early next morning and I arrived in Auckland around 10 pm which meant another night in a hotel by the airport then back to the less balmy climes of Christchurch the next morning.

Aloha Hawaii, I love you like a long term love affair and I will definitely be back XXX