En route to Kona

As I sat this afternoon on Delta flight #1299 LAX to Kona, I was surrounded by plenty of triathletes.  Some were very easy to spot...shirts emblazoned with Ironman race logos, shaved legs, lean bodies, compression socks worn with shorts, Gatorade in hand, their heads buried in Lava magazine, their bike helmets strapped to the outside of their carry-on luggage.  Others blended less-distinctly into the crowd, traveling alone or with a spouse and/or family, the reason for their trip only revealed in casual conversation.  And along with the tourists, honeymooners and locals all en-route to the Big Island, we passed the long five-hour flight snoozing, watching movies, fidgeting, reading, chatting, tapping on a laptop - but the mood was definitely upbeat and filled with perceived anticipation of the Big Island. 

A couple of the athletes two rows back were speaking German, and another guy is wearing a warmup that says Czech Republic on the back of it.  A couple from Canada who appeared to be about my age, quizzed me curiously about this bizarre Ironman phenomenon as we stood in line to board the plane on a connecting flight to LAX: “Do they let you eat anything while you are racing?”  “Do you take a bike with you, or do you rent one when you get there?” “How do you know where to stop and start swimming?” “Have you ever been out there in the dark - isn’t that scary?” The man actually said that he thought only crazy people did the Hawaii Ironman but that I didn’t seem crazy at all. (thank you)  As we parted they wished me luck, and I think they are still evaluating whether not triathletes are indeed crazy.

I had a sense of reality setting in, realizing that in just a couple of hours I would be setting foot on the Big Island to race in arguably the biggest event in triathlon - the Ironman World Championship.  Well-wishers back at home keep reminding me to savor and enjoy this special experience.  It is indeed. I pondered what I have learned on this journey since qualifying in late June, for this most special of all races.  

George, my coach, has advised me to adjust my expectations with regard to how I will stack up against the competition, and I definitely do have my realistic shades on, but it’s fun to peer thru those rose-colored glasses too.  After all, it’s safe to say that the best athletes in the world have emerged from the huge pack of real-people triathletes who have competed in Ironman qualifiers since Ironman Hawaii 2009.  I am one of them who made the cut, and I am very proud to have earned the privilege of being here.  Certainly, it’s a bit of a stretch to say I am one of the best athletes in the world -  but I have become comfortable saying that I am one of the athletes who was able to rise to the challenge and opportunity presented to me, which resulted in a Kona slot for me. :-)  On that day in Lubbock, I discovered that I had a capacity for focused tenacity and mental toughness, and that pushing through pain is possible for me.  I entertained the idea that maybe my performance limitations were self-imposed and that a new standard might be possible.  I started noticing the negative and self-defeating chatter in my head about myself as an athlete, at least 45 years worth of it!  I started asking myself, “wait a minute...is that really true?....am I sure about that?....how do I know?....what if it WASN’T true?....wouldn’t it be great if the opposite were true?.....is it within my control to change it?...if yes, get busy on doing what you need to do...and don’t quit on yourself”    Voila....new possibilities started to folded in my head and in my life.  Definitely still a work in progress, and personally relevant to so much more in life than just sports.

George has also told me to be open to and ready for what the race day might bring.  He and co-coach Jane have raced MANY Ironman World Championships in their esteemed triathlon careers, and have seen it all.  George said that this Kona race has so many unknowns, so many variables, so many combinations of scenarios of weather and wind - and that those were there to affect the performance and the experience of every single competitor out there.  That’s going to apply to Chrissie, the female professional triathlete who’s won the race the past 3 years - and to the last official finisher as the timing clock nears midnight.  Our emotional selves are going to drive our mental and physical selves through the challenges of the day - and hence we all deal with our private high and low points.   The most successful of us manage those well.  The message I took from George’s advice was to race smart, do not let the conditions make you doubt your ability persevere, don’t be surprised if the race unfolds in an unexpected way and of course, have some fun.   

My goals?  They are:

1. Finish
2. Enjoy this incredible experience 
3. Race with courage to the best of my ability given the conditions of the day
4. Achieve a time of ..... I’m not saying, but I DO have a number in my head. :-)

Kona Airport below!