A week has gone and what is left of Kona 2012 Ironman World championship?
And after trying for so many years to qualify and actually doing the race and finishing it, what is left? How does it feel?
There is of course a great feeling of having reach a long time set goal. Just the trip there was very exciting and arriving in the tiny Kona airport with no actual walls just an open air building on an airport track on the West coast of the big Island by black lava fields and a deep blue Pacific Ocean.
Kona is a charming little coastal town, with no high buildings but little shops and houses, restaurants on the water, bars overlooking the sea and the black lava rocks, turtles swimming by, just an amazing tranquil place.
On race day the little town is buzzing with so many people, so much noise, it is very exciting and worth finishing the race.
On race day before midnight everybody stays around and watches the last finishers, the atmosphere is crazy: one guy was loving it so much that he crossed the finishing line at least 5 times, the last finisher a 70 years old woman arrived 20 seconds before midnight, the cut off time...it was insane!!!
I know I wanted to finish no matter what to experience the finish on Alii' drive. Well maybe my overall time was not the best (actually the slowest of all my IM races!), my run, or walk, was disappointing for sure but I knew all along I wanted to finish for sure. And I did! ;-)It was so loud, so crazy that you felt like a real world Champion and I am sure everyone felt the same!
During the run/walk I was telling myself never ever again...but now I know I will try again sometimes, maybe in a new age group. There were 3 men over 80 who were on the podium this year, never as many before!
After watching so many race videos I felt I knew the race by heart but I was still not ready for the swell during the swim, the strong wind in front or side on the way out to Hawi, in front or side on the way back! How does it happen that the wind is always in front of you when you bike back on the same road, shouldn't you have had a break ???
The transition area was special on a parking lot surrounded by water, carpeted everywhere and lined up with so many great bikes, all of them seem great and their riders so fit.
The next day it was empty no bikes no signs nobody around!
The run of course was hard and I felt really tired this time and dizzy and sick to my stomach, so I walked and walked until I felt better. I had to finish and the views were quite amazing anyway, and I got to experience run/walk in complete darkness, very spooky and kind of fun as as a flash light they gave us a glow stick. Some people were ready with flash lights and friends and all, but I thought I would be faster right? who needs a flash light to do an ironman?
One view on the run, first part, quite nice really.
All in all beside the disappointment of a slow finish it was wonderful and worth it for sure. An Ironman is always an adventure in itself for all levels. From super fast Chris Thomas, to the guy crossing the finishing line 5 times it is an adventure in courage, strength, tenacity and pain and it must be why so many people want to try it and embrace it. It is also a luxury and we are blessed to be able to do it and to actually do it.
So worth it, I am planning a training camp there with rides, runs and swims but also visits to the City of Refuge, snorkeling at the Cook Monument, trips to the South Point with an ultimate jump and amazing fruits and vegetables with a taste that does not exist from products from stop and shop!
Keep posted stay with us and we will let you know when we are going back.
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