Friday, prep work.

T1 Bag: Helmet, sunglasses, socks, bike shoes, GU, spare contacts, number belt with reflective tape

T2 Bag: Spare socks, shoes, visor (with reflective dots), wrist band, spare number, wrist band, Shot Bloks, GU, pills and case, photosensitive sunglasses.

Special Needs Nike: Water bottle with three scoops Perpetuum, tube, CO2 cart.

Special Needs Run: ?Roctane; pills.

Bike Check-in:

Before going, Pump tires, check cable lengths, ? change batteries for cadence and speed pick-ups/transmitters

Drop off around 2 PM

?Go to movie, The Informant!

6 PM: Watch sunset

6:30: Jamba Juice for Large SIze Chocolate Moo’d

Set out race kit and morning bag: Bike Computer, HR monitor, Race one-piece, swim speed suit, Keens, socks, shorts, shirt, cap, sunglasses. Check Sun tan lotion, pills, food for breakfast.

Prepare Endurox and Perpetuum bottles, Hammer gel bottle

Lay out morning bag,with bike pump, tubes, tire.

9:30: In bed, set alarm clock and watch for 4:00 AM

SATURDAY - RACE DAY

Pre-race:

4 AM: Make oatmeal, bacon, OJ, Eat.

Contacts

Sun tan lotion

HR monitor

Race suit

Chip on Road ID ankle bracelet

Shoes, socks

Yoghurt

Leave house 5-5:15, head to Ali’i, get on bus

5:30-45: Drop off special needs; Body marking, say good bye to Cheryl

Enter transition. Drink Endurox. Stretch

Bike: place computer on bike. Calibrate computer. Set gears for first little climb up Palani. Pump tires to 100-110. Place Hammer gel and pills into bento box. Bottles onto bike. Wrist band onto aerobar. Are shoes allowed on bike? Probably not.

T2 Bag - place glasses case in bag.

Put on speed suit, at least half way, finish any sun screen application. Finish endurox and take two Race Caps. Drop off morning clothes bag.

Check watch, time, timer, chrono.

Get into water around 6:40, do some warm ups around 6:50, then tread water for 5-10 minutes before start.

THE RACE

If there is a count down, start watch at 10 seconds to go. Otherwise, start at gun.

Follow the crowd to the catamaran. Think long, think rolling side to side, think shallow quicker breaths. Try to find a group or at least some feet to swim with. On the way back, try to ignore the slow stretch past the Royal Kona, and keep calm during the last half mile.

Hit the watch lap button. Exit up the steps. WALK first. Get some fresh water on face, hands. Shuffle to T1 bags. Get out of speed suit, put on helmet, socks, eat GU; sun glasses in teeth. ? toilet. Probably not. Carry shoes, run to bike, which will be all the way in the front. Put on shoes at bike, spin the pedals, and run to mount line. GET ON BIKE! Hit lap button.

Up hill with big kick last five strokes, then right on Kuikini. START TIMER ON WATCH!!! Wrist band to Right wrist. Ten minutes up, less down. On to Makala, back uphill in big ring all the way, left on the Queen K. Remain in control JUST RIDING ALONG until well past the airport, possibly to Veteran’s Cemetery. Drink about 4-6 sips every 10 minutes. 1 oz. gel every hour, 3 -4 sips Perpetuum every third timer.

Steady downhill from Donkey Crossings through Scenic Point, on bull horns if needed for side winds.

After about 60-90 minutes, should be at MP 80 or beyond, Waikoloa flats, and will be seeing how the wind will be going. Keep effort level/power steady from here on. Ease off gearing at the bottom of each climb, or a touch sooner. May stand near the top of a , but slow the cadence, and only for thirty strokes.

Up the hill to Mauna Kea, then down into more side winds to left turn at Kawaihae. COAST from there as needed to Hawi turn, making sure to down shift before the turn for the short steep kick first 200 meters.

Steady power thru Kawaihae early hills, which are steeper. Then 8-10 miles of rollers (MP 6-15). WInds need monitoring here, sun will be mean and getting meaner. Hit the Hawi grade at MP 15, “Hawi 7” sign.

Steady power up the hill, road gradually goes to right, and wind will thus shift during climb. MP 19+ enter false flat area, shade. Keep calm and steady last five minutes into town.

If aid station is before Special Needs, make sure to get a full bottle of water on board (n front), as well as gatorade; throw off first perpetuum bottle. At special needs, take new bottle, fill with H20, put in front. Remind yourself which way the winds will be on the way down, and prepare accordingly. Headwind is best, can stay aero the whole way. Anything else, be prepared to lose some time to young bombers as you brake and use bull horns as needed.

There are four roller back into Kawaehai; the first is the longest and highest. The stretch is 7 miles. Then two miles of mostly down, and two miles up out of Kawaehai. Downhill at Mauna Kea, and enter the wind zone.

20 Miles through here, top of Mauna Kea to top of Veteran’s cemetery. Do what ever it takes to keep going, and hold your power!!!!

Then ten miles to Palani, and down to home. Enjoy the men’s pro race beside you from Energy lab to Palani. Hope that you see the first few runners, around miles 22-3.

T2

Hit lap button. Shoes and helmet on bike, trot around to bags. Remove HR strap if you want. In tent, eat gel. Take shot bloks, and pop one in mouth. Pills in back pocket. New wrist band. Visor on, shoes on. New socks, switch to glasses optional. Switch sunglasses if I went with the darker ones for the ride. Back out, GET SOME FLUIDS!!! Gatorade and water here. Hit lap button as exiting.

SLOW RUN up Palani to Kuikini. Hopefully I’m ahead of the pros on this stretch, but ask the spectators if they’ve come by yet. Down Hualalai, keep speed in check. Left on Ali’i, Say hi to Lava Java, find Cheryl some time in the next mile. Seeks shade and KEEP SPEED IN CHECK through the run up and down Ali’i. EASE up the hills, pick up a bit down hill.

At each aid station, run to the the cola or gatorade. WALK while drinking, take 6-12 sips total. Consider sponges under shoulder straps, ice in back pocket (shift pills to side pocket!)

At about 9 miles, run up Hualalai to Kuikini, along Kuikini to ... Palani. MUST DECIDE IF I’M WALKING OR RUNNING UP THE HILL!!! Will make that a real-time decision, depending on how much mental refreshment I need. Doubt that time gained running will exceed that I might lost from tiring out. In any event, turn left at Queen K, and START or KEEP RUNNING.

The stretch from mile 10-16 is the key to the race, in my opinion. It is here where the crowd disappears, the heat cranks up, the winds ease off, and the mind gets desolate. This is when the will to continue must take precedence over the agonizing desire to just slow down or even walk. Shuffle if I have to, but run I must. If I have kept things in check along Ali’i, I will still be strong here, and can start to make an effort, but not too much.

Hit the Energy lab about mile 16. IT IS ONLY 2.85 MILES DOWN AND UP! The run down can be a pick up, especially if it’s into the wind. the run back up will be the start of the final push to home.

Back out onto the Queen K, for another bout of boredom. But this time, it’ll be even more lonely, and possibly dark! There will be lights at the Harbor Intersection and again at mile 98. But the lights of town don’t start until MP 99, or about mile 24. The last hill up to Palani requires a firm commitment, then it’s down again with gusto to Kuikini. Another character building stretch along here to the final downhill on Hualalai. Take a bit of speed here, and then use the crowd on Ali’i the rest of the way home.

Zip up for the photo, pick a pose, and let the emotion rush back in (if it hasn’t already.)