Just Finished

Just Finished.

Awesome photos and stories coming tomorrow.

Click here.

Photo Courtesy Jessiqa Pace
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Part V - 90 Tips & Secrets for Your Best Ironman Experience

Here are Tips 41-51. For 1-40, just scroll down. The Ironman is the day after tomorrow.

41. Locate a private or secret bathroom option for race morning. There are several. If you can’t find one, make friends with someone staying at the King Kam, and then ask them if you can share their pre-race facilities in their room on race morning.

42. DO NOT use the air conditioning when you are here EVER. Not in the car, and not in your hotel or condo. You want to be “conditioned” to the heat. Although, I must say, this year, it seems much cooler in Kona. But the weather can change in a matter of days or hours here and rain in the evening + sun on hot lava = sauna.

43. Hit the Expo hard – people have come from all over the world to present their products to help you as a triathlete. Spend time in each booth not just for the free stuff, but take the time to find out about the latest and greatest in the nutrition, product and psychology of our sport. NOTE: Find Chris and Cambria from Cassidy’s Massage – they are two of the best massage professionals around and are set up at the expo. Arrange a post-race massage appointment with them.

44. If you feel like you are catching a cold, then make sure to swim casually today and tomorrow, take some Vitamin C, and mentally focus on beating the cold. Drink hot water with lemon.

45. Traffic in and out of Kona is brutal. If you are staying far from town, then leave early to get back in on race morning or for the carbo dinner and awards. Find a friend with a shower and bring clothes you can change into after the race, so you don’t have to leave town after the race if you want to stay and watch the finish. Remember the Queen K closes on race day.

46. Find and shake hands with John Duke. Rumor or legend state that if you shake hands with John Duke from Triathlete in the days before the race you will set a new PR. ; )

47. Go low fiber the day before the race. Don’t be afraid to stop at a porta-potty on the race course – that’s what they are there for.

48. Think BIG picture. Grab a pen or a keyboard and answer the following.
a. Ironman is important to me because? Share this with your "life support" crew.
b. The people who have helped me get here are? Send them a thank you.
c. Saturday I will finish in the following time range: ____ to ____.

49. When you start the swim, just before the cannon fires – lift your legs so you are horizontal when the cannon blows – this will launch you faster into the “battle-bay.”

50. Be ready to get pelted. This swim is brutal, and it’s not the waves – it’s the people. Remember you’re within inches of close to 2000 people who have waited and prepared for an entire year for this moment, and many of them are way too uptight about their finish time. Just plan on getting kicked in the face, having your goggles super-sucked on with an elbow, and someone bumping you off of the perfect heels. Do not hit people back.

51. Get your stuff done race morning and get in the water early - take the time in the ocean to relax and get ready.

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Part IV - 90 Tips and Secrets for Your Best Ironman Experience

31. Head out to the lava fields and build a rock pyramid. Paula Newby Fraser-and the outstanding coaching team at Multisports.com have taught me many things – and this is one of them. (I was a repeat Multisport camper for many years). Build a pyramid out of rocks on the lava fields. It will give you energy and peace during the race. In some way, you will then have a part of you that is a part of the island, and you also will have something to look for on the race course. The squish, squish of your running shoes and long white and yellow lines on black pavement do funny things to your mind. Stack some lava.

32. If you're really worried out about losing your goggles, just put an extra pair in the back of your bathing suit trunks. This is the only place you can safely carry something extra.

33. Go to the Carbo Load and the awards EARLY. The place is massive, but the good seats get reserved early. When you’re there, meet everyone at your table.

34. Go to the mandatory meeting to learn about the course changes, and the specifics for this year’s race.

35. Learn about the signs of dehydration. Chills, etc. If you cannot ingest any more liquid during your race, or you start to throw up on the run, then your carbo intake may be too much. Drink water or coke only if this happens for a while. Drink before you’re thirsty, but don’t bloat yourself with too much.

36. Don’t cut your toenails the night before the race. Do shave your legs the night before.

37. Get to the starting line early. Body marking in Kona is notoriously a long process, and it takes FOREVER to get through the body marking line – and they do not let you into the transition area until you are marked. So plan on an extra 20-30 minutes in the body marking line. If you get there at peak arrival – it could take up to 40 minutes.

38. Have a post finish plan. Where will you meet people, how will you contact them if you come in early? After you meet, what will you do?

39. When you’re swimming back to the pier, do some more extended kicking so your legs work when you stand up. With the same theme, when you’re coming back to town, just before you arrive on your bike, lower your gear and spin for a bit to clear your legs out after the hammering.

40. Remember that Ironman will change your life, but it’s up to you how. No matter when you finish, make sure to come back to the finish line to witness the last finishers around midnight.

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Butt, Are We Not In Kona? - The Butt Gallery

There is a reason they call it Dig Me Beach, and it's not to inspire children to dig in the sand. It is the Sand of the Fit and Strong and they like to be noticed.

On this same sand, in just a few days, many of the butts pictured here will be getting ready to flex quite a bit as they propel these fit triathletes through the 2.4 swim, across 112 miles of the lava and sun bakery, and over 26.2 miles of steamy pavement.






Click this link for more AWESOME PHOTOS and THOUGHTS from Kona from the earlier posts...

FOR MORE PHOTOS AND BLOG ENTRIES FROM MITCH CLICK HERE NOW... then scroll all the way down...this link will open the first archives of this blog.

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