When I started my Ironman journey last year, Kona wasn’t even on my radar – I just wanted to finish one. Fast forward 16 months and I found myself lining up alongside the best triathletes in the world in the famous waters of Kailua Bay, Kona. We waited for the start and it was all pretty calm as we watched the pros finish their swim leg. With a deep water, mass start for the nearly 600 competitors in my age group (45-49), it was pretty rough for the first 1500m but it calmed down by the time we turned for home. I felt I was swimming pretty well and was pleasantly surprised when I glanced at my watch just after the turn. I was starting to get pretty tired in the last km, but I came out of the water in just under 1:12 (quicker than in my previous race where I was wearing a wetsuit) – first big tick!

T1 included a long run, but it all went smoothly and found myself on the bike and settled in pretty quickly. X had told me once or twice (maybe 50 times 😊) to take it easy early on the bike and save something for the trip home. There was a headwind on the way out so I took the opportunity to take cover where I could and made sure I stuck to my race plan for electrolytes and carbs. My family had driven out to Waikoloa and it was great to see them and grab some ‘high fives’ as I went through the 50k mark. I was continually pouring water on myself on the bike and this really helped me to manage the heat. As we left Kawaihae I was passing a lot of riders on the climb to Hawi. We had a welcome tailwind which made for a fast descent back to Kawaihae. The climb back up to the Queen K was over pretty quickly and I was soon passing my cheer squad again with 140k done. I knew there was about an hour left on the bike and I was feeling pretty good. I encountered the famous cross winds in the last hour, but thankfully made it back to T2 safely with just under 6:20 on the clock – second big tick!

I moved quickly through T2 and headed for Ali’i drive and another rendezvous with my cheer squad. In my limited triathlon experience, I generally look forward to the run and enjoy this leg the most. The heat in Kona makes the run a little more daunting. I wasn’t feeling great as I set out on the run and was finding it tough in the heat. X had suggested I walk through the aid stations to make sure I got plenty of fluids in and to grab some ice. Having never walked in a marathon before, this didn’t initially make sense to me, but I quickly figured out that it was good advice and followed it. My spirits were lifted as I passed my family twice on Ali’i drive. I had heard so many horror stories about running on the Queen K, but once I climbed back out of town and hit the highway at about the 12k mark, I actually started feeling a bit better (I think running into a slight headwind on the highway helped to cool me down). My family had quickly relocated to the half way mark and were there to farewell me as I headed down into the Energy Lab (possibly unsure if I would ever return). Many people had told me how hard this section of the course was, but surely it couldn’t be that bad…….I was wrong, it was worse! My pace slowed, but I got through it and soon enough I was turning back onto the Queen K to the cheers of my family and with only 12k to the finish. I knew that the last 2k was downhill or flat and would be easier with plenty of crowd support, so I just focussed on getting through the next 10k, ticking them off 1 by 1. It was brutally hot and tough, but I knew that it would all be worth it at the end. The finish chute was a very welcome sight and I crossed the line in 9:43:58 – the last big tick!

Looking back, I have 3 key lessons

You can make up a lot of places in transition if you don’t waste time (I started the bike 39 places ahead of where I finished the swim and I started the run 18 places ahead of where I finished the bike)
Having a good nutrition plan is critical (as it got hotter, I didn’t feel like taking on as many carbs, but I had a plan which I had practised and just stuck to it)
Ironman isn’t an individual sport – it really is about teamwork.
X has provided me with excellent coaching support. He has guided me every step of the way and pushed me to be my best. You are never to old to be coached!
I have been helped along the way by my team mates and friends who have joined me all those swims, rides and runs or just put up with hearing another conversation about triathlon. It always helps having someone to share the pain with!
And most important, I could never have done this without the support and sacrifice of my family. And it isn’t just about race day. Preparing for an Ironman takes months of training and has an impact on the people around you. Thanks for supporting my dream!