or even wondered what it would be like to be an athlete participating in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in Kona on the Big Island?Read our blog post and you might want to stay with the visiting crowd as the majority of thousands of tourists does. Watch a spectacle of a life time! I must admit though being a spectator is not as rewarding and adrenaline rush pushing as the guy who finishes his first Ironman. To make it across the finish line before midnight, when the clock stops counting, is for many the accomplishment which they will tell their kids in years to come: I did it. I finished the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon!
As an athlete myself, I have the biggest respect for anybody who can say that of himself or herself. I was never challenged by the urge to try. Maybe it was my close encounter with the physical and psychological battle it takes to literally survive the day of the Ironman competition. It was at the1992 Big Island Triathlon in Kona. I had graduated from the Hawaiian massage school in Kona, passed my state licence exam and volunteered, like all my other massage therapist friends from my class, to massage the triathletes after the triathlon race.
Well, to tell you the truth, I did not know what I had volunteered for. To cut a long story short, the 1992 Hawaii Ironman was becoming my own marathon, massage marathon that was! I started massaging at 3pm, not the winner of the race - for the record, I had to check who the winner was in 1992 (Mark Allen) - but guys who were hurt and had dropped out early. Believe it or not, I had to throw the towel at midnight. With just half an hour break, I had to quit. 'Only' 9 hours of marathon massage! What made these triathlete guys and women not quit and keep going for hours and hours in the 'flash eating' sun of Hawaii or down pours of the 2006 Ironman, the challenging trade winds blowing in their faces on their way from Kona to Hawi with lots of uphill struggles and finally, when they are already exhausted to their core, to run the marathon?!
Watch the 2006 Hawaii Ironman video. Competitors have 17 hours to finish! See for yourself what it takes to be an Ironman to accomplish a 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike race and 26.2-mile run in one day!
This Ironman video is about the rivalry between Mark Allen and Dave Scott. It shows Mark Allen defeating for the first time Dave Scott in the 1989 Ironman. This race was one of the most remarkable in Ironman history!
Now, we got you all hyped up for a visit of the 2007 Ironman in Kona, Big Island. OK it's still almost 4 weeks to the Ironman competition on Saturday October 13. You might still get a fall flight special to Hawaii but make sure to have a room before you book. Kona hotals and Kona vacation rentals are booked. Look for vacation rentals or condos north of Kona at Waikoloa Village and south of Kona at Captain Cook and Kealakekua. Get early into Kona on the day of the Ironman competition to find a parking space and secure your spot on the Pier at Alii Drive to watch the most spectacular start of the Ironman, when thousands of athletes jump in the ocean at the same time. Get caught up in the 2007 Ironman Triathlon World Championship frenzy, an experience of a lifetime!As usual, let us know what you think about the Hawaii Ironman, the athletes, sunny Kailua-Kona and whatever! Can't wait to hear from you. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Kohala Coast Vacation Guide
p.s.
Don't forget your camera and read the tips for taking photos in Hawaii by renowned Hawaii photographer Jennifer Crites. She might come up with some special ones for the Ironman. My photos of Norman Stadler and Faris al Sultan on their bikes were not too impressive (more like a blur, to be honest), unfortunately...after waiting for hours in the hot sun of Hawaii!
Related articles
2006 Big Island Ironman Triathlon
What it takes to be an Ironman
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5 comments:
I just can't imagine the hours of training and endurance required to compete! I really admire these athletes!
yes, sheila, it's amazing what hours of training and commitment it takes to just qualify for the ironman. so many athletes try each year to get approved. many never make it. last chance for them. they enter the ironman lottery! in any case, it's not just that organizers cannot allow any amount of athletes.
biggest reason for the strong qualification process is to protect the person from entering a contest they'd not have the physical capacity to make it through without hurting themselves! even with this selection, each year people get pushed to their health limits. pua
Wow Pua, I admire that you entered the ironman. Even in my younger days it was not something I ever wanted to do--I know how hot Kona is and have complained while riding in a car there without any airconditioning.
oops, cheryl you must have missed the part in my ironman post that i myself never felt tempted to try for the ironman, never did and never will!
it takes too much out of you. i believe in moderation: regular exercise, healthy diet and being happy but i admire those who challenge their body and mind in the ironman competition. it is truly an experience of a lifetime one does not want to miss when on vacation in hawaii! aloha, pua
I, too, have great admiration for the multi-talented athletes who participate in the Ironman, but have never once been tempted to put my own body through such a grueling ordeal. I admire also, you and the other massage therapists who participate in their own marathon for the athletes, but, WOW, your hands must have been sore! I can't imagine doing anything for that many hours on end!
Visiting for the Carnival of Aloha. :0)
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