Xterra World Championships: Karma, Leis, the Good and the Bad

I do believe in mana, or spirits, and although I am not superstitious... I do believe that there is race karma.  So I have this certain tradition after each race.  If I have received a lei then I make sure to go throw it back into the ocean and offer it back to the seas as a way of a silent thanks and protection for future races.  

So, in keeping with tradition, after racing Kona Ironman, I went down to the ocean, and took my finish line lei and went to toss it into the ocean.  The darn flower petal broke off in my hand and the lei went backwards and landed in the grass behind me.  I, of course, picked it up and tried to give it a good toss again.  This time, a good gust of wind came along and the lei landed on the rocks at my feet.  At this point, my friend walked out (with a huge smirk on his face because he knew that my karma was shot!), balls up the lei into a fist size lump of flowers, and told me to throw it as hard as I could to get it in the ocean.  I mumbled to him that I thought my next race might be doomed if this was any indication of it. 

Two weeks later I found myself at the starting line of Xterra World Championship triathlon.  It was the quickest two weeks ever.  I had spent most of the two weeks laying on the couch with no motivation to do anything except watch tv and feel guilty about not working out.  I justified my lack of working out by paddleboarding, jogging 3 miles, and hike-a-mountain biking on one of the saturday mornings.  I worked a ton, did a tv interview, a newspaper interview, and did more running through the water for a photoshoot than I did in most of the two weeks between the races.

Newspaper article by Cindy Luis in Honolulu Star Advertiser

Interview with Guy Hagi on KHON/Hawaii News Now about Xterra with Amy Eck
who has done the double too (and won!)

So here I am at the start line for Xterra and one of my friends from Oahu who has raced these events in the past pulls me aside and says "Kathryn, go get blessed!"  I then realized that she was referring to the Kahu (leads a hawaiian blessing) who was personally blessing racers with the ocean water and tea leaves.  I of course, needed all the help I could get for this race and ran over to get this Hawaiian prayer before the race.  

Anyway, the cannon went off for the females in Xterra 2 min after the males.  Before the first buoy I had already caught the first males who were surprisingly super nice and not even trying to be competitive on the swim.  My timing chip slipped off and when I headed back into the beach run portion of the swim... I told one of the race directors and he told me not to worry about it. I'm still not entirely convinced I have the right swim split because I had no chip on when exiting the water... but who knows.  That wasn't my concern of the day... it was the bike.

Sooo... I ran into transition for the bike and they were handing out chips like candy.  Literally, two gals were standing there asking me if I needed a timing chip?  Sure! So, I now had to put on a new timing chip in T1.  Think hospital bracelet... I had to put it through the hole and snap it on.  Definitely a little loose but at least I had something so my parents back in Colorado wouldn't think that I DNF'ed the swim (which later they admitted that they were a bit worried when I didn't have a swim time).  

Hope you didn't want this tri kit back Sandy...?  I slightly broke it in with Kona sweat and Xterra mud!

Anyway... coming out of T1 I saw someone I knew to be a top mountain biker.  Oh goodness... I thought, if he is just now exiting the swim that means I have TONS more of mountain bikers like him behind him!  I started getting passed right away on the mountain bike.  I quickly caught on that people were going to pass me on EVERY side... sometimes 2 at a time and that I would have to just simply realize that I would need to try my best not to fall at the time someone was passing me.  Well... it's really hard to keep it calm right at the beginning of a race when this is a new concept and you're a newer mountain biker.  So at mile 1.75 on the bike... I was going down a slight downhill single track-ish section and had a lot of fast mountain biker guys behind me that wanted to pass.  So I didn't break... and then hit some sand (at least I think I did), and started to slide out and then missed the turn and slammed too hard on the brakes and went over my handlebars and into the tree.  

My first thought was ... wow, my head.  My head hurts.  And then I kinda looked and realized that my bike was still in the middle of the trail and moved it to the side to assess.  It survived.  Ok... I looked down at myself.  I seemed fine.  Nothing seemed to be bleeding.  Just my head took a really hard hit.  Good thing I was wearing a helmet! I then tried to get back on my bike.  My chain had been knocked off.  It's super funny how you don't think too quickly in these situations, because all I could think was- I can't fix mountain bikes.  The funny part is... I can fix a mountain bike just as well as a road bike.  The chain thing is super easy to get back on... I just wasn't thinking clearly!  So I stood there spinning my pedal forwards and backwards for a few times before realizing that I needed to simply lift my chain to put it back on.  Situation solved.  Back on the trail going A LOT SLOWER than before.  I was simply just going to try to finish the race now.  Game plan changed.

And that's how the rest of my race went.  I kept having people ask if I was okay.  Maybe I was going really slow.  I honestly was in a bit of a daze for the rest of the course.  I realized 2+ hours later that I was missing my right lens from my sunglasses.  Apparently it popped off and I had no idea until I went to rub my eye.  

I finished the bike with a big sigh of relief.  I was alive and only had the run to do.  I knew then, that my knee was having some issues but I could manage a 10 k even with knee issues.  I had fun on the run.  As I said, I was there just to have fun and to finish the race.  It was a tough course.... finishing it was just an accomplishment.  

I'm smiling cause I'm almost done...
 but I'd much rather be swimming in that water rather than running by it!

Post Race:

Soon after I finished the race I realized that my knee was pretty swollen.  The med tent guys made me come check in when a friend tried to grab ice and explained that I had hit a tree.  They declared my knee stable and said I didn't need x-rays.  They made me scrub my already dirty wounds with iodine and put some neosporin on them and sent me on my way!

Yay! 6 days back in Maui!

I did win the double and now have a lovely 6 day vacation to use in Maui.  I do have some lovely plans for this trip already... and no, it doesn't include: training, a boy, or whales.  But it includes: vacation, family time, and R&R to look forward to.  

Oahu Xterra Athletes

More amazing athletes and support!

What Now?

So I am currently experiencing some post-race relaxation on the couch.  My knee is doing a lot better and I have been cleared to exercise in a few days and can now decline the MRI that was scheduled.  My neck is still giving me pain, but should hopefully clear up soon.  I had my neck x-rayed for damage too... but nothing was seen and it is mostly muscular and is mending on it's own also! So with any good  luck... I will be back in action and running the Honolulu Marathon in my best (running) shape ever!

More updates on future plans will be coming soon....    

Always having fun....!

Oh yea... and post-Xterra... I did go throw more leis.  I'm happy to report that they peacefully drifted back into the ocean waves.  

And one more thing... For those of you who were tracking the double like the head guy at Xterra... He did the math for me and wanted to let me know that if I kept the same pace that I did for my Xterra race- that I would be doing a 25 HOUR Ironman.  Feeling better about yourself now?  Okay, I'll leave you with that thought because even I like to see the humor in it too ;-).      

Da Kona Race Recap

I figure I would take a moment on my day off to write a bit about the race day experience.  To me, it's always amazing how different each athlete's experience is from the next... and what the spectator sees versus what actually occurs.

Body MARKING
So rumor was that tattoos were being used this year. However, they weren't in the race packet and it was a mystery as to how they were going to temporary tattoo 2100 athletes on race day morning.  Well, leave it to Ironman to have it so organized that they had it all sorted out by number so that you could zip through in less than 10 min with a weigh-in included.  Funniest part of this was when I went to step on the scale and the doctor goes... "by the way, the scale is running heavy today so don't be surprised." I looked at her and laughed and said... "it's ironman race day! that's the last thing on my mind right now!"

The tan lines from a tattoo... #2071 for the next few weeks!

The SWIM

I haven't said this before.  But this was probably THE MOST VICIOUS SWIM i have ever experienced in 6 years of open water swimming.  If you know my open water swimming history, you know that I have raced for cash before... $10,000 take all (clearly, I didn't win).  I have raced multiple open water races with great swimmers and multiple mass open water starts with terrible swimmers.  But I have never, ever... gotten to a start line and had males with such big egos that they punch, kick and taunt the females (they were not Americans...) just because they are females trying to hold their position on the front of the starting line.  I'm talking 20 min before the cannon was even supposed to go off... having some early- mid 30 males literally just not stop elbowing, kicking and trash-talking to point where I ended up just saying.. "have a great race, I hope you learn that kona is a different beast and I wish you all the best" and moving away to find some females who were experiencing the same thing and telling me that it was ridiculous how rude the males were being at the front.  But it didn't stop there...
As soon as the cannon went off the swimming was absolutely HORRID.  Perhaps it was because I had gotten pushed back to about 4 rows back (because that front line of males were pushing out so much past the start line and I refused to go there).  My swim skin immediately was unzipped, I was dunked under, my cap and goggles was pulled on by someone going over top of me.  I counted my blessings for having played water polo for 10 years.  At least I knew I wouldn't drown and I could take a few elbows and punches.  But they didn't stop.  All the way down to the turn around of the swim I got kicked, elbowed, swum over, etc.  At the turn around I made a decision to go wide and take my own line- swim in my own ocean.  I was OVER all the darn people who couldn't swim straight.  I literally had been fearing the whole way down that someone's safety pin would come undone and just tear into my skin because I kept getting nailed by the velcro and nails of people kicking me as I passed them.
So on the way back to the pier I went outside the inner line of people swimming the buoy line and enjoyed the ocean to myself.  Until the end of the swim.  Of course, about 20 yards from the finish some guy still had to stroke wide and literally try to dunk me under and pull my leg again as I tried to swim past him (maybe because he didn't want to get chicked?)  I made sure to come in before him.

View from the pier

Anyway, so it's funny when people keep telling me that I had this awesome swim because it was literally a BATTLE from start to finish and I felt like I was hardly swimming at all and rather fighting for my head to stay up.  I didn't get tired because I never got a chance to actually get into a swimming rhythm or pick up speed with out having to dodge head strong ego-ed males that didn't want someone to pass them.

The BIKE

Rumor was that there were No Winds heading to Hawi.  I had never heard of such weather before let alone experienced it.  All I can say is this.  Up to Hawi- piece of cake.  I felt like I was flying.  I wear a Garmin on my wrist that I hardly ever look at (it's like jewelry for me and I feel naked without it), except when I hit 56.2 miles and I saw that I was at 2:30:00 I did a silent happy dance on my bike.  I was smiling because it was the easiest bike ride I had ever done and I knew I just had to keep pedaling strong because Madame Pele likes to whip up the winds when least expected.  I started to slow a bit when I hit some head winds on the way back from Waikaloa... but I knew that would happen.  I didn't want to disappoint myself, so I kept setting small time goals (like every 5 miles I had to keep on track and I gave myself generous buffers so that I would achieve these goals).  I was very excited to break 5:40 mark in the bike... something that I never thought I would do because my friends were betting that anything under 5:45 and my run would suffer.

Speedy Pink and Blue

The RUN

As many of you know... I am not a stellar runner.  So this year- I focused on my run.  Coming off of the bike knowing that I have a marathon is probably the hardest thing mentally for me to get through in an ironman.  So I started with this hand-held bottle... and then ditched it at mile 1 and decided that my reward for running the marathon would be walking the aid-stations.  And that's how I mentally got through the whole marathon and felt fine!  I might have been able to push a bit harder, but a 4:07 marathon for me with walking each aid station is a huge achievement over last year's 5:15 marathon.  I was able to thank a lot of the volunteers on the course, take in the water and ironman perform without spilling it all over myself (or choking on it), and actually ran ALL of the uphills with even a smile on my face!

Captured Smiling

My NUTRITION

I never thought I would actually blog about this.. but a lot of people keep asking me what I do and what I train with.  I will preface it with this .... I AM AN ODDITY to the sport.   So last year, I started with taping 6 Gu's to my bike because that's what people did.  It looked super cool.  I did the same in Honu, I did the same in Coeur d'Alene.  But as I became more attuned to my body- I started realizing... it's not what LOOKS COOL it's what works for you.  So while a lot of people talk about how these diets of gluten free, all veggies, no sugar, etc. etc. works for them- it simply doesn't work for me.  I was... actually eating a pint of ben and jerry's and cold left-over pizza the night before kona (you're cringing.. I know).  In my defense, I did make some pasta with meat sauce and tried to cram some of that down too (although I was pretty full from the ice cream).
That being said... I now dive into my race day nutrition.  I make sure to have a really good breakfast.  And by really good... I mean, really large.  I will not actually take in any coffee because I feel that it makes things in your system speed up and I don't need that because my nerves are already speeding things up enough.  So I find some alternative form of caffeine (be it cytomax's drops with caffeine like I had race morning in kona, or some chomps with caffeine).  Then I just eat way more than what I would think until I'm not hungry... Kona race morning was... 2 packets of oatmeal, a banana, the cytomax chomp things (they were free from Alii drive), and some powerade.  It doesn't sound like much but after dinner the night before at 8 PM... that's all I could fit!
My race day nutrition has become basic.  No gu, no anything extra.  A bottle of Herbalife Endurance Formula and a bottle of water.  Once those are gone then I switch over to perform and water.  Sometimes it's A LOT (depending on the heat and humidity) sometimes it's not.  I had 2 cliff bars stuffed in my jersey for the bike ride and I gave one to another triathlete who missed his special needs bag.  I didn't eat any of my other cliff bar until T2 when I had a bite and threw the rest in the trash on the way out.  When I get a special needs bag for a run... I always put a sugar-free red-bull in it.  It gives me the wings to fly out of the energy lab :-).  I had 2 bonk breaker bites when I got hungry on the run (they tasted surprisingly good... just make sure to have water around because those things are dry!)... and some perform, water, and coke.
All in all- I tell people, practice what you think you'll race with and if you get thirsty on race day... then throw the nutrition plan out the window because Hawaii is a different beast.  It is HOT.  While I might train with 2-3 bottles per 56 miles on Oahu, I have been known to consume 7-8 bottles for the half Ironman distance in June. I don't freak out... I roll with it and adapt as I go.

The amazing Kona finish.  Best feeling ever!

Dan, my age group swim coach, flew over and watched.  He was a finish-line catcher and got to be the first to give me a big congrats hug!

Awesome support.. it takes Ohana to help on pre-race and race day to post-race. 

Thanks for messages and support... from virtual FBing, to posters, to texts.  I read all of them and they all mean a lot to me.

WRAP-UP

In general, this year Kona was a blast.  It exceeded my expectations in so many ways.  I met a lot of really amazing and fun athletes from Oahu and other places.  The stories that I hear never cease to intrigue me and inspire me.  More than just a race, the Kona Ironman is about the journey and the phenomenal people that are there and around the world supporting and helping in so many different ways.

The Oahu UPR group made the cover pic of triathlete news.   Nothing but fun and smiles!

      

Kona is for Kim

Everyone has their own reason to train. Their own reason to race. Their own reason to push when their on the brink of breaking.

This year... Kona is for Kim.

My first half ironman in Hawaii was spent practically on Tom and Kim's family vacation to Waikaloa in 2010.  I had a blast going down the water slides in the Hilton Hawaiian Village the day before the race (maybe not the greatest pre-race activity if you are serious about tapering... ) and making the most out of a weekend of family fun with their two younger boys.  In October that year Tom, myself, and a few other people were able to get over to watch Kona Ironman and I promised that I would not come back as a spectator again.  Only as an athlete.  We both have kept that promise so far.

This year, Tom was able to race Ironman World Championships 70.3 for his wife Kim.. who is in a race of her own.  For her life against cancer. It really puts a lot of things in perspective.  For me, it has made me sometimes stop in the middle of a workout... look around, and just say a quiet thanks for all the good fortune I have had on the road and in the water.  So, now that all the bike training is done, here are a few pictures to take everyone (and especially Kim who hasn't seen the Koolau's in quite some time), on some of my previous biking journeys done during my Kona training.

Through rain, sweat, flats, sand, and red-dirt... there has been lots of smiles, jokes, story-telling, hard work and 7-11 stops.  The hard work is done, it is all mental now.  That is why I will keep this one for Kim.  Race for someone who has a bigger heart than all of us and more strength and dedication for family and love than I can even understand at this point in my life... and possibly ever.  Kim- this Kona is for you.

 

Am I Ready for Kona?

I thought I would do a mid Kona training post and update everyone all at once.  I am now getting asked quite frequently if I am "Ready for Kona?"  I can tell you simply. I will not be ready for Kona until October 12th, 2013 (that is the race day right?)  Am I getting ready for Kona and preparing exactly the way that I want to be.  Yes.  I am.  In fact, I am stoked.

I have not been this excited about a race in quite some time.  Maybe it's because I really have not much else to do in my life right now (I can be honest about this at least!).  Maybe it's because I am listening to my body and giving it 100% attention.  I said I would be selfish.  I wasn't lying.  No boyfriends, no late dinners with friends, planned brunches and lunches around training.... and coffee chats are reserved for car rides to biking locations.

Post Half Marathon with these two lovely people that are now down-under!

It's not to say that I'm not having a blast.  I certainly am.  I have put in more mileage on my bike than ever before... two 120 mile rides in 2 weeks... followed by runs.  And I even had some crazy friends that joined me for parts of them!  3 weeks of 17+ mile long runs on the weekends and a secret 1/2 marathon training race which I PRed at almost a sub 1:40:00 (and a co-worker that somehow found out about my finish;-)).  Happy, yes.  I'm smiling ear to ear for each ride, even when I have to be pathetically picked up on the side of the road because my tire flatted and I forgot my hand pump. I definitely made the best of it and called in breakfast to the busiest local breakfast spot for take-out and picked it up for my amazing friend who drove almost 2 hours (round-trip) to come grab me.  Who doesn't love eggs benedict and coffee as a thank you?  No matter what, I realize that I am lucky to be training in Hawaii... lucky to be training without injury, and lucky to be able to train at all.

I've visited Ka'ena point more times in the past 2 months than the entire 6 years on island!

Gotta love Hawaii for the training locations.

Even getting a flat isn't bad when you can sit on the beach and watch the waves roll in!

On my 28th birthday I was thinking about where I was 7 years ago.  What I did for my 21st birthday.  You probably wouldn't believe me when I said I was in an ER room.  For what?  My first marathon.  I fractured my hip running the adirondack marathon (estimation around mile 15) and kept running... then walking... then barely limping until I finished the darn thing because it was my first marathon.  I realized how lucky I am today to be doing what I am doing.  Two years after my first hip fracture I fractured my other hip (nearly exactly on my 23rd bday) and started working with an amazing team of doctors in Hawaii.  With a year of self administered shots I was able to re-build my bone density on a miracle drug that was just released to the public months before my second fracture.  I was back run/walking within 3 months (instead of 10) and able to compete in a marathon later on in the year.

Super stoked about the cheesecake and party hat! 

Amazing crew and ohana... can't do a lot of this training without the support of these friends (and many more not pictured :-))

Now back to Kona.  So, no... I am not ready for Kona but I am logging in the hours and enjoying every bit of the journey as I do so.  I can't wait for race day so that I enthusiastically can jump up and down and say... YES!  I AM NOW READY FOR KONA!

Two Months to Myself Post Molokai

So Molokai ended and I craved for more.  I even set up an entire trip to go race Catalina.  I was super stoked to get out to California and flat water paddle 32 miles.  Everything was lined up for this upcoming race... I managed to re-connect with an old surfboard shaper friend (ironic since I don't surf, huh) who would be my escort boat driver and crash pad, I had flights all sorted out, and an entry into the race (way past the deadline because I was doing it all last minute).  And then my manager said that there was no way for me to go because I had to find coverage at such a last minute request.  I completely understood and I couldn't be bummed at all because I take off a lot more than the normal person to go to races.  So I made a decision.  A decision to dedicate my training to Kona.  Which is what I should have made the decision to before but I was having Molokai withdraws and wishing I could paddle just a tiny bit more!

Here is a look at Catalina courtesy of my escort getting me stoked on racing it!

So here starts the Kona training.  I realized that I only have two months until race time.  So I'm going to make the most out of them.  I know it means sacrificing going out, going on dates (hah- as IF), and staying up late.  But for me- it's exactly what I want to be doing so it doesn't feel like any sacrifice at all.   I keep telling people- these two months are for myself. And for the first time in my racing career- I truly believe that.  I am making decisions based off of what is good for me- not anyone else.  You would think that I had done this years ago, right?  And I can now say that for the first time in months- I have had the most productive training week.  Actually I change that.  Probably the most productive training week in years.  It started out with a run up & down tantalus with friends (I'm not a hermit as much as this might be sounding ;-)), followed the next day by a lovely bike ride around the Pali loop (gotta get some climbing in..), and then a swim that night.  The next day consisted of a 7 mile speedier run and then a rest day.  Saturday was an 85 mile bike with some faster boys to the North Shore (and home.. but I seriously lacked on the way home and got dropped quickly) and there was a swift paced half marathon run on sunday morning with teammates/friends who remind me not to slack off.  Monday finished off with a slower but longer ride around the island for mileage. 

Tantalus- the one hill on Oahu that everyone loves to train on during the week!

Kunia... really fun! But the gravel trucks seriously make your heart leap out when they pass inches from your wheels going 70 mph.  

Garmin burn - the latest and greatest.

Each training session has been mental training as much as physical as I'm still just getting back into the biking and running and body parts are aching.  As much as the workouts are important- I know what I do in between is just as important.  I'm not one to have a specific diet- but I have started taking a supplement (if you can call it that) once a day in the form of Mila Chia Seeds to hopefully help fill in the gaps for all the other nutrition that I'm lacking by not cooking and leading a crazy lifestyle filled with working, coaching, and working out. 

 I also feel that my recovery at the beach is key! I do feel like such a lucky person to hop into a bikini after a workout and to head down to my fav beach to let my body unwind and re-build after a workout.  Yesterday- after the 109 miles... I didn't shower, but instead jumped in the car and headed to the ocean.  I'm pretty sure I got some looks for the amount of road dirt I still had on my legs and the definitive line there was across my thighs from where my bike shorts ended (and stopped the mud).  But it was the most refreshing part of the day.  Today will start with a trip to Duke's Ocean Festival.  As much as I'm not racing Catalina, I am still racing two races on Saturday for this festival.  Both the swim race and paddling race are on Saturday and should be tons of fun.   In the meantime, I'll see everyone on the road or in the water! Happy training!

The Journey, Race, and Finish to Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships

The journey for crossing Molokai to Oahu (also known as the Ka'iwi Channel or Channel of the Bones) started with a new Bark board.  I had this wonderful board that I designed knowing that I would need something that I could rely on to cross the channel... with a saying that I could look at the entire time.

I had entered a series of smaller races early on from Jan-March, where I met 3 people-- 2 who would become my training partners on the north shore (where I subsequently met a lot more paddlers) and one who would become a dear friend and my roommate in molokai. 

Jenn and I at Da Hui Paddleboard Race

From March until June though- I had this training conflict between triathlon and paddling.  I had to make paddling workouts while still making the most out of my triathlon training.  I wanted to have a great season in triathlon too so after June 1st and qualifying for Kona, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and started really focusing on learning how to catch bumps for Molokai.  I realized I didn't have a ton of time- so any advice, and ALL advice, was welcomed from everyone around me and on every single training session.  There were definitely days where I experienced some 'tough love' from some of the north shore guys and I left thinking that this channel better not spit me out the way that they were saying it might.  I had to keep my head up, keep looking for bumps, and keep reminding myself on every training session that, like most things in life, it's 90% mental, and that if I was committed to doing it, then I would be fine.  

Just short of two weeks before the channel I had the most terrible downwind run on the north shore.  I knew it and so did a lot of my training partners.  I realized at that point that even though I was super excited to be around the hub-bub of some of the most inspirational and athletic athletes flying in (mick dibetta, joe bark, jackson english)... that I needed to take care of myself and figure out how I was going to get across this channel and what I needed to do to prep.  A message happened to pop into my mailbox at that point saying that this guy had come in from California and was looking for someone to do downwind runs with.  Perfect.  

Now let me divert.  I'm oblivious to name-dropping, big names, or any names at all.  In fact, it has happened a few times along the way this season when people I have been paddling with have told me - "So Kathryn, this is so and so (fill in a big name surfer, shaper, etc.)" and I obliviously just chat it up with them asking them where they grew up, what they do, how they got into the sport, etc.  I'm pretty sure that either these people find it refreshing or horrifying that I have no idea who they are.  

So, that being said- this person, who i agreed to go on a downwind run with (thanks george!), shows up and I find out later that he is quite amazing.  Like always top 10 in M2O and usually amongst the winners in Catalina.  My training partner called him a "california legend." Can't say i'd go that far.... but maybe so.  Again, oblivious.  Anyway, so in the last week before the race I had 2 amazing downwind runs from Hawaii Kai to Kaimana (or more appropriately, the outrigger canoe club).  And then, I simply did what I like doing most.  I took my board over to Kailua's flat island and did my last training session playing in the waves and doing circles around the island with wave catching.  It reminded me... no matter what- I was going to have fun in the channel and that was what the whole journey was to be about!

Molokai and Race Day:

So after flying all my food, my photographer/friend (hawaiiracephotos/ colin cross), and swimmer for bottle exchanges (lectie.. newly nicknamed leftie by the north shore crew), into molokai I finally got to relax and wait until race day.  I flew in friday afternoon and the race was on Sunday morning.  Molokai is not a very entertaining place pre-race.  Colin and I figured out the place had 2 VCR players, about 2 lightbulbs to light up the entire room, internet only if you used the provided cable line, and boot-legged dvds.  Pretty stellar.   My other roommate, Jenn, flew in Saturday and so did someone else that she found from Canada (who is a former world record holder in the beer mile!). 

My version of pancakes- with bananas. Scrambled. And LOTS of coffee (it's all consumed).

Flying into Molokai.  The channel looks a lot larger than 32 miles!

Race day couldn't come quick enough.  We had all been watching the weather report and thinking that we were going to get AMAZING swell because of this tropical storm Flossie that was hitting.  Apparently we couldn't be more wrong.  Race day came and the conditions were horrible.  I didn't know this until the end.  I actually don't have much to report about the race at all except that it felt LOOOONG and BOOOORING and that i REALLY WANT TO RACE NEXT YEAR!  I think my anticipation of the channel was that it was going to be super big swell and a blast to take these waves.  Yet there was nothing of the sort.  Apparently since Flossie was coming from the south, it was pushing against the waves that would be coming out of the north.  Bummers... nothing but slosh.  Not many runners :-(.  At one point my captain asked me if everything was okay.  I said.. 'yes, but I'm really bored'.  I really could have used some music. Badly.  I don't ever say that.  I like playing mental games. So instead I used some red bull.  Thank goodness.  I used a bit of that to pep me up.  Then some coke.  Then I looked forward to the wall along hanauma bay to ride the waves.  I figured- I'm not going to win or lose the race this way- I at least want to have some fun! 

Top pic- open water.  Bottom pic- riding the wall into portlock. Photo credit to Colin Cross at Hawaii Race Photos.

Anyway, I'll tell you- I think the hardest part were the last 3 miles... I knew the channel was 32 miles.  On my garmin.. I ended up paddling 34.35 miles.  It's killer when you are at 31 miles thinking you are so close but you really aren't.  Talk about mentally tough.  I was at hanauma bay when I hit mile 32.  And I joke now- "where was the finish line? I was at mile 32!!"  The feeling however, to cross the finish line and have my name announced was amazing.  Then, to be greeted by a crowd of my amazing friends and supporters that stood out in the blazing sun for hours on end was something more special than I can even put into words.  This is the first of three world championships for this year, the first time I crossed the channel, and the first time experience such love when I paddled my way back home.  

The finish!

A couple of the training partners, Jeff and Troe.

A few of the amazing support! Many others not pictured but much appreciated and well loved!

A special thanks to Lectie- who did some stellar platform boat jumps and mad swimming skills to deliver bottle nutrition.  Colin- who has some amazing photography skills (and moonfish skills) and I can't wait to see the pics from the race.  And to Lance - my faithful boat captain who re-assured me we were headed towards land when I doubted myself 10x over because I thought I was going backwards!