Kona tagged posts

What a Day – Ironman World Championship 2016

October 26, 2016 Ironman, Race Reports  No comments

We arrived on the island of Hawaii, Wednesday morning, October 5th… Our 31st wedding anniversary! It was our goal to be on the Big Island last year for our 30th but a little thing called a “broken hip” got in the way. Now once again driving into Kona, a short seven mile trek from the airport, it was very clear the Ironman was just days away. From the yellow road signs that read “CAUTION Ironman Athletes Training” along the Queen K to the dozens of runners along Ali’I Drive you’d think the competition had already begun.

First thing Joy and I did after we parked our car was walk over to the King Kamehameha Beach Hotel to register. As usual, it is a very well organized process that respects the athletes for achieving the honor of racing the Ironman World Championship. Next up, lunch! So,

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Gratitude

October 10, 2015 Recovery  2 comments

You hear it all the time.

"Thank you. Come again."

"Thanks much!"

"Thanks again."

"Thank you for..."

"Thank you for not..."

Whether it's acknowledging someone for waiting and holding the door open so you can easily enter or exit or it's because your grandmother slipped a $20 bill in your birthday card, we tend to respond with these simple words of gratitude: Thank you.

Most of the time we realize the reply is genuine but occasionally we'd have to admit it's nothing more than a rote response; said without thought. Why do we do that? I have a theory. Here it is...

We really don't understand the weight of gratitude. Don't believe me?

How many of us really appreciate the time, sacrifice and love given to us by our parents until we become parents?

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Blown Away: Ironman World Championship a Race Report

October 27, 2012 Ironman, Race Reports  10 comments

When I raced in New York City, mid August, I had it in my mind that should I qualify for the Ironman World Championship I would not take my spot and let someone else go by grabbing the roll down slot. But Qualifying for Kona is no easy task and after seeing my name listed above the line, declaring that I had indeed received the golden ticket, all I could say to my wife upon getting back to our hotel room was, “I did a bad thing.” She thought that I had left early simply to retrieve my bike and gear only to find I returned with an obligation to take another trip to Hawaii… She wasn’t too disappointed.

When we arrived on the Big Island I noticed immediately the tell signs that the race which, defines all other races had unofficially started. The Queen K already had streams of cyclists

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