Upon arrival, the three of us girls (Sarah Strother, Christine Cogger and I) were enveloped by warmth, sunshine, energy and anticipation of race day - Saturday, June 4th. Sarah provided exquisite accommodations at her family’s Keahou villa equipped with a pool, multiple coffee makers, papaya trees, a blender, a BBQ, WiFi and invaluable privacy from everything and everyone. Lounging in her backyard won convincingly over exploring the Hawaiian shops or scuba diving with the turtles. We all vowed to return again for the adventures we opted out of this trip.
The three of us used our 35-mile drives to the equally exquisite race site (The Fairmont Orchid Hotel) to review our individual race strategies, plan our nutrition, consider our race attire and walk through our transitions. Sarah and Christine graciously agreed to join me at the Pro Race meeting at 12p.m. instead of attending their own Age Group meeting at 3p.m. I assured them (over and over) they would blend in, no one would notice, “just come,” I said. How wrong was I. In fact, the complete reverse happened. The Pro meeting was a small group sitting around a boardroom table discussing race logistics for a mere 10 minutes before moving into the politics of professional triathlon racing. They pretended not to mind and were forced to read the race guideline cover to cover.
Wake up time was 3:15 a.m. Departure time was 4:15 a.m. Race start time 7:00 a.m. The entire field of incredibly fit and wiry athletes bolted into the sunrise en masse from the shores of Hapuna Beach. Hapuna is one of Hawaii’s most renowned beaches; known for its beauty, white sand and swimming. Finding Nemo came to mind as we swum over the visible universe of marine life lit by sun rays. Dolphins had accompanied Christine and Sarah’s on Thursday morning during our practice swim but we were pretty sure they would not grace their presence with so many bodies invading their home.
There was little over thinking before this race. Process, Rest and Perspective were combined to prepare for Saturday. Focus, Quiet Mind and Steadiness were my cues. Focus and steadiness defined my ride. I tapped into an extra gear for the first 30 minutes to catch some of the speedier swimmers but once the climb to Hawi begun, I turned inward and settled in knowing and believing in my pace. The descent was the only place I had a pause to consider gearing. I was riding compact and a 12-25 cassette. On another day, I could have used an 11-23 cassette. I was spinning out and losing a bit of momentum without this extra gear.
Sarah and I caught a glimpse of each other about 75 minutes into the ride. I could only hope that Christine was close by and moving along steadily. The anticipation of hearing about their days was almost a distraction and we weren’t even half way through the race. I had to calm my eagerness to reconnect with them for a few more hours.
Coming into T2 on the Fairmont Orchid grounds was exhilarating. I caught sight of a few gals that I would love to be running ahead of. It gave me a boost that I had ridden up to them and made up ground. The half marathon course was comparable to an obstacle course running straight over the golf fairways (my grandfather, a Golf Pro, would be turning over in his grave), looping us up and around golf cart paths and along a nasty 3-mile false flat road. The culmination of twists, turns and terrain made for slower run times. That’s my story and I am sticking to it.
Not analyzing my energy levels too much was a challenge yet I knew my mental energy was better spent on keeping the legs ticking over. Perseverance and determination themed the run leg for all three of us girls but we all agreed that in the heat of the moment, discomfort, exhaustion and fatigue were at the forefront of our consciousness. While counting my footsteps, my mind would wonder to Sarah and Christine – where were they? Would we see each other on course? Were they having fun? At mile 6, we came through a major artery of the run and Christine and I passed each other running in opposite directions. Chris has near perfect run form - tall, light and compact – which is few and far between. She was also wearing the new Hoka runner, a lightweight minimalist shoe to watch. We exchanged a high five and she shared her precious breath to encourage my effort for the second place gal just 30 seconds ahead.
Sarah would have been easy to spot since she was sporting a colorful new triathlon sports bra and bright pink race belt but we were not meant to cross paths. Instead, I would have to wait to see her smile at the finish line.
The women’s race was close with a few talented age group gals sprinting ahead of the pro’s. In the final mile, I hunted around for an extra gear but there really wasn’t one available. The final stretch was on soft fairway grass and felt like the world was moving in slow motion. I had one gal just seconds ahead of me, 8 to be precise. Although I was gaining, there was just not enough real estate to catch her. I finished up as 3rd Professional Female, four minutes off the win.
The Hawaiian finish line was understated and lush. Without a word to anyone but Greg Welch to acknowledge my salt-caked body and thank the timing chip removers, I carried on through to the massage tables in seek of comfort and a bed to lie down on.
“Christine Cogger from Whistler, Canada” was pumping through the loud speakers within moments of a rub down. We only had time to remove her timing chip and hug in celebration before Sarah came barreling though the finish. They both looked exhilarated and surprisingly fresh. The three of us stumbled out of the finish line chute in anticipation of how to deal with post race emotions and which story to tell each other first. This is the best part of racing. It’s these experiences that we live for. To have this adventure take place in one of the most beautiful places in the world, made it all the more special.
I could never retell the experiences of Christine and Sarah and do them justice although they both had stellar races finishing in the top 15 of their very deep categories. Sarah had visiting the island a few months earlier and rode the course with her husband John. Apparently the winds were howling to the point that even locals were commenting. She and John feared for their lives as the gusts threatened to throw them from their bikes. It’s no wonder that this experience plagued Sarah’s confidence before going into Hawaii 70.3. While the wind did blow on Saturday it was nowhere near the strength of the gust she had experienced during her recon practice ride. As a result, her ride was the highlight save for a slow leak we discovered the next day in her back tire.
Post race can be summarized in the following words: stumble, stiffness, port-o-potties, groans, smiles, celebration, waiting, texting, port-o-potties, giggles, analysis, stories, pride, beer, salt, aloe, texting, bed. I relished hearing about the day over and over again as we reveled in our own game of triathlon trivia.
We had some 36 hours to decompress before a long trek home. It was a trip to cherish and somehow somewhere we will all do it again.
Mahalo.
Christine
Congratulations on both your stellar performance and incredibly intimate account of your race. I hang on your everyword!
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