A Beautiful Day

The Aloha Way

kama'aina Means A native-born or longtime Island resident in Hawaiian, I know that we might not be there yet, but Paola and I surely feel that we belong here. It's been almost two months, and it just keeps getting better and better, it's not about updating my blog in the Lanai with a beautiful Ocean View, it's not about the Kona coffee that I drink in Industrial quantities, and it's not even the Dolphins we get to see every other day at the ocean swims or at the Paddleboard.
It's the air of happiness, the air of easy going that you breath in here. I know that every place in the world have a little of everything, good and bad, pros and cons. Who else might now more about that, than us? that in last few years, we've been very tempted to move to 4 different cities in the USA and Europe, we finally ended up choosing Kona, and I'm glad we did.

We've found here the perfect mix between all of the things we like, the sports culture is impressive, everyone is into some kind of sport, no matter the age, don't get me wrong dear Konians (I have no idea if this name is right) but it look like no one works here, and what I mean is that it looks like everyone is having so much fun all the time, even if they are at work, they simply enjoy life (there are some exceptions of course) But for the most, every day of the week seems like a weekend.
This is why it's the right place for us =)

Our days are simple, I could write for hours of deep thoughts and feelings, that you might discover when you find your peace or your ZEN....... but without entering philosophical waters........The equation for us...... is very easy:
Sun, Sea Breeze, Wind, Stars, Coffee, Swims at the Ocean, Paddleboard, Coffee, Great Food, Swims at Kona Aquatics, Naps, Lava Java, Sushi, Beaches, Great Bike Rides, Runs, Coffee again =) Sunsets and Sunrises, this is the Aloha way.
And with all this good vibe comes good people, we've always thought that we were meant to be us against the rest of the world, but now we feel more alike, less lonely and not at war, and that's a great feeling.

About triathlon training, it's been 20 months already since I started training seriously (not just 3 or 4 times a week) and if someone have told me before that I would be here after 20 months I might have never believed, but now I do, I'm feeling great and I'm sure I have room to improve, and in the way have the time of my life.

Even now that I can't run because I hurt my knee while falling in the Paddleboard, I'm still enjoying my life, the moment, and I know that my knee will eventually heal, just like other things in life, it's a life flow, it's Karma, and the only thing we can do to change the future is the present. "oops again philosophical" Sorry...... This heart beat is for my son Jonatan ( I can't wait for you to come to Hawaii, Son)

So this week, I took it easy just as recommended, Monday was rest day with Massage, and the rest of the week just swimming and ez on the bike, so I did 4 times the Ironman swim course, the masters at Kona Aquatics and some time chasing dolphins that ended up being 23km or 14 miles of swimming, Plus 350km or 217 miles of biking, including one of the best rides I've ever done, Kona to Hawi by the Queen K, then up (really up) to Waimea and returning back to Kona, via The Belt Road, 6 hours of endless and drastic changes of the riding conditions, just plain beautiful!

Ironman 70.3 Hawaii ( Video )

Rhoto Ironman 70.3 Honu 6th AG 39th Overall

I prefer 100 times a mass start than different wave starts, this is one of the best things about the Honu 70.3 race, the only downside is that by far, this is the most violent swim start of all the races that I've done in the past, last year it was like a battlefield and I got punched right in the face a couple of times, luckily this time was different, it was still pretty rough but I was out of the craziness after the first buoy, I tried to remember coach Steve the whole time and what he has told me for the last weeks.

I knew I was going faster than last year so it was a little disappointing to see my swim time at 30:49 but at least now I see that compared to last year this year was almost a minute slower (with some exceptions of course) 

After the swim I was ready to put on a good time in the Bike (my specialty) and I felt good for the first 20 kilometers, but as soon as the road started to go up to Hawii  I knew I had done a terrible mistake, I realized that I didn't trained "Hills" I've spent a month going back and forth in the Queen K but I simply never trained from Kawaiihae to Hawi (the hilly part) I know that It may sound very stupid and it is, but with everyday of the month going that fast this is the BIG Mistake I did, simply as that. 

So all the way up to Hawi I felt really slow and I wasn't able to get into a rhythm. So when I got to the turnaround I saw that I have plenty of work in the way back to Mauna Lani (T2) I knew I could make up some lost time, and even with the wind that was blowing hard, I started to get back my legs, and started to get into a good and fast pace, everything was OK, but then I lost my 2 fluid bottles in a bump near Kawaiihae, and that must have affected because with only 10k to go my legs left me again, I just tried to keep up with the same pace in that flat section, and maybe recover enough for the run, at the end my bike split was not near what I expected to be, it was 2:33. 

I knew that the conditions were not favorable so I tried to keep up the positive frame of mind by thinking that way, and trying to focus in the Run that was waiting for me in that Golf course, that is very pretty but also very very hard, it's simply impossible to get any kind of rhythm, if it's not a steep climb, it's a hard downhill, of it's not grass it's asphalt and then back to grass.

  

I started the run as I always do, fast but controlled so I don't blow up my race with the excitement of that first mile where I can always hear my Paola Screaming, Corre Pelucas!!!

Knowing what was waiting for me in the next 13 miles, I just kept my pace, the first mile was under 7 minutes, and so the next few miles, after mile 6 or 7 I knew I was going to be able to come out with a decent run in this hard course, I even felt good in the mile from hell, the mile number 9! and when I came out of that stretch of lonely road I just pushed as hard as I could for the remaining miles, I saw the ocean and that was a great feeling, I enjoyed those last few meters as much as possible, my run split was 1:33 for a Total Time of 4:41:47

Enough for a 6th place in the AG and 39th Overall, but not enough for a podium, here in Honu you get to be in the podium up to 5th place, I guess that must be a sign that the competition here is Fierce, and it was also not enough for an Ironman Slot I was 5 minutes from that only International spot, but I'm happy, I know that I gave it all that day, and that's what matters.

I now have time to reflect and pull my things together and slow down a little at least, It's time to get back on track and focus in Ironman Louisville, that's where I need to get my slot for the Ironman World Championship in October, I really don't want to be seeing the race from the sidewalk.

I don't know how to train for an Ironman but I will try to do my best, I know that I have to work a lot in my run an log much more miles, until now I've been able to get away with a low mileage, but I know that an Ironman won't let me do that. My swimming is getting better and I know what kind of work I need to do on the bike, the MIX of everything is what gets a little tricky, but I will try to do my best, one of the first things I have to do, is less facebook and more Running that's for sure ha ha! This Blog has always helped me to re-focus, to keep me on track, and it's also kind of therapeutic, and I can't say the same when I spent more than 20 minutes on FB it just leaves me with a not so nice feeling.

So I will start to work in a training plan for Louisville right now

Race Preview and landing feet in Kona. Becoming Kamaaina!

It's been 5 days since Race Day and just until now I'm letting myself to start analyzing the Honu 70.3 There are just too many things to think about and understand. Last year when Paola and I came to do this race we decided to move to Kona for good. And now I can say that I raced in my town. It hasn't been easy and we had to do a lot of stuff to finally get here.

I can't believe that just two months ago we were in New York a couple of weeks after The Abu Dhabi Triathlon, we were very happy with the outcome of the Race and the trip, but at the same time we were starting to get worried because we had tons of things to do for the final "Move" to Kona.

This was supposed to be the race recap and now it will be like the race Preview ha ha! So I will just say that a lot!!!  happened since we got back from New York at the Beginning of April.

In one month only, we did what you have to do when you leave your home country and move to another, and let me tell you that only someone who has done this, will understand what I'm talking about, so April was already a crazy month, I barely was able to put on some decent training because of the "other" stuff that needed my attention.

Then we arrived to Kona in May 1st, I thought I that everything was going to slow down, but I was wrong, and since the very first day it was just CRAZY!

We did hundred of things! learned how to paddlebord, get into the swim team, visited many many homes, I had to fight a mild case of shin splints because of the effort I had to do in my first attempt to paddleboard, it looks so easy, and it's NOT! Then there's meeting so many people! Everyone here is very friendly and we wanted to learn every one's name, it may sound silly but it's kind of hard.

 And then there's our  "normal" behavior, ha ha! Paola and Me every time we are in a new place, we try to know every inch of the town in just a few days, go here, go there, etc etc, and that can wear you out, and it did..........And then.... went to Honolulu ha ha!
I raced there and I got a first place in an Olympic Distance Triathlon, this was pretty good and encouraging, but I returned to Kona very very tired and with some nasty cuts in my feet, since I made the mistake of running without socks in my 70.3 race shoes, the ones I only use with socks. And in the top of it, the pre-race week we had a friend visiting us, so the taper week was more like a Tour Guide Week.

After saying all this, I was feeling very good for the race, I managed to put some decent miles on the Bike, and swim much more than I have used in the past, So I was almost sure to come with a decent run on the race day, and a positive result, using all the positive energy of Kona.

Now........Lets go write the race report......