The Mt. Cheaha 50K - A Magnet for Great People

What a great day! Mt. Cheaha State Park is only 1 ½ hours away from Atlanta and home to the highest point in the State of Alabama and the 50k Mt. Cheaha Trail. We parked our car at the top of Mt. Cheaha at 6 AM, watched the sun rise on a beautiful clear day and then climbed on to a bus for the 31 mile drive to the trail head. The Mt. Cheaha 50K trail is a spectacular hike on a narrow single track through dense forests that weaves across numerous streams, through tranquil valleys and over scenic mountains with inspiring views.

I am convinced that this trail was designed for a three day back pack adventure hiking 10 or 11 miles per day. Many times yesterday, I was dreaming about the steaks cooking on the open fire the first night and the pasta primavera we would be eating on the second night. I thought about the warm oatmeal and bananas we should have been enjoying for breakfast and the smoked turkey sandwich on a bagel with multigrain TOSTITOS and humus for lunch. I even thought about the trail mix and fresh oranges we might have had during our morning and afternoon breaks. But those thoughts were only hallucinations or temporary mental escapes from reality. Because instead of this being a sensible three day hike, I was on a 50K trail run…officially labeled an Ultra Marathon.

I have always wondered what kind of nut would run an Ultra Marathon and yesterday was my first opportunity to find out. What kind of person would wake up at 5 AM, drive at least 30 minutes to the top of the mountain to catch a school bus for a 50 minute drive to the start and run 31 miles back to highest point in Alabama? Clearly, the 250 people now packed into five school buses all had one thing in common. While the men and women came from all over the Southeast, from different economic and educational backgrounds, they all were committed to doing the same thing – celebrating life by staying in incredible shape, hanging around positive “can do” people, enthusiastically tackling challenges, and having a lot of fun in the process. What a great group of people.

I had the pleasure of traveling with 12 of my running or triathlon buddies from Atlanta (or a friend of a friend) and two Ironmen from Baltimore. The race started at 7:30 AM in sunny 40 degree weather and immediately converged into a single track trail that made passing impossible. That was a good thing because the early pace was controlled and sensible.

I ran, walked, rock hopped, and climbed the first 12 miles with Scott Boylan and Rick Armiger from Baltimore, and George Shaak and Jack Spartz from Atlanta. My biggest challenge was to avoid having my nose hit the ground. The trail was full of hidden rocks, roots, holes, and branches that were natural foot grabbers. Unfortunately, George tripped and used the right side of his face to cushion the fall on a rock at about the 10th mile and had to call it a day at mile 18. Scott came down with a bad cold on Friday and by mile 15, could not get control of his coughing or breathing and joined George for the ride to the finish. Rick, Jack and I continued on sharing life experiences and enjoying the great scenery as the miles started to fly by. We crossed a creek at mile 22 and Jack could only see the creek as a solution for his cramping legs and jump in, shoes and all for a February ice bath. I would not see Jack again until our emotional reunion at the finish line.

Rick and I continued to share stories and until mile 26 when my lighter frame (Rick is a Clydesdale – a triathlete over 200 pounds) was too much of an advantage and for the first time in the race, I was alone. I passed Calvin Gray, our expert ultra marathoner as he was walking mile 27. It was amazing to me how happy and cheerful that guy could be as he dealt with some cramping and was anticipating the wall ahead. Calvin was clearly living life to its fullest.

With only 3 miles to go, someone with a very bad sense of humor put a 900 foot hill, cliff, pitch or rock climb in the course. I was glad I was still wearing my gloves, because this was a two hand and two legs kind of climb. I think it would have been a lot more enjoyable as the second mile of a three mile hike, but on this day, it was the final test, the final obstacle, the final assent to the finish line. I caught up with three guys and started up a new conversation as we climbed up the mountain. No one on the course was a stranger today. The last two miles were relatively flat and very anticlimactic. This was clearly a day to celebrate the adventure of the journey and not about the destination. As Jack so appropriately said earlier in the run, this was a journey that no one was in a hurry to end.

My time of 7:29 was about 1 ½ hours slower than my original naive expectation, and I could not have been happier. Fred Soller, Jeff Tomey and Dave Curry, the young studs of our group were so far out in front that they had changed and had lunch before I got to the top. The same can be said for our two ladies – Carey Kilton and Corinne Odermatt. Dick Jones and Bishop Leatherbury slugged it out together and came in shortly after Jack. Gary Kessler stepped in a hole at the 3rd mile and was pulled off the course. He wrote me last night and said he would be looking for another 50 K to try it again as soon as he comes off injured reserves.

As for the food, well the steaks, oatmeal and pasta were only a Fig Newton of my imagination. I ate all day to try to keep up with the calories I was burning. Meals consisted of handfuls of M&Ms with peanuts, peanut butter filled pretzels, bananas and a couple peanut and butter sandwiches. As for beverages, water and an athletic drink called Heat. I think it is made from chalk dust out of a primary school class room. At least that is what it looked and tasted like.

I came away with three lessons from yesterday’s event.
1. Appreciate whatever you have. I was fortunate to be able to complete the course today, injury free. Three of my friends were not so lucky. Two of the Atlanta Team reminded us all to appreciate just being healthy as Jack ran in honor of his brother Jimmy who is recovering from his second stroke and Calvin ran in honor of his friend Brian who is having his sixth and final Chemo treatment this week.
2. Never underestimate the importance and true value of camaraderie. Having shared experiences with friends always trumps “material things.”
3. Actively participate in events that attract people who are living life as an adventure. Their positive mental attitude and “can do” spirit is infectious.

Special thanks to the Todd Henderson (Cheaha 50K Race Director,) all my friends who I mentioned above who were part of this experience, and all the volunteers who hung out in the middle of the woods all day to staff the six aid stations.

Wien's Irreverent Review of Super Bowl Advertising 2011

Super Bowl XLV will be remembered as the clash of the classics…two championship teams that date back to 1919 for the Packers and 1933 for the Steelers. The critical difference in the game was turnovers. Pittsburgh gave up the ball to Greenbay in two interceptions and two fumbles. And that is pretty much what we watched in the commercials – too many interceptions of the message by advertisers being too creative and too many fumbles by advertisers losing focus on their core customers.

In last night’s contest, the real winners where the ads developed by counterintuitive thinkers. Professionals who were more interested in breaking through the clutter by communicating something very specific and unique to their target audience. Unfortunately, too many companies follow the path of humor and entertainment through the use of impressive creativity while forgetting the most basic principle of successful advertising – speak to your target audience in a way that is compelling and motivates them to do something different.

First Quarter

Bud Light (Hack Job) - When a house make-over is just placing a six pack of Bud Light in the kitchen and cases in the yard, I start to wonder if the only thing they did right is name the commercial a “Hack Job.” A disappointing start for a company known for only the best.

Doritos (Pug Attack) - Here is the reason why you do not let the consumer pick your advertising. (This commercial was developed by consumers and was the winner of an internet contest. ) Funny – Yes….Suspenseful – Yes again. Kept my attention – You bet. Watching a loser tease a dog and then get “Crunched” – Rewarding. Having the loser represent my brand – Disappointing. (Discloser – Mike Wien worked on Doritos as a brand manager in the 1970s).

Audi (Breaking out) - High net worth individuals (Audi customers) stage a breakout from prison. Fifty five seconds of entertainment that is a funny collection of clichés for the upper crust. For six million dollars, you would think they would let the Audi break-out and not get lost in the creative.

Doritos (Best Part) - This commercial of a guy sucking another guys fingers to get the Nacho Cheese seasoning makes the first Doritos commercial look great. Who are these guys trying to appeal too? This is the Super Bowl. What were they thinking? You can’t outsource advertising to twitter!

Chevrolet (Misunderstanding – Eco ) - Chevy does a nice job driving home the main benefit…42 miles per gallon. However the commercial features an audience that has hopefully had their drivers licenses revoked. While they used humor to drive home their impressive fuel efficiency, if they were trying to communicate anything positive about the brand, no one could hear them.

Pepsi Max (Love Hurts) - Wife acts as a warden in keeping hubby away from bad calories, but approves Pepsi Max with no calories and maximum flavor. Fun concept until they try to ad humor in the mix. Accidentally hitting an attractive girl with the can and running away fell short. The surprise here is a bad one and prohibits this commercial from being a knock-out. (Discloser – Mike Wien worked at Pepsi in the 1980s)

Bud Light (Product Placement) - When a director is forced to include products in his feature film, he takes matters into his own hands and puts Bud Light everywhere. It is absurd and attacks some of the crazy practices by the establishment. Welcome back Bud Light. Finally a commercial that is not so light on connecting with the target.

Chevrolet (Tommy – Silverado) - A take off from the old Lassie TV series – Tommy getting into trouble and the Silverado getting dad to come to the save the little boy. An entertaining commercial, but weak on selling the brand. I am not sure how the Silverado can rescue the advertising team on this one.

Pepsi Max (Automatic Cooler) - Preppies making fun of the fat guy. Oh no, another cliché. But the fat guy makes friends with the guy who has an automatic cooler launcher and has a Pepsi Max launched right into the Preppies…you know whats. Dumb might be funny, but not for launching a brand.

Doritos (Clean Up) - When a guy leaves for three days and asks his roommate to feed the fish, the guy does what is expected, let’s the place fall apart. As the roommate returns Doritos helps make everything come to life including grandpa coming back from his spilled ashes. This one should have never been brought back to life.

Kia (Optima) - A production extravaganza that has the Optima being stolen by everything from a high tech helicopter to a UFO. The good news is that the car was the center of attention. The bad news is that the message was also stolen by the creative.

Second Quarter

Bridgestone (Copy all) - Have you ever done that…copied all on the wrong message? I have and our star did exactly what I wish I could have done. Great commercial. I just wish the connection with tires was a little more obvious.

Chevrolet (Discovery Volt) - Well, if one of the strategies for Chevy is to remind us why we are proud to be an American (without hitting us over the head with a hammer), they have succeeded. Focusing on breakthroughs that have defined the future instead of the benefits of an electric car is counterintuitive, and very effective.

Go Daddy – Go Daddy has become one of the leading web site address registration companies by being irreverent. If their objective is to drive men to their web site and drive brand awareness, then they have scored on this one.

ATT – (Coverage) – A really pretty artistic commercial showing flowers spreading like Kudzu and all over major cities. Well done…I just hope this was paid for by ATT corporate donations as part of their support the arts program and not by the marketing department. If it was marketing, someone needs to be pruned.

Brisk (Eminem) - Eminem does a very convincing job of telling us why he does not make a very good spokesperson for a product. The folks at Brisk should have taken his advice.

Budweiser (Outlaw) - The bad guy cowboy shows up at the dusty bar ready to kill everyone for being out of Bud. Fortunately, the Bud is delivered just in time. Few can get away with this kind of entertainment. Budweiser did. Unfortunately, this was the annual Clydesdale commercial and it galloped away from the emotional heritage that made the Clydesdale commercial a perennial winner.

Teleflora (Love your rack) - Giving flowers is suppose to be emotional. The set up was great, guy trying to put into words something special to go with the flowers. Based on what he wrote, even the most beautiful bouquet will be wilted on delivery.

Motorola Xoom - This was a take-off on two of the greatest Super Bowl ads in history…The Apple 1984 commercial which set the standard for Super Bowl commercials and Apple’s Lemmings that was aired the following year. Motorola aired a brilliant commercial about how technology might play a role in bringing us all back to more personal relationships. I loved it…only I thought it was an Apple commercial for iPad. I hope Motorola gets Apple to pay for 80% of this one!

Coke (Fire Breathing Dragon) - How far can we push animation with the technology available today? Coke delivers an incredibly impressive commercial with a dragon being satisfied by a Coke. Another example of technology and creative snuffing out any message.

VW Passat (Darth Vader) - A cute commercial that focuses on a little boy trying to test his powers in his Darth Vader suit. The dad making the light blink by remote control makes the little boys day. If a remote control key lock was a new idea, it would have made Volkswagen’s day too.

Snickers (Logging) - Last year, I took a lot of criticism for not loving Betty White getting clobbered. This year, Rosanne is the one that gets clobbered and Richard Lewis makes an appropriate appearance as the guy who needs an energy boost. The best thing about this one is the great casting. If the target is an older audience that watches Curb your Enthusiasm and remembers Rosanne’s TV show, then it works. But when did the number one candy bar in American walk away from the younger generation. Someone else needs to be clobbered.

Career Builder (Parking Lot) - The star in this commercial is an everyday nice guy that is surrounded by chimpanzees and “stuck between a bad job and a hard place.” This commercial speaks to all those people who have hung on to a bad job in a difficult economy and can’t wait to bail when the timing is right. This is proof that humor can support the brand’s reason for being and the main character can be a hero in the eyes of the viewer.

Chevrolet (Facebook Status) – Chevy’s ideal target is the young consumer buying their first car. These new buyers want something that is both economical and “with-it.” A guy checking a voice activated link to his facebook account after dropping his date off speaks right to this audience and demonstrates the power of focusing on a specific target.

Carmax (Kid in a candy store) - This commercial started off with a great premise that focused on the real advantage of Carmax. However, the rapid fire vignettes that follow could only be designed to confuse the viewer and garble the message. They continued their creative misfiring in the third quarter with a nostalgic look at customer service by losing the message in the creative.

Third Quarter

Cars.com (Go first) - Fun concept, but they should have listened to their own advice and let the commercial they aired in the fourth quarter go first. Cars talking about their reviews was right on strategy and drove home the Cars.com reason for being in a creative way.

eTrade (Baby with tailor) - Who is the target…a less sophisticated investor. Who is watching out for that investor – eTrade. Another example of how the message can be sewn in to a funny and cute commercial.

Best Buy (Ozzie buy back) - Best buy has a great message – they will buy back your obsolete technology. Great message, but only Ozzie can make it so complicated, it becomes confusing. And the Super Bowl is the wrong vehicle for this type of detailed message. Pass the chips and dip please.

Home away.com (Hotel disaster) - This is a great web site and a wonderful product. But if you have to spend most of the commercial attacking your competition, the viewer is bound to get lost and miss the message. Fifteen yard penalty for trash talk.

Groupon (Eating in Tibet) - When a humanitarian looking commercial takes a sharp left turn and tries to insert humor and introduce a new service concept, someone is bound to get sick. This was not a good deal.

Coke (Guard Station) - Two soldiers from opposing countries who might have been alumni from Hogan’s Heros guard their respective sides of the border. When one guard shares a Coke with the other, the viewer is only left with what has made Coke the number one brand in the world for over 100 years. Simple, straightforward, effective.

Stella Artois (Romantic Singer) - This commercial is one of the many fall-outs from Anheuser-Busch being purchased by InBev. The folks at Budweiser can’t very well ask for an exclusive on beer commercials when Stella Artois is part of the same company. But, they also have an obligation for stopping a sister brand from doing something stupid in the United States. Wrong venue for this emotionally sappy story line.

Fourth Quarter

Bud Light (Dog Sitting) – The perfect fantasy for the beer drinking guy. A house full of dogs serving an endless supply of Bud Light. They got this one right.

Pepsi Max (I wonder) – Guy and girl thinking two different thoughts. I think we would feel better about the brand if they both kept their thoughts to themselves. Another miss for a company that use to be on top of the charts.

Volkswagen (New Beetle) – Here is another example of how an advertiser can use great animation to create excitement about their brand. The animation was relevant and left the message in good shape.

Verizon (iPhone) – Verizon finally broke ATT exclusive on the iPhone. If I had a message that big, I would not be so subtle about communicating it. This one looked more like a commercial for iPhone with Verizon being an afterthought. Maybe Apple paid for this one too.

A Thrill of a Life Time!

What an incredible day. The 2010 Ironman World Championship is now history. While I did not make my goal of ending up on the podium, I none the less was ecstatic with the end result. I came back to Kona after taking fifth in my age group as the youngest person in the group four years ago with the dream of going back to the podium as the oldest member of the group. I had no idea how much the competition had improved over the last four years. The cut off for the top 10 four years ago was 11:53:54. This year, the 10th place finisher came in at 11:01:35 on a harder bike course.
The swim was a slug fest as expected. I started in the middle of the pack knowing it would be a fight, but also wanting to take full advantage of any drafting which is legal in the swim. The course is 1.2 miles out and back. For the first 6/10 of a mile, it can best be described as a tight pack. I was either swimming over someone or someone was swimming over me. A little frightening, but the mass was creating its own current. Things started to open up at the turn at 1.2 miles and I was able to get into a rhythm for the back half of the swim. My time of 1:15:33 put me in 28th and was 2 ½ minutes faster than 2006.
When we started the bike, there was not a cloud in the sky. The good news is that we had wonderful unobstructed views of Manna Kea , the 13,000 foot volcano that defines the Island of Hawaii, and Haleakala, the 10,000 foot volcano on Maui. The bad news is that we fried. What can make this Ironman so challenging in addition to the heat are the winds on the way to Hawi, the northern most city on the Island, and today was no exception. The cross winds were so strong, I was almost blown off my bike 4 times. I passed three athletes who were not so fortunate to stay upright and were being attended to by the emergency personnel. At one point, I was riding downhill into a head wind and struggling to hold 17 miles per hour in a section that I should have been going 28 to 30 miles per hour without pedaling. It is always very emotional for me when I finish my bike and today was no exception. Of all the things that can go really wrong in an Ironman, most like flat tires, mechanical failure and crashes happen on the bike. I paid my respects to the spirits of Hawaii as I handed my bike off to a volunteer and ran to the transition area to change into my running shoes. My 6:03:12 bike time was 5 minutes slower than 2006, but given the more difficult wind conditions, I felt like this year was a stronger ride.

I know that many of you who tracked my run have developed your own theory of what I did. Here is what really happened. I knew I was way off my goal when I started the run. I was happy with my swim and my bike time was slower than expected. So I went out on the run a little more aggressively because I was still chasing a dream. The first 10 miles are pretty flat and fast and I was averaging 7:30 minute miles (not counting one bathroom break.) Then at mile 10, I turned on to Palani Road, the steepest hill on the run and as they say, the engine sputtered and died. My 7:30 pace quickly became 8:30s and then 9s and finally for the last 6 miles, I was struggling to hold 10 minute miles. It was painful, but the view of the ocean and the lava fields were great.
And then at mile 25.7, I turned on to Ali’I drive for the last ½ mile. With thousands of people aggressively drinking and cheering every athlete that runs by, it is nothing less than a thrill of a life time. It is also an indelible reminder to every athlete that an Ironman is first and foremost about finishing. My 3:52:10 marathon took me from 29th to 15th in my age group and was six minutes off my 2006 pace.
As I came across the finish line, Nannette, Gary, Alicia and Jim were working as volunteers presenting a real flower lei to each of the finishers. Having my wife and friends as my “official greeters” was very special to me.
Other special things during the day was seeing my training buddy, Scott Boylan, on the bike and twice on the run and shouting mutual words of encouragement. I also saw Raj twice on the run and was inspired by how well he was running on his two prostatic legs. I saw our friend and fellow triGeek, Kebby Holder on the run and she gave me a big “Go Mike.” She and her husband Reg were comfortably sitting in the finishing stands and cheered me on as I ran the last ¼ mile. Kebby took 8th in her age group with a 10:23. Way to go Kebby.

It is now Sunday, the day after the race. I am up and walking…even eating again. We went for a mile swim in Kona Bay….I can’t get enough of it, even though the coffee bar is gone. As I write this final blog for the trip, I want to thank all of you for flooding my e-mail box with great comments. I also want to thank all my training buddies for being there. And most importantly, I want to thank my wife Nannette for always being there….where ever there is.

Finally, in my speech, Keeping the Flame Lit for Life, I encourage my audiences to turn set-backs into learning experiences. Here are five key things I learned from missing my goal yesterday.
1. It is a lot easier to get on the podium as the youngest in your age group than the oldest.
2. In today’s highly competitive world, in an environment when bars are being raised on an hourly basis, staying the same is no longer good enough.
3. If you are someone who chases dreams and captures all of them, you probably aren’t dreaming big enough.
4. It really is all about the journey, not the destination.
5. No matter what goal you set, running the last ¼ mile down Ali’I Drive in the Ironman World Championship is a thrill of a lifetime!

A Day to be Mellow

Coffee and a cookie in the middle of Kona Bay again? Of course! It was a great way to start off my birthday and still fun after five consecutive days. As we drove down to the ocean this morning, there was a dramatic change in the town. It seemed like the city officials had passed an ordinance banning running on Friday. The street that had been packed with runners for the past week were now void of runners. I wonder why?

The key word for today was mellow. Other than the swim in the morning, Scott and I spent most of the morning sitting on the patio, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and working on our computers. The only serious work we did was to pack all of our equipment for Saturday. To complete the 140.6 miles, we needed to set up our bikes, layout our tri suits, cap, goggles and computer chip, pack a bike transition bag (shoes, socks, helmet, glasses, number, and food), pack a bike goody bag (for mile 56 on the bike), pack a run transition bag (running shoes, hat and more food) and a run goody bag (for mile 13.1 on the run.) A logistical nightmare.

At 1 PM, we rode our bikes down to check in…8 miles and a 800 foot drop…pretty easy. Check in is an event by itself. All the major bike manufactures have people to track what bikes are being ridden by the athletes. A couple hundred spectators surround the entrance just to watch the competitors arrive. This is when I remembered there is nothing typical about this Ironman.

We went back to the house for an uneventful afternoon….amazing. As the sun went down, we enjoyed an incredible pasta dinner with the Boylan’s, Kessler’s, and Jim Shelden. While it was a pre-race dinner, it was also a very special for me being able to share my birthday dinner with such good friends.

Well, this is obviously my last blog before the race. The response I have received has been overwhelming. It means so much to me to have so many friends sharing this event with me…even if it is in cyberspace. One of the common themes in your responses has been how much you have appreciated me sharing my feeling before the big day. So let me conclude by giving you an idea of where I am on the night before the World Championship.
I have become an emotional wreck. It is not from being concerned or worried about tomorrow. I am not nervous about my ability to finish and to do my best. I am an emotional wreck because tomorrow is a day I have been looking forward to since I was treading water at the start of last year’s Wisconsin Ironman and my nephew, Dr. David Salzman who was in the lake next to me said, “Uncle Mike…Game On!” I can’t wait for what has the potential of being one of the great days of my life.

Four years ago, I came to the World Championship as the youngest athlete in my age group. I was 55 in the 55 to 59 year old age group and captured the fifth spot on the podium. Today, at 59, I am the oldest. My dream is to again be in the top 5. A dream – definitely. A realistic goal given the top talent like Joe Bonness (55) and Kevin Moats (56) and three other guys who have run an Ironman 30 minutes faster than me – we will find out tomorrow. In the four years, in addition to getting older, I swam over 1,000 miles, rode 25,000 miles, and ran 5,000 miles with some very amazing and special people. I have hiked six 14,000 foot peaks, mountain biked around the Annapurna Circuit and climbed to Masada, Petra, and Machu Picchu with various family members. My speaking has given me a chance to inspire 70 groups and maybe help some of those attendees chase their own dreams. It has been an incredible journey. I am not sure what the destination is going to be tomorrow, but I know I am ready, and I know my journey to get here today was the result of so many friends, family members and training buddies who have inspired me to chase my craziest dreams.

I am heading to bed early tonight thinking of a quote I heard Bruce Taylor the CEO of Cole Taylor Bank use in a speech 15 years ago.

“Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.”

Tomorrow morning, I will be running….and I will be thinking of all of you, running along with me.

Mahalo

Race details for Saturday.
The race starts at 7:00 AM Hawaiian time, 1 PM Eastern, 12 noon Central. I expect to finish in around 11 hours or at 6 PM Hawaiian, midnight Eastern, 11 PM central. In 2006, I finished in 11 hours and 12 minutes. You can track the results and see live video at http://www.ironmanlive.com/

Fighting to Stay Young and Winning

It should come as no surprise how Thursday started off in Kona. We swam ½ mile out to the coffee bar for coffee and cookies. While swimming back, I swam directly over a huge turtle about 20 feet below me and stop to watch how he gracefully moved through the water. I can learn from him.

Another highlight of the morning was the traditional underpants run…sorry, I did not bring my camera. I am not sure how it started, but the underpants run has become a tradition on Thursday morning for many years. My guess is that it was thrown in to relieve some of the tension and anxiety starting to build among the athletes. The one observation I can make is that triathlon suits are far more revealing than regular underwear for both men and women.

Later in the morning, I had the opportunity to get 10 minutes of coaching in an endless pool with Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen, the 2009 master swimmer of the year (for the fifth time) and current holder of 47 master swim records. She told me to keep my arms wider (like the turtle.)

Our friends, Alicia and Gary Kessler arrived from Atlanta to complete our support team. Gary is a regular in the Triple-By-Pass Ride in Colorado each summer. Gary and I went for a 4 mile run to keep things moving.

The rest of the day was spent thinking about Saturday. I have been focusing so much on being physically ready and with just two days to go, there is nothing more I can do to improve my ability. Mentally, I spent time thinking about what I needed to do on race day. How fast should I go out on the bike? What should my game plan be for the run? How much should I eat and drink during the bike and run? What should I pack in my goody bag that I pick up halfway through the bike and halfway through the run? Emotionally, I am fighting to stay calm and not let every little sore, pain or ailment frighten me. I am also working hard to fight the gravity of what I am planning to do on Saturday. The “what’s the guy from right field doing here” syndrome. And spiritually, I am trying to connect with what they say in the Hawaiian culture…to capture strength from the land and the sea.

The final event for the day was the pre-race banquet for the 2,000 athletes and 3,000 family members. Our friend Scott Rigsby joined us for dinner. Scott complete the Ironman in Kona in 2007 to become the first double leg amputee to finish the event using a traditional bike and running on prosthetics. Scott has become a great inspiration to many, but my favorite thing that I have watched Scott do is talk with children who have lost just one leg.

During the banquet, Lew Hollander was honored as the oldest competitor. At 80 years old, he is trying to complete his 21st Ironman. Lew gave a simple answer when asked why he does it. He believes he will live 20 more years after his last Ironman and he likes pushing that date back every year. He was my shining example today of what most of us are doing in Kona.

Staying forever young.

A Town Filled with People “Who Can.”

Kona – Day two

Aloha! Another beautiful day in paradise. We woke up early this morning for our swim in Kona Bay. What a great way to start the day. The coral was teaming with fish and the water was packed with triathletes. The real surprise was that the Kona Coffee Company had set up a swim up coffee bar ½ mile out on a catamaran. A Starbucks of the Sea. And to the group in Kona this week, a ½ swim out to a free coffee bar would barely be considered a short work out. I don’t even drink coffee, but this stop was too good to pass up. And when you are drinking hot Kona coffee in the middle of the Kona Bay, life is good.

After our swim, we headed over to TriBike Transport to pick up our bikes. TriBike has developed a great business of picking up bikes in major cities across the United States and shipping them in large containers to the Ironman events. After checking out the bikes, we hop on for a 20 mile ride down the famous Queen K highway. This is the 50 mile road from Kona to Havi that seems to get a lot of attention on NBC sports for its cruelty. Triathletes must ride through the mid-day sun across lava fields to complete the bike course. I remember my first time in Kona and how intimidated I was by everything I had heard. But on this return visit, it was time to enjoy and to make friends with the grand lady. I had survived her perils four years ago and now it was time to say hello to old friends, like the airport and energy lab that were points along the way. It felt great to be back on my bike.

One of the things that becomes obvious after a couple days in Kona is that this town is filled with people “who can.” Everyone has a personal story of how they are chasing a dream. Each person is traveling with an entourage of friends and family members who all believe in them and are here to support them. People get to Kona two ways. They either finish an Ironman in the top 3 percent of their age group, or 10 percent of the field paid $50 for a chance at 200 slots in a lottery. The common denominator is that everyone believed it was possible. Since Ford is the title sponsor of this event, I think it is appropriate to quote Henry Ford who said, “Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right.” It is inspiring to be around so many people chasing dreams, celebrating their journey and living life.
At 5 PM, all the competitors meet up for the Parade of Nations. We march by country down Ali’I Drive the “Main Street” of Kona. Friends, family and the community come out to cheer each country. It sounds pretty corny, but when you start walking with fellow athletes behind the American Flag, it suddenly becomes a big deal.

My personal highlight of the parade was seeing Rajesh Durbal. I met Rajesh in Atlanta in April when he was in Mike Lenhart’s Getting2Tri training camp for challenged athletes. Raj was born missing one hand and both feet. Raj will be competing in the Ironman World Championship on Saturday as a challenged athlete because he is a shining example of a person “who can.”

We returned to our mountain hide-away for a quiet dinner that Nannette and Joanne prepared.

Kona – Day Three

Wednesday was a repeat of Tuesday, without the Parade of Nations. Swim to the coffee bar, bike on the Queen K, run along Ali’I Drive, quiet dinner at home. Tapering at its best.

Mahalo!

Ironman World Championship

Keeping the flame lit in Kona, Hawaii (Monday)

We are five days away from the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii and I am writing this daily blog to share this experience with all the people who helped me get here.
Nannette and I arrived in Kona on Sunday afternoon and were joined by Scott Boylan (my training buddy from Frisco), his wife Joanne and Jim Shelden. We are sharing a house on 2.5 acres of flowers and fruit trees that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is 800 feet above Kona. The view is spectacular and the peace and tranquility are very welcome.

Our day started off with a one mile swim. Swimming in Kona Bay is never just a training swim. In addition to the emotional thrill of being on the race course, Kona Bay has crystal clear water and is only 15 to 30 feet deep. The coral that covers 75% of the bottom is a magnet for beautiful tropical fish. So the sightseeing really makes the training very enjoyable.

Later that day, we went for a for a 6 mile training run on Ali’i Drive (famous for being the first 10 miles and the last ½ mile of the Marathon.) We had plenty of company and the runners (men and women) were all impressive and intimidating. This is when I remembered that the people here this week all think that training 20 to 30 hours a week is normal. Each person has already competed in an Ironman and finished in the top three percent of their age group. There is nothing average about anybody. We are all crazy.

Kevin Moats, the current world champion in our age group had the five us over for dinner on Monday night. Kevin has been competing in the Ironman for over 25 years and has a house right on the Ocean on Ali’i Drive. Kevin lives in Atlanta and was a wealth of information.

It feels great to be back in Kona.