We've Arrived....First Day on the Big Island!

Well, technically, it’s our second day. We actually arrived on Saturday evening after a marathon travel day which included two flights…the first which was 11+ hours from Boston to Honolulu, then a quick 30 minute flight from Honolulu to Kona. So, I don’t really “count” Saturday! I will say, our kids really handled the flight well. Hawaiian Air does a great job providing free entertainment….and even has a “kids” channel. Anyway, as per usual, it’s tough to get on “Kona” time. I woke up about 2am on Sunday….then was off and on until about 4:30am, when the kids were finally up for good. Given the 6 hour time different, the Sunday NFL games start at 7am, so I watched the first half of the Eagles/Jets game on our lanai while drinking coffee. I was also able to watch the Hoala Ironman Training Swim, which had a HUGE amount of swimmers!

I sort of wished I had done it, but it would have been tough to do after our long travel day. I watched the second half of the game at the pool, so the kids could swim while Jenn was doing the first round of grocery shopping. However, this was not a “off” day. I had a 2.5 hour ride and 20 min run scheduled. So, I fueled up around 11, then heading down to the TriBike Transport tent to pick up my bike and gear bag. After getting ready, I headed out of town and onto the legendary Queen K Highway around 1pm (heat of the day). Before turning onto the Queen K, three guys pulled up next to me at the light. They were heading the same way, so I tagged along. It turns out that one of the guys was pro triathlete, Joe Skipper, from Great Britain, and a couple age group friends. Super nice guy! I rode with them for about 5-6 miles, chatting it up, before turning off. I would have ridden with them longer, but I was supposed to meet my friend, Jana, near the Energy Lab. However, I missed her, and we never actually connected. So, I just rode solo. After a few miles on the bike, it started to feel good again. I hadn’t been on this bike for about 2 weeks. Something else I did for this ride was test out my new custom, Ownway “Kona” inspired race kit. I liked it! I wanted some lighter colors on the shoulders for the hot bike/run.

This is actually Monday morning. Swelling is worse.

I did have a bit of snafu on this ride, however. As I was heading towards the end of my time on the Queen K, I had a bug or something fly right into my neck area. I didn’t think too much of it, as that happens. But, right before the turnoff, I could feel something crawling on my neck. So, I swatted it….right into my arm. I believe it was a wasp, as it stung the living crap out of me and the symptoms match! I immediately stopped, writhing in pain….and pulled the stinger out. I had planned to extend the ride a bit, but decided to cut it short at 2:15 after the sting. I made it back to the condo, doused the arm with rubbing alcohol, and headed out on my run. The idea was to keep the run “smooth”. My legs felt unexpectedly good! And, being that I was running on Alii Drive, as much as my legs felt good, I ran VERY hot. I went out around a 6:30 on the first mile and got my HR up a bit too high. Oh well, there’s still time to recover. After the run, we headed down to Lava Java for a sunset dinner, which just doesn’t get any better!

Tomorrow, I plan to get into the water with my friend and fellow BTTer, Carolyn Soules, who’s racing her first Kona. I’m hoping to register quickly after that, if there’s time. We are then taking the kids to an Octopus Farm. However, given the swelling in my arm, I may also be making a trip to Urgent Care! I’ll report more tomorrow!!! Aloha!