Tonight I feel ready. I feel like all my life I’ve been preparing for this. And a month ago I’ve heard the click and now I’m in.
If I ask you what is the most popular sport in Hawai’i, that would be too easy. The second most popular is not that obvious and it would probably surprise you if I say triathlon.
Say trajatlon. There is a big one, the very most famous IRONMAN in Kona, Big Island, 2.4-mile swim (about 3.8K), a 112-mile bike ride (179.2K) and a 26.2-mile run (42K or a marathon). Then there is Olympic distance, which goes like 1.5K swim (about 0.9 miles), a 40K bike ride (24 miles) and a 10K run (6.2 miles). And then there is TINMAN, which I’m gonna run tomorrow. Has everything the same as Olympic except they cut the swim in half. So people won’t drown that often, I guess. It’s kind of a pity, because distance swimming is my strongest of the three. Then comes a bike, 40k is a piece of cake for somebody who has done Bratislava à Vienna and back in one day. Long distance running is my biggest unknown. I picked it up just recently and going through my first half marathon was a LOT of pain.
A month and a half ago on a beach I saw a colorful group with fancy bikes. Since then we came a long way together, 5 times two hours a week with weekend minitriahlon trials.
Last week has been the most difficult. We were strongly advised to restrain ourselves from any triathlon resembling activity and just rest. But now this grueling idleness is over and we are ready and anxious to hit it. Like a boxer who is locked in a room before a fight , trashes it and then he beats up his trainer, because he happens to be the one who walks in there first.
My gear is packed, swim goggles cleaned, bike tuned, numbers attached, alarm is set for 3:15.
All what is left to do now is to show up tomorrow morning. And beat up the right guy …
=;)
