It's 3:55 in the morning on September 12th 2010. My alarm is set for 5 minutes from now, but I haven't slept all night. Instead of sleeping, I have been tossing and turning constantly thinking of what was waiting for me only a few hours from now. Today is the Big Kahuna, the longest triathlon I have ever signed up to do.
For those who have not read my previous post, the Big Kahuna Triathlon is a half Ironman distance triathlon, consisting of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run, hosted near the Santa Cruz Beach boardwalk.
Start time for this race is 7 a.m. and begins with the 1.2 mile swim in the north pacific ocean. Reports put the water temperature at 58 degrees, which is a nice cool reminder that you are swimming in the ocean. I already knew that the swim was not my strongest event, but felt comfortable with the distance required. The swell in the ocean was small, and only a slight northern current was present which was only an issue at the turn around point at the peak of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. 40 minutes at 52 seconds later, I emerge from the water feeling really good and ready to take on the bike.
The transition area is 1500 feet from the beach, which doesn't sound far, until you realize that you are required to run barefoot though the streets of Santa Cruz. Not the most fun I've had, but once I finally reached T1, I was greeted with a pool of water to wash my feet, and some water and Gatorade. Hydrated and equipped with my bike gear I head out to begin my 56 mile bike ride.
By this time its 55 degrees outside and cloudy. Thankfully the wind is calm, but the temperature is less than ideal. I quickly regret not putting on my bike sleeves only a few miles in, but push on regardless. During my training, I am normally able to sustain a 19-20 miles per hour (or 30 kph) but decided prior to the race that I wanted to keep myself at around 15 mph (25 kph) in order to sustain myself though the hilly coastal ride, and leave something left in the tank for the run. About 1 hour and 45 minutes later, I'm keeping my desired pace as I hit pigeon point road and pull a 180 degree turn around a orange cone, beginning my return back to Santa Cruz. 28 miles completed and the weather conditions have not changed. The cold air has begun to numb my fingers and it is making it increasingly difficult to perform the simple task of getting a Gu out of a small pack attached to the top tube on my bicycle.
2 hours into the bike ride, and I'm doing a pretty good job at keeping hydrated, and doing my best at making sure my body needs the calories it needs to complete the race. 3 hours, 22 minutes and 16 seconds after leaving the transition area with my bike, I return only to replace my bike shoes with runners and head out on a 13.1 mile run along the California coast line. I'm tired and sore, but not ready to quit.
About 3 miles into the run, my legs start to experience true fatigue. Running is usually my strength, but its been a long day, and asking myself to run the entire half marathon may be to much to ask. The groin injury that I sustained is beginning to come back to haunt me, and uphill runs are painful. In some cases it pull me to a walk. But around 1 hour in, and I circle around a giant 6 foot tiki god signaling the half way point to the run.
At this point, I'm actually glad that the temperature has only risen a few degrees since the bike ride, as the cool air is keeping my body from over heating, and making this run any harder than it already is. 3 more miles of trail running and I'm back on the sidewalks of Santa Cruz running along west cliff. Pedestrians and residents cheer all the athletes on as they pass by, and this is a big motivator for me, and I need it. As I run the final down hill towards my final task of the race. The last 600 yards of the run will be a beach run through lose sand. My legs are running on fumes, but I can see the finish line in the distance, and nothing was going to keep me from it. 6 hours, 18 minutes and 17 seconds after the starting gun, I cross the finish line. I have finished my first ever half Ironman, and the feeling could not be more rewarding.
A full day has passed since I received my Big Kahuna finishers medal, and I have been able to reflect on my performance at this event. Although I still see this as a large accomplishment in my life, its still only half of what I've asked of myself to accomplish in just under 1 year.
Its hard to believe that just 2 and a half years ago, I barely finished my first triathlon that was less than a quarter the size of the Big Kahuna. I've come so far since then, but still have a long way to go.
A special thanks to Jenny and Jayden who were my personal supporters during the race, and the photographer behind the lens.
