The rest of Tuesday was an interesting day.
Talked Chris into doing registration today – what a great choice. No one was there and it took all of 5 minutes. But first, sign your life away. For all I know I signed something that said please tatoo me with your corporate logo once I cross the finish line. Or worse. Who knows. After that, it was a game of guess your weight. Just for fun I decided to weigh myself. Weighed in 5 lbs lighter than last year which is hard to believe but then again I didn’t touch the Cheez-It’s this summer. Next you walk over to get your stuff. Unlike last year, no one talked you through your stuff they just handed you a baggie this year and said “all of your stuff is in here.”
Next we drove towards Hilo. The road climbs to 1500 feet and the island takes on a different look. Lush rainforest with sweeping faraway views of the ocean. Stopped at a coffee farm and macadmia nut farm indulging in both. The road then twisted and turned until finally we said this is taking too long let’s go back. Just like Chicagoans. If we can’t go 80 mph on a straight flat road, we’re not going.
Anyways, back to Kona. Back to our condo. Oh, our condo. Here is where our day takes a turn towards high drama. A turn onto a straight flat road in case you are wondering. You see, what our condo was advertised as and what it was are two completely different things. And what some people consider clean and what I consider clean are also different things. We happened to be in the world’s most uncomfortable condo. Also the world’s smelliest, mustiest, and dirtiest too. Ok, how many times have you bought a can of Febreze on vacation to spray around just so you could tolerate the place?
Needless to say, one hour later we had located another place to stay. Truly a moment of high drama but the way we see it is like this – we trained for months, we paid a lot of money to get here and be here, this is as close to a vacation as we’re getting this year, and damn we’re going to like the place we stay.
So here we are in a better place. Sure, it was a hassle to walk groceries, bikes, clothes, Mr. Pickles, etc., across the place in a suitcase. But the eggs didn’t break and Chris seems happier overall. He had a vision of how his first Ironman should be and an uncomfortable setting was not in his vision. I totally agree. You want everything to be perfect so you are more at ease about the real task at hand – the race.
We cooked dinner and ate outside watching the sun turn the sky into beautiful hues of pink and blue. Our new lanai is a world better and the waves are crashing right now so loud that I want to get up and take a look. Which I will in a moment or two.
After dinner, we headed down to the expo. Ford has a message booth where we could enter in athlete #’s and inspirational messsages to be displayed as athletes come out of the energy lab. Needless to say if you are an athlete and we know you and you happen to see something inspirational roll across the screen with your name – we might know something about that.
Even at 7 pm, Alii Drive was buzzing with athletes – walking, even running. Not in massive crowds yet but they are popping up around town. Lots more posses out there of athletes wearing the same shirts and caps. We seriously need to get our entourage together and get it together now.
Noticed Michellie walking down Alii Drive. Only because she was wearing a shirt that said her name. But then again, if you win Kona you could probably wear a shirt with whatever you want.
Also saw a plate of crumb cake on the seawall. You see strange things like that around Kona. You see strange people around Kona. Anyways, the crumb cake was totally not out of place. And it took everything I had to hold myself back. Temptation is all around this island and I am practically tying my hands behind my back to resist chocolate covered this and that, ice cream, and….crumb cake.
And so we started making a list. Yes with Ironman you make a lot of lists. Things to buy at the store after race day. Top of my list – crumb cake. Which first I will eat by picking off the crumbs. Then eating the cake. And washing it all down with a cold glass of milk.
Now, off to watch those waves…
