The Road to Kona...

The plane lands at the airport in Kona. Down the stairs onto the tarmac, I pause briefly. It's hot, but not that hot. Also not that windy. A silly grin comes across my face. On a day like this, I can do it. I can do the Ironman.

Wind has been my big worry while preparing for this race. It's one of the big uncontrollable variables I constantly thought about. I even borrowed a friend's race wheels (thanks Chris) to help reduce potential crosswind problems.

Allan and Norm have joined me as my support team on this adventure. Yes, I have a support team. You'd think I was a pro or something. Well, at least they make me feel like a pro. The support I've received from my friends has been amazing. Thanks guys. We went to get our car rental and decided to do this trip up right. We upgraded to a brand new cherry red Camaro convertible. I've always said, "If I can't be fast, at least I can look fast!"

The condo I arranged with the help of yet another friend is perfect. Right on the ocean, Magic Sands is four miles from the pier and right beside White Sand beach. Close enough to the action, but far enough away to relax. I think we lucked out with this one.

Time to see the course. Into our bright red convertible, we go for a drive along the bike route. Rolling along through the lava fields, it gets hot. Very hot. Just north of the airport, the winds picks up. It seems the closer to Hawi we get (the turn-around point), the stronger the wind gets. As I watched the occasional palm tree or bush blowing in the wind, I could feel my heart begin to race. Sure hope it's not like this on race day.

Through the week, I made a point of being at the pier around 7AM to get used to the swim conditions. I wasn't the only one with that idea. The beach was packed with triathletes out for a dip in the crystal clear ocean. I see Paula Newby-Fraser to my left. There's Karen Smyers to my right. Peter and Lori are up on the pier being interviewed by one of the hoards of press mingling through the crowds. Again, I begin to wonder if I belong here. It seems like a dream.

The water is warm. About 79F. No need for a wetsuit, but since they allow the Physically Challenged (PC) division athletes to use one, I figure I'll take advantage of it's added buoyancy factor. With a paralysed left arm, I'll take all the help I can get.

In the afternoons I go for a short run or a ride. I figure this would help me get used to the heat of the day. Not sure how hot it is, but it sure zaps the energy from you. I was told it was hot here. They weren't wrong.