McCormack of Australia for finally breaking through and winning the
one race that has eluded him is whole career. I also have to mention
good friend and long time training partner Craig Alexander for coming
in a close second in his debute Hawaii ... amazing!
My race couldn't have gone better. I had a great swim and led the race
out to the 1/2 point of the 2.4 mile swim and came out of the water in
3rd place overall. This set me up for a good transition and I was
second out onto the bike course.
Last year I really struggled through the first 20km of the bike as I
found the pace too fast. This year I was comfortable and in control
and I was right up with all the contenders for the title leading into
the lava fields.
About 40km into the race last years winner and cycle specialist Norman
Stadler caught our group and I braced myself for an increase in pace.
It was soon aparent that Norman wasn't feeling well and he pulled out
of the race soon after. One less to worry about!
A few guys made a break off the front of the race but I hung with a
group containing all the past title winners so I knew I had to be on a
good pace. In my group with Tim De Boom (2 time winner), Luc Van
Lierde (2 time winner), Chris McCormack and Craig Alexander (eventual
1-2).
Coming into T2 I was in the change with "the big guns". I ran out onto
the streets of Kailua Kona in 7th place overall .... things couldn't
have been going better! I was right where I needed to be to not only
finish in the top 15 which was my goal but go even better and possibly
nail a top 10?! I held back on my pace in the early k's sticking with
Eneko Llanos initially and then Luc Van Leirde through the first 15km.
Coming through town and up the killer hill Palani Rd I was holding
down 10th place ... half way there ... 21km to go! Once out in the
lava fields I started to go through a rough patch and I had to focus
on cooling myself down and getting in extra nutrition. At 25km I fell
out of the top 10 just before the toughest section of the run ... "the
Energy Lab". The Energy Lab was a killer mentally. I was down on my
nutrition and feeling it, plus I had several guys coming up on me
fast! I lost 6 places in 2km in the Lab but I was starting to feel a
little stronger.
With 10km to go I was picking it back up and was hoping I could maybe
regain a few places I had lost in the Lab but now I had a new problem
... my toe nails were sweeling and were killing and beginning to fall
off! I could see the blood coming through my shoes. I grit my teeth
and pushed through the pain. Coming down the last hill into town I was
almost in tears my toes where aching so bad!
Turning onto Alii Drive and into the massive crowd all the pain went
away and the huge rush of adreneliene bought me to the finsih line in
19th place in 8.44.55.
I was very excited to see my parents waiting for me at the finsih
line. Mum burst into tears she was so happy!
A few hours later I watch my two girls (my girlfriend Amanda and my
little sister Jacque) come in together and I was very proud of them.
Amanda had dreamed of racing here for years after two battles with
Cancer and to see her achieve her goal was very moving for me. Jacque
had been an elite triathlete before Glandular Fever ended her career
for 4 years and to see her back into the sport and finsihing Ironman
Australia and now Ironman Hawaii in one year I was so so excited for
her. Both girls didn't have the race they planned as they both got
sick out on the run course. They found eachother out in the Lava
Fields and decided to finish together which was awesome!
I have had a few days to reflect on my race while taking some time off
in beautiful Maui. I am already keen to get back into training for my
next Ironman challenge which will be in New Zealand in March 2008. I
look forward to building my year around the Hawaii Ironman and aiming
for that top 10 next October!
Thanks to all my awesome sponsors and supporters for all the emails. I
was overwhelmed by how many emails I got both before and after the
race (sorry haven't been able to personally reply to all yet!)
Thanks to my parents and sister for always believing in me. They
helped me recover from my knee injury over the Australian summer and
gave me incrediable support.
Thanks to Adrian of Amalgamated Textiles for your support! Having you
there in Kona was so much fun. Amanda and I couldn't have achieved
this result without your never ending support!
Finally to my girlfriend Amanda. She has been the stregth behind my
results this summer. In December and January I was 10kg overweight
with a stress fracture in my knee and she never once doubted I could
make 2007 a successful year. When we rode around Sydenys Centennial
Park in mid February getting past by 50 year old, overweight women I
was so discouraged but she made me laugh about it. So I have come a
long way since then and back then I would never have dreamed top come
in the top 20 in Hawaii.
See you all in 2008 for an even bigger and better year!
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