Lava Java breakie together with the view from Lava Java.

No messing about this morning , following the swim we went straight to Lava Java for breakfast. It’s the best place for breakie but once you get into race week it’s really difficult to get a table. This morning there was no wait and no pressure to vacate your table. We made the most of it and relaxed with coffee and watched the world go by. My omelette was great – Kailua Pork, ham and cheese – yummy.

I managed to get up in time to get down to the pier for 7am. There were a few others swimming first thing. Maybe I saw half a dozen. Even though I know the water is colder than you expect it felt even colder and I had to pluck up courage to dive in. It warms up once you get further out. It was great to be swimming in such fantastic water. I did half the course in just over 30 minutes.

After breakfast I headed out on the bike. First thing I had to fix a rear tyre flat. Nearly 5 miles along a Queen K I hit some metal on the hard shoulder that I hadn’t spotted. BANG ! Instant rear wheel flat. Felt for sure the tyre must have been shredded but couldn’t see it. I get out my spares to find they are all normal length valves. Stupidly I’ve not switched them over from when I was out with training wheels on. The tube has a big hole in it but all I can do it patch it. It lasted about a mile. I stuffed another patch on top of the that and it held out to the bike shop. By the time I’d bought what I needed the rear was flat again. I fix that and then a couple of minutes later BANG ! It blows. At this point I find the slit in the tyre. A new tyre and another tube later and I’m good to go.

I headed back out along the Queen K. Macca comes whizzing by me right on the wheel of a motorbike. not sure if he was being motor paced or whether the bike was there for safety. He looked to be going well. I turned round and headed back a little later. next thing I know he’s whizzing by me again.

I get back to find that the lid of my container for my tubes etc… (it fits in a bottle cage) has come off somewhere on the ride. Just rounded off the ride in style. I was pretty annoyed. Some people call this first ride a “shake down” ride … well there was a big shake down today.

I ran off the bike. Did the first part of the run course out along Alii Drive and back. Probably just under 10 miles. Didn’t feel the best run in the world and had to really ease up all the hills to keep under my HR cap. The pace was pretty decent though and very happy to run that far on my first day here.