Steven Lords Website

Yesterday I decided I was ready for a real acclimatization run and probably my last long run before the race. The plan was to run out along the Queen K highway in the heat of the day. This is something my friend Raf did this the weekend before Kona last year and performed rather well (winning M20-24!). In the past I’ve not run this part of the course other than in the race. It’s the toughest bit due to lack of support, lack of cover (so v hot) and it’s the second half of the marathon. It seems sensible to run this bit and to use the time for visualization.

This is what I did yesterday. I set out at 11:30am so I was out on the highway through the midday sun. Of course this is the point you realise just where u didn’t put the suncream on. Luckily I didn’t burn ! I took my iPod and visualized being strong on the run especially as I returned from the Natural Energy Lab. As I started back I felt slightly concerned. I was only able to carry half a litre of water and at this point wondered as to he wisdom of what I was doing. I still felt comfortable and on the return there was a headwind that reduced how hot I felt and the sweat on me more or less disappeared. As I focussed I started to speed up and felt more comfortable. I had to be very careful not to go over my HR cap. I got back in 1h48 and probably covered the best part of 13 miles. Very pleased I did it and certainly felt I coped with the heat pretty well.

In the morning I met Paul and swam the full course. We went steady to the turnaround buoy without stopping in 32 minutes. Very comfortable pace. On the way back we had some fun. We were swimming side by side and about halfway back I noticed a guy turn and sprint to get on my toes. My immediate thought was to drop him but I had a generous moment and though that as long as he didn’t touch my toes I’d let him practise drafting. He didn’t. Then suddenly Paul is upping the pace beside me. I know he’s decided he wants to drop this guy. Within minutes the guy had popped. He told me later the guy had moved onto his feet and kept touching them !! We settled down again until about 500m to go when I decided to push abit and see what Paul did. I think I got him by surprise and initially got away, I kept pushing then next thing I know he’s back beside me and pushing on. I match his pace and then with about 50m to go we both ease off. We both thoroughly enjoyed it and managed the return in 30 minutes.

The star spotting has started. On Tuesday I saw Jo Lawn out on the bike course. She looked over – I assume she thought I was a pro and was checking me out ;o) or perhaps she remembers the Tri London Kit from when we ran through T1 one together at New Zealand ! Yesterday morning we saw Norman Stadler heading out for a swim. He looked super super lean but in the flesh he really is quite a small bloke. During my run I saw him heading out on the bike. It’s starting to hot up here in Kona and the atmosphere is building, it’s such fun being part of it. Those of you trying to qualify for next year it is worth the effort to get out here. I know some of you were so close, that little bit more during the winter, get up everytime that alarm goes off … it’ll be worth it in the end !

In the afternoon I headed out with mum to the Four Seasons, where my sister is staying, to hang out for the afternoon and then babysit in the evening. That is one amazing hotel ! Really enjoyed relaxing there and munching a rather fine steak.

This morning I swam on my own. Did a pretty swift half course and went for breakie at my new favourite Kona breakfast join – Splashers (todays piccie is the view from Splashers) – they do great omelettes and scrambled egg specials and provide endless coffee together with a cool view over the swim start allowing for all the people watching you could ever wish for.

I had big plans for a ride out to Hawi today but the combination of 5 days of reasonable training together with a late night last night had left me rather tired. As such I’ve just dozed, eaten and read my book. I’m sure it’ll have done me good. There’s a nice bit of symmetry – I can do another 5 day block followed by 3 days ease off before the race. I can always create a positive spin in my head on any of my decisions, it’s so good that I always truly believe them !

Jo has a column on Tri247 and her next piece on there prompted me to write a course description of Kona. Decided I may write course descriptions of all my races and have a little section on my site. The Kona one is here.

The book I’ve just finished is called The Infinite Book and it’s fascinating. Talks about the implications of an infinite universe and an infinite number of universes. Whats really nice about it is that in one of them I win Kona. Whats even nicer is in one of them Jo wins Kona and whats even nicer than that in one of them Jo and I both win Kona on the same day.

Now there’s a thought…

Got a doze of the infamous Hawaii winds today. Did a ride out to Hawi (the turnaround point on the bike course). The section for bad winds is a section of road towards the turnaround just before the final 7 mile climb to Hawi. It seems the winds come down off the volcano and get channelled down these little valleys running perpendicular to the road which means as you pass them you can get hit by a strong cross wind. I hit this section of road and at the first of these little valleys I see all these leafs spiraling like they’re caught in a mini tornado – it looks bad enough that I slam on the anchors rather than cycle through it. From there I had more guts and stayed down on the aero bars and just relaxed and tried to go with the winds. A lot of time I was leaning over to the right. Bit scary at times but good experience. I kept my nerve by being able to think “ well it’s not as bad as Lanzarote” … I knew the time John and I got totall’d by a cross wind would bear fruits.

Enjoyed a Kona coffee at Hawi before hammering it back down the road – spinning my top gear I covered the 7 miles that must have taken 30 minutes on the way up in 12 or 13 minutes on the way back down. Staying down and dirty on the aero bars through all the winds. Very pleased with myself. It was so hot today, the wind blowing in my face on the way back felt like someone had just opened an oven. After another stop for more fluid I got back on the Queen K highway and thought to myself you can enjoy some worry free riding now as there’ll  be no nasty winds. Not long after I’m going along at about 28 mph coming out of a section of road with high land either side when I’m hit hard by a sudden unexpected gust of wind. I rapidly decelerate to under 15 mph, having to fight to keep control wanting to get up off my aero bars to hit the brakes but know I’ll come off if I try to. My heart is almost bursting out of my mouth and when the wind drops and I’m under control my heart is pounding !

Been building up the training this week. All steady stuff trying to build my aerobic base. This is following the advice I got about doing this race so soon after Wisconsin. Here’s what I’ve done:

Sunday – 2.5k swim, 75 mile bike, 8 mile run (BRICK)

Monday – 3.8k swim, 27 mile ride, 5 mile run (BRICK)

Tuesday – 2.2k swim, 106 mile ride. Knocked run on the head.

On Monday I swam with Paul Clements (I;d seen him at the swim a couple of times). Turned out we are very similar speed swimmers and it was great fun swimming side by side. If we’d not been swimming together we’d not have done the full course since at the halfway buoy the next buoy was the white turnaround buoy and it was not visible. We had to trust that it was there and just swim out. Would have been pretty freaky on my own. We saw a stingray and got stung by some little critters at the surface which we couldn’t see several times on the way out. Once at the turnaround buoy I felt really isolated. No other swimmers were heading out and the start looked miles away. It was a great swim. Paul joined us for breakie at Lava Java, we ended up chatting and drinking coffee for hours.

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.

It’s great to be back in Kona. The place feels so familiar. We had a little walk down by the sea, had wondered about getting something to eat but since it was after 9pm held out little hope … we were right. Some macadamia nuts had to do.

The bike has arrived safe and sound. Above u can see me finishing up putting it back together. Got a pretty good room at the Kona Seaside. Top floor look out across Palani -views would be better the other side but it’s still pretty good.

Journey over went really well. With two connections to do with a little under 2 hours for each there was a chance of a mess up but all flights were bang on time and all the luggage came through.

For the final leg from San Fran to Kona I was sat next to Vern who manages Bike Works the big bike shop here in Kona. He was on his way back from the Inter Bike bike show. Really interesting chatting to him, helped the journey whizz by. He said they should be getting a couple of P4s in for test rides ! Also some cool, hot off the press (production line) Specialised Aero helmets ! We chatted about riding on the Island and gave me some routes if I decided I don’t just want to plough up and down the Queen K for 2 weeks. He should be able to hook me up with some people to ride with if I want … we will see may just prefer to do alot of my own thing.