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Pirate
The long road to Kona:  Working hard for 5 yars to reach starting number 651

March in Darmstadt:

While we had a hazard in december, I wrote most of these following words, but than I had to look over all the pictures I got.

Last october, a dream come true for myself, a dream where I learned, trained, invested, cured and recovered for more than five years. And almost as long I took me to get thru all the pictures for this bulletin, more than 4GB of pictures, right next to the work, the tax, the training, the decorating and more. Ron: Please forgive me, all my excuses, but they were all true. the hardest things for an age-grouper, are the things you don´t see right in a contest.
I got this dream in winter 2005, when I looked the broadcast of the Ironman Hawaii on a 56k modem with a very bad quality. When a bearded man with a strange name and a Bavarian Nationality passes as first the finish line of the Alii Drive, and I thought to myself:  „ What for an awesome event”.
I took me more than 5 years to make a triathlete out of myself from a MTB-Marathon-specialist and finally it was time for me, at the 9th o october 2010, I stood at the starting line of this race, but now, one thing after another…:

 I won my slot for the Ironman Hawaii triathlon in Nice( see filed bulletins), I had to do some good preparations for this:

Checking my finances, oouch... booking your flights, find a hotel, talk to my boss, exercise, fixing my bike and more…
Pirate Kona

On saturday the 2nd of october, a whole week before the race, the complete crew got started for the trip.
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It was a very long and hard day, even we arrived only a few hours later before we started on the other side of the world, just counting digits.
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Pirate Kona

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The first impression was firstly very american: airport, highway, a small village: Condominium.
But it soon would change after awakening the next morning…
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With every day here on the island the permanent presence of the nature became stronger and stronger. The islands of Hawaii are like an open wpund of the Earth and you can see this energy almost everywhere, and you gonna respect it, unasked.
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The first I used to fix my bike and get it started….
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... getting food and beverages ....
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... and very important, access to the Internet.
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Normally I´m that kind of person who likes to stand up very late, but with the help of the 3days jet-lag, it was possible for me to participate at the spectacle early in the morning, at the official swim exercise.
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It is always something very special to swim in the bay of Kailua Knoa. It´s like a gigantic fish tank with lots of colorful fishes and plants and you´re always possible to see the ground. But, you should swim only in this bay, with some exeptions, if you go at other locations in the ocean, is could be perilous, dangerous to your life. The Pacific Ocean is really powerful, and in cases of doubts, better take no risk…
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Strange thing, whom you meet at the beach. Lots of the pro´s....
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... like the Canandian combatant I met at the Ironaman France (Devashish) or….
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.. some well known faces from Darmstadt….
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Devashish showed me, while we rode a trip, the former running course of the Ironman: The Pit...
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Here was the positions of the: IRONWAR of Dave Scott and Mark Allen. And when you look at the streets, you could see that here took part some former fights, like the last batte of the last supporters of the Hawaii Religion….
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When I made my first run, it confirmed all the stories you´ve heard of Hawaii. The heat is really awesome….but it´s not only the temperature, also, the large amount of sun brightness. You´re really close to the equator.
 After only 2km in the run, I got some shivering. The raw power of the nature shows you, how fast you can go…
 Sunset and sundown is a thing of only minutes and the time in between, produce the life time circle.
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The days before the race, got something of laxity, just easy exercise or housekeeping, get to know with the fauna and flora, gather information of the island and of course…shopping.
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Pirate Kona

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Of course we took part at the “ Parade of the Nations” and we became our own country, and showed the others our flag…
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Now what followed were the really professional organized sequences of the registry, the bike-check-in. The skilful and caring helping hands helped yourselves to feel save and secure and  that everything get ready without hectic or hassle.
I can´t remember myself, if I was at any other race, totally relaxed before the start. Everybody on this island got lots of respect and sympathy to the participants of this huge sport event and their athletes.
In fact of these respect of this event from myself, my goals were quite clear and easy:
 
1. finish
2. before sundown
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09.Oktober - Race Day!
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I said good bye to my family and made myself to the body-marking and of course a visit of the rest rooms and a last check of my bike and than, it became serious…
More than 1900 athletes got into the waters by crossing a really small bridge at the pier.

The start of the pro´s was at 6:30o´clock.
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The age-group athletes started at 7:00o´clock.
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Roar of Guns!
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Only a few moments after the starting signal, the battle began, the fight to moving forward and bot being overrun, better overswim. It was an really ugly and fierce fight and there was no end, and I gotta say at this point the womenwere the ones who hit the hardest way. You can´t call it swimming, you´re just alert all the time and you´re trying not to get a feet in your face and because of that, I can´t be proud of my swim time.
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No matter of this, I was in a high spirit and started with lots of pleasure on the legendary bike-course.
First you got a few curves and turns, right thru the village, really good for the viewers and spectators….
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... and than you get the Queen K-feeling.

Of course my team wasn´t able to follow me at this point with a camera. So, I just give you a small written feed back of it:

Until Kawaihae everything was fine, you also were able to see the rare complete cloudless panorama of the Mauan Loa. Imagine you just ride over a hill and without  warning you see the “ Matterhorn” at the horizon. At this point I remarked that my right arm support were broken and I was only able to ride in the aero-position with a additional effort of my shoulder muscles. When I reached Kawaihae, we headed toward Hawi, the turning point, uphill…with crosswind with a speed of approx.100km/h…When the guy in front of you, suddenly rode in a 45°angular you knew for sure, that I´m the next who will be hit by the wind. I was reminded at this point on my alpine MTB-marathons. You gotta hold really tight you handle bar and kick the pedals like hell. Not later than here, you understand that to high rims bring no fun here. When I reached the turning point in Hawi, I remark that my right buttock is cramped. Warning, you cannot run with this, but now, back into the winds. I tried not to get blown on the cat´s eyes on the road, when I reached the 135km point, I nearly fall asleep on the bike. No, I´m not kidding, I was´nt able to eat on the bike, because of the heavy winds and obviously my blodd sugar was low. It´s a rookie-mistake. When I reached the Energy-Lab, I un-cramped my buttock, just hit you buttock all the time with the nose of your saddle, everytime its possible, and so, my bike-split wasn´t the best either. But don´t worry, I was ready to run again…
Pirate Kona

Pirate Kona

For the closing marathon I decided to rest at every aid-station to cool down again and to dring sugar-water with caffeine, with this tactic I lost much of time, but I was able to control my body-temperature…
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Shortly after the bike-run change I lost my suntan lotion, but thank godness, you can receive it, by asking at the aid-stations, because if you don´t watch it, you´ll get burned  and eaten by the sun…
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At the increase on the way towards the Energy-Lab, I activate my legs and muscles again and ignore some aid-stations because, the sun was really close to the horizon. When you run the last meters downhill on the Palani Road, every step you take hurts in your thighs, but at least it´s the last mile to run and than you get this feeling, this feeling, lots of people dream of and exercise really hard for.
Pirate Kona

Pirate Kona

I admit, that I was really emotional after crossing the finish line.

I admit, that I still suffered of shivering later that evening.

I admit also, that I started to carefully in this race. But at least I got the finisher shirt and the medal and brought them home and that I finished before sundown…
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I can tell you, the race is everything you heard of, all of the tales, the legends, etc…
Never before, I was so close to a DNF in my life. You can´t predict time…
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But, the island and event, is such a mind-blowing fascination and beauty. Yu just gotta combine with this rough nature…
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Swim: 1:18:55
T1: 4:55
Bike: 5:48:20
T2: 5:13
Run: 3:46:36
Total: 11:03:59


Peace
Captn Crook
a.k.a.
Alex

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