A 3am wake-up call (thank you Karel for taking me to the airport so early..I miss you!), 14.5 hours of traveling and 23 hours awake. But a view like this from my balcony....absolutely worth it!
It's all getting real now and I can't believe that in 5 days I will be joining an amazing group of endurance athletes to race 140.6 miles and cross the most incredible finish line.
I had a bag full of food packed for Kona week with some of my favorite eats that have helped me train for my 7th Ironman.
Chia seeds, whey protein, instant coffee (Hawaiian coffee will be purchased in Kona), cinnamon, granola, red and tri colored quinoa, wild rice, banans and apples (consumed in flight), Trimarni trail mix, Kind bars (emergency bars - I didn't eat anything from a package or buy any food during my travel day - all homemade food from my kitchen including an egg, mushroom and cheese whole wheat pita, greek yogurt, peach, PB&J whole wheat pita, celery, edamame, carrots), figs/nut mix. Happy tummy!
From Jax to Atlanta to Phoenix to Kona......I brought my nutrition, race gear (shoes, outfit, etc.) and gadgets with me on the plane in the case that my luggage would get lost (never has it happened but I like to control my controllables and wouldn't like this week to be the first time my luggage got lost). I also bring an empty water bottle (with filter) with me through security and keep filled with my flights. Also, my CEP compression tights saved the day. Typically I wear compression socks but Karel got me the CEP compression tights and they were amazing! I wore them under my Oakley yoga pants. I am not sure if it was my strategy to eat tummy happy food every few hours or the compression and walking around every 90 minutes - 2 hours on the plane but when I got to Kona, I didn't feel like I traveled 14 hours.
So you could imagine my excitement when I stepped out of the plane and walked through the small outdoor Kona airport for the 3rd time in the past 7 years. Gloria picked me up in our VW Jetta rental car and I was super excited to see her for the very first time! We've been friends for a few years and she has played an instrumental role in my life with sports and career as my sport psychologist but nothing could describe us meeting face to face for the first time.
After making our 10 mile drive to the town, it was time for me to finally be reunited with my tri bike after being without her for the past 10 days. Because Karel is not with me this time, I'm so grateful for Tri Bike Transport for their services. No bike box, no parts removed. All I needed was to head to the expo to meet my bike, the mechanic put on my pedals, pumped my tires and I was good to go.
A 2.5 mile ride with my bike in my run shoes (and helmet) and I met Gloria at our condo Kai Bali. Since I rented our condo from a personal owner, our key was in the lock box and we were in our condo by 4pm Kona time.
After enjoying the amazing view and unpacking just a bit, we soaked in our view one last time before heading to the local grocery store.
Food!!!
A delicious easy-to-digest meal to finish off a long day. Omelet with arugula, cheese and salsa with a side of juicy grapes and toasted fresh baguette.
Stay tuned for more pics, a few giveaways (WED) from my favorite companies and updates via my facebook page and instagram (Trimarni) and Twitter (@Trimarnicoach)
Also - check out @TriathleteDrG (Gloria's Twitter account)