Support Crew: Michelle Van Peski, Annika Lewis, Todd & Trudi Sprague, Monique Vandenberg

Friends

I'm blessed to have Michelle, Annika, Monique, Todd, Trudi, and Carl (competing) traveling to Kona with me. I'm having fun showing Carl, the rookie, all the ropes.

There's a great cast of friends competing: John Dougery - "The Man" (as far as we're concerned). Jeff Fieldhack - a tennis player turned Ironman, and with a great positive attitude. Kevin Kennedy - former STARS teammate with a smile as big as his weekly run mileage (which sometimes hits 70mi). Mark Cosgrove - track partner and one of the friendliest and fastest improving athletes I know. Carl Hekkert - my old roommate and all around talented athlete who excelled in his first attempt at Ironman distances. Tana "Energizer Bunny" Netsch - former STARS teammate who has an incredible nack for going fast over long distances. Kat "Never let 'em see you sweat" Miller (D'Angelo) - former STARS teammate who can race a fast Ironman and then walk around as if nothing happened. Jeffrey Welker - a friend from So. Cal we met through Tana who has done over 40 Ironman races!

The highlight before the race was a prayer meeting organized by triathlete, Chad Hawker, and sponsored by race director, Terry Davis. Even when knocked out of the race after getting hit by a car a week previous, Chad put all his focus into the meeting (he wasn't resentful despite the accident adding to a long list of bike crashes, injuries, and even a brain tumor. He has praised the Lord throughout, and that's something I want to strive for as well). The meeting attracted about 30 people, some from around the world, and we prayed for each other and the rest of the Ironman athletes.

Michelle & Annika, volunteering for the entire day, are the first ones up and down to the start to make ready the transition area. Carl & I eat our breakfasts (oatmeal for me, granola & Ensure for him) and catch a ride to the start with Monique. Installed lighting and anticipation fills the area of body marking, special needs bags, and driving bike pumps.

I catch sight of my buddy, Spence Culpepper, prepping arms and legs for "body marking" and consoling nervous athletes. In a faithful step to spread God's word. Spence moved from San Francisco to Kona to study at the YWAM facility, University of the Nations. He will soon be sent as a missionary to another part of the world. Many Youth With a Mission students are volunteering at the race.

In a sea of 1,500 lightweight racing bikes, I find mine far in the back. Michelle is there and, while I fill my tires, tells me where our friends' bikes are located. In '96 and '98 I was in the front 3rd but this year's the random placing has me near the end of the pier. On my way to the changing tent I see Kevin, John D, & Christine Heilman readying their equipment. In the tent, all is calm. Many of us stretch, apply Vaseline, and go through the race in our heads. It becomes habit smiling and using gestures to wish other athletes well since many don't speak English. Most of the important announcements are done in multiple languages, but I think about how hard it would be to understand everything in such a big race in a foreign country.

The last of our gear is packed in bags and tossed into a waiting truck. We are left with just swimsuits, cap & goggles and a timing chip on our ankle to allow the rest of the world to view our progress...or lack of. Our bikes, helmet, race number, shoes, socks, glasses, food, bottles, and special needs, are spread over 60mi of the island. Thanks to 8,000 volunteers, we will be handed everything we need for the next 10 to 17hrs, almost without stopping.

I step onto the small "Dig-Me" beach. Spectators line the sea walls. Helicopters buzz by with hanging TV cameras. Suddenly, the reality that the day has finally come hits me. I bump into Tana. It's her 2nd race here & she's psyched. She's using an old pair of my goggles because hers wore out and the company quit making more. I hope they work for her. Having salt water swishing through your eyes for 2-1/2 mi is no fun, and dangerous when trying to avoid kicking feet.

I warm up far to the side and finally relax, floating on my back and saying a prayer. My race this time is between God and I and I have a feeling it will get personal. For 15min, the starting area, the size of 3 football fields, fills up with one packed mass of lean athletes treading water. In the past I've had a helium balloon attached to my cap so friends could find me in the crowd. It also served as something to float on to save energy while waiting for the start. Yesterday the balloon escaped out the window of the car so I'm not at an advantage over my peers this time.

I line up 3 rows back, right in the middle. A girl asks my expected swim time. "1 hour". "Me, too" she says, and positions behind me. She expects me to carve a path through the mayhem, but I'm not a good sprinter and have a feeling I'd be better behind her. We're bobbing with the waves, trying to keep our positions. The chaplain, Bruce Campbell, says a nice prayer over all of us. The excitement is boiling over. Everyone yells with eagerness. The red flag is waving. The refs race back and forth threatening penalties to those that drift over the line. And then...

Boom! I'm off, sprinting the best I can while saving energy for the long swim. Underwater I look left and right, watching the flailing arms get closer. I protect my face and come up for air when it's clear. I hook onto different drafts, but everyone's going for a different line, some wide, and some close to the buoys. Athletes swim over me and when my path is pinched off, I have to swim over them. But I find a guy who swims wide and I stay on his toes. The water is clear and I see the fish and coral drop away as it gets deeper. The sun is bright and the sailboat 1.2mi out is becoming visible. Strangely, I'm starting to get tired already. I have an urge to eat of drink something. I hit the turn-around at exactly 30min and wonder how I will maintain that same pace. I switch to following an Asian swimmer with an Orca Killer Whale swim suit. He's small and I keep searching for someone bigger to draft off. But he's also fast and pulls away when I loose focus. I want to let him go but I know to get near 1hr I need to stay with him. I try so hard to be efficient, use long strokes, and get enough air. I'm using my hips and legs more than usual. It helps me go faster, but may tire them for the rest of the day.

Jeff Fieldhack finishes 1hr exactly, with Carl 40secs behind. I'm 1:01:30! Close enough! I race through the showers, bag-grab, and changing room where all I do is strap on my race number, put food in my pocket, and re-pack my goggles and cap. Carl's still having trouble donning his race singlet over a wet body. I stop at the sunscreen station this time (I also have a race suit with more coverage) to try preventing the bad burn I got last time. I rush to my bike and am taken aback when I see a note on my seat. "They changed a flat!" a volunteer says. With my heart racing, water dripping from my eyes, and trying to put my helmet on, I can't read the note anyway.

Following earlier instructions, I being running along the pier with my bike. An official says "you can ride" so I jump on instead. 1hr 4min, I'm out of the transition and screamed at by the dense crowds of cheering spectators. Jeff is up front, Carl's 30sec behind, and Sherwick, from my swim club, Mountain View Masters (MVM), is in transition. Finishing the swim is John Dougery, Mark Cosgrove, Kevin Kennedy, Jeffrey Welker, Jami Andrews (from MVM), Kat Miller, and Tana Netsch.

Up Paloni Hill, through town, the crowds are great! I see Monique, Todd & Trudi cheering and everything is going good. I must start monitoring my heart rate. Too high too early spells trouble later. I need to stay below 140, and 160 on the hills. It's hard to tell on a bike how hard you are going. I look down and my HRM is dead! It's done this before, in shorter races, & I ignored it, but this race is too long and the goal too high to go without. It also records my time splits which have been thought out carefully.

I make a quick decision and reset the HRM, losing my times but gaining a HR reading. It's too high. Although I feel good, I must calm down and go easy. I'm already overheating and begin pouring water over myself at every aid station.

I remember this tail wind in the beginning and how important it is to use it while you got it. My goal is to average 20.9mph to Hawi, 20.5mph back, for an overall average of 20.7mph. Right now I'm averaging 23mph! I keep thinking about the flat tire, thankful that someone fixed it, but also hoping they did a good job. I start eating a PowerBar.

I notice new yellow rim tape inside my wheel. This tells me it was my front tire that blew earlier. And there was a problem in the rim that they covered up. The reason it blew now is probably because they pinched it during installation (like last year). I slap in a new tube, quickly fill it with a compressed air CO2 cartridge, and snap it back in the forks.

POW! It blows again. This time I check the rim and find a large hole through both sets of rim tape into the spoke cavity! Oh, no! I have no tape to cover it. I need tech. assistance. I yell to a motorcycle official to radio for assistance. "We're only media! No radio!", they reply. I flag down another motorcycle and they call it in. Then I see my PowerBar on the ground and quickly eat part of it, stick the other half to the bike frame, and fold the wrapper inside the wheel over the hole. I say a prayer and put the wheel together using my last tube and CO2 cartridge. It holds! I'm off! (what I didn't know was that my rear tube popped in transition, too, and they tried to fix that also with new rim tape).

Besides losing 10min, 300 positions, and all hope of breaking 10hrs, now there's a head wind! On the same stretch of road I went from cruising at 24mph to struggling to maintain 19mph. Ah ha! This proves my suspicion that the wind changes quickly and it's important to get down the road before it turns against you.

My spirits pick up when I see Carl up ahead. He's a good cyclist and this means I'm doing well. I ask him jokingly if I can draft off him. He says no. We turn left, down through a small town in a ravine. Reprieve from the wind. But bumpy roads. A girl's special fluids fly out of her rear bottle cage. She'll have to do without. The ocean alongside us is really whipped up.

Now we face the full force of the winds. Trees & lush vegetation alongside are pegged to the ground or shaking furiously. This, the hardest part, is what I've trained for, to push as hard as possible to the turn-around to minimize time in this headwind. I'm envious of the others across the road whizzing back towards town. I can't help but think how I could be joining them if not for the flat tires. I think of the verse, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.."

I work hard and try to pass everyone in view. At 10mph it's taking forever! My average is dropping... where's the turn-around?

40mph and holding the bars tight. I've gulped down 1/2 of my sandwich. Now complete focus is required. Guys in front of me are sitting up, bracing against the gusts known for knocking over many riders in these sections. I remember almost going down in '98 when a gust caught me off guard. But I need to make up time and this is where I'm good at it, when it requires good bike handling skills. I say another prayer, feeling a little guilty of taking risks, but I commit to stay observant. I look ahead for clues of gusts; a rider swerving to the left informs me to lean right; the bushes suddenly pinning to the ground informs me to grab my drop bars and hold tight. I remember the spot I almost crashed and this time make it through. 10mi of steady 38mph and my average speed is back up to 21mph!

Meanwhile, Jami, Kat, and Tana are battling the winds to Hawi. Tana says it's scary enough to make her cry but that she refuses to get off and walk like others she sees. Can you imagine: 75mi to go through barren lava fields, only 6hrs before the cutoff for disqualification, and the winds force you to walk your bike? That's tough.

Climbing out of the ravine, back on to the Queen K, it's really hot. I see Eric Benson cheering for me but I'm struggling. I see a girl, seated, spin by me to the cheers of the crowd. I'm impressed with how many girls here are stronger than me. Then my saddle tilts up! I push it down... too far... back up. Oh boy. I have to sit just right to keep it from tilting.

I'm losing motivation. No heart rate, speed, time, or even other people I can go by. Then a guy passes me, then another, then a huge 25 man pack engulfs me. True, some of them were drafting, and should, or will, get penalties. But I'm not concerned with them, but that I can use them to leap-frog ahead. Using the 15-sec draft rule, I'm allowed to come up from behind and use the draft to sling-shot ahead. With so many of them I can jump all the way to the front legally, without much effort, and later let them pass me so I can do it again. This is the boost I need!

Meanwhile, other friends and athletes are having it much worse. Jeff Fieldhack broke a spoke, but tech. support was there quickly to repair it. Kevin Kennedy, evidence of the strength of the wind, was blown off his bike and suffered a broken shoulder and concussion. He stopped short, but his bike careened down a 15ft ravine. Amazingly he dragged it out and continuing on in pain.

Many others were blown off their bikes, too. Sadly, division winner, Sister Madonna Budher, 70yrs old, was one of them, and not able to continue. Another woman stopped to help her, consoling Sister Madonna for 45min until the paramedics came. That woman then continued on, but, because of her helpful deed, was too late for the bike cutoff and consequently disqualified. She sacrificed her race for another athlete.

Wow, my legs are really stiff. The transition doesn't feel like the 1/2 Ironmans I'm used to this year. I put shoes on, load up with food, and waddle out of the tent into 90 degree temperatures and a steep hill right off the bat. This is where I feel out my Achilles. It's been hurting through the past 2 weeks but that's not unusual before a big race. However, now it hurts during the race and I'm becoming dejected. I creep up the hill from the resort and down into the Pit.

I make a new plan! Just run for 30ft... and repeat.. without stopping. I ask God to help my legs go numb so I won't feel them. I lighten my load by tossing Cliff bars and the bottle of Cytomax I'd carried for 1 mile. I'm moving with new determination now. You could park a car in front of me and I'd run over it.

Todd and Trudi are racing back and forth on a rented moped shouting encouragement and taking pictures. It's so good to see them amidst all the bleak lava. I ask how Carl's doing. "He's doing great!", they say, and that pushes me because of a hasty prediction I made the day before. I was telling friends where Carl & I would be during the race and told them he'd be 30min behind me. Carl found out and jokingly told me he was going to beat me for that. With 6mi to go, he's only 5min behind me. I think I owe him an apology.

John Dougery 152nd 9:59:08 4th Californian amateur

Troy Soares 341st 10:32:48 11th Californian amateur

Carl Hekkert 391st 10:40:07 13th Californian amateur

Jeff Fieldhack 483rd 10:50:06

Jeffrey Welker 539th 10:57:12

Kevin Kennedy 564th 11:01:28

Mark Cosgrove 866th 11:49:55

Tana Netsch 886th 11:54:12 11th Californian amateur

Kat Miller 916th 11:58:57

Sherwick and Jami 13:02:24 Sherwick's girlfriend, Jami, caught up to him 1/2 way through the run and stayed together to the end :)

I know that all of you out there support me and have touched my heart so many times with your kind words and gifts. I thank you all.

I want my friend, Michelle VanPeski, to know how much I appreciated her being there when I needed to talk, flying to Kona to support me and the others, and being the one at the finish to catch me.

I also want to thank my cousin (and new mom as of Oct. 17th!), Kristen Carroll, for the words she spoke to me a week before the race when I was scared and sad.

Today was tough for me. 3 tries (10:27, 10:29, and 10:33) and I now don't feel any need to try again. If it was God's intention to help me get over this quest for 10hrs, then it worked.

A miracle didn't happen to get me under 10hrs, or even to get me under 10-1/2hrs. But many miracles did happen at Ironman this year.

After 10 miles, 4 popped tires, a PowerBar wrapper as rim tape, I made it 106mi without spares or a pump.

People learned about Jesus from Christians wearing Trinity Triathletes T-shirts that they got from a prayer meeting that took a miracle to come together.

A woman prayed, after a terrible crash from being blown off her bike, that she'd make it through the run and she did.

And, for all time, the ever-present miracle of Christ Jesus dying on the cross and coming to life 3 days later so that we can continue striving for righteousness no matter how many times we fail.

I've been so fortunate for reaching goals I set, but today I missed them all. But there's only one goal that's truly meaningful to strive for. And by striving for it and believing in it, we are guaranteed of reaching it. And that is "..the goal to win the prize for which God has called (us) heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:14

May you all reach your goals, and even if you don't, may the journey be just as rewarding.

God Bless.

Troy Soares