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A look back at Kona #1. 1981
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A lot of you of course have read my 3 part series about the first Kona race in 81, but for those that are new here, a look back through the eyes of a real Kona rookie;

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...blog_Part_I__64.html

Parts 2 and 3 are at the bottom of this part 1 page too...Enjoy, I sure did!!

Monty
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Monty, awesome read!
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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A good friend of mine raced his one and only Ironman in Kona that year. Tom Fenske who swam for Arizona finished around 15th or so.
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [ChrisT] [ In reply to ]
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I see that he got 17th, pretty cool. Do you remember what kind of swimmer he was back then? Kim and I were in the lead group of 4 in 55;10 with one guy off the front in 51+. It was a freakish slow swim in February, real waves would actually break on the course, although that day it was just the winter currents.

The guy that won the swim was apparently the 5th fastest guy in the world in the 1500 and he had a wicked fast turnover for the OW, a precursor to todays swimmers and their turnovers. He was gone from the gun and I always wondered how fast the guys around us were in the pool.No doubt he would be a 47 guy on todays course in October. Kim and I were just ok, not national caliber or anything like that, but we knew the ocean and I had done a ton of lifeguard racing by then too.Molina was there and he had a 16+ 1650 as I recall but he was off the back of our group a couple minutes. Maybe your buddy was near us?

Somewhere there are splits for that race, hand written on a blank piece of paper. But I know just from mine that they made some mistakes, as I have the actual footage from wide world of sports that shows Kim and I coming out together in 55 minutes. I think ironman has them on their site somewhere, but finding them is like finding Waldo, they don't make it easy..
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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I had a copy of the splits at one time - hand typed I thought. Let me see if I can find them at my office tomorrow. Otherwise I think we are getting together for a beer Friday and I can see if he remembers his swim time.
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Yup! Enjoyed reading it when you originally posted it 10 yrs ago and just glossed over it again! Great stuff! (You looked pretty fit there old man:)
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Same—read it in 2007 and appreciated it even more now.
I love the spirit of the early days and try to take this to my racing now. Not sure I’ll ever be duh an adventurer, though.
Thanks again, Monty.
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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I really enjoyed reading that. Thanks for writing/posting it. :)
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Great read Monty. Thanks!

__________________________
Matt Gervais
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Enjoyed your write up a lot! How refreshing to read what is essentially a race report without all the bike data AP,NP,TSS, ect... No heart rate monitor, no Garmin. No tire/tube/bike set up discussion. Peanut butter jars holding race nutrition and the anti-aero helmet! Good piece of history. I'm a bit envious of those who had a chance to discover this sport in its earliest days.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Blog: https://swimbikerunrinserepeat.wordpress.com
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Wow, great story! Now, somebody needs to make a movie out of this.
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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monty wrote:
A lot of you of course have read my 3 part series about the first Kona race in 81, but for those that are new here, a look back through the eyes of a real Kona rookie;

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...blog_Part_I__64.html

Parts 2 and 3 are at the bottom of this part 1 page too...Enjoy, I sure did!!

Monty

That. Was. Awesome.

That was one of the best pieces (3 pieces) I have ever read. Thank you for re-sharing.
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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That was a good series. I've read it previously, but I enjoy the unknown territory you and other early racers experienced.
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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monty wrote:
A lot of you of course have read my 3 part series about the first Kona race in 81, but for those that are new here, a look back through the eyes of a real Kona rookie;
http://www.slowtwitch.com/...blog_Part_I__64.html
Parts 2 and 3 are at the bottom of this part 1 page too...Enjoy, I sure did!!
Monty

Monty - Is that picture in part 1 of you or of Kim Bushong??? I'm guessing it's Kim??? In any case, great race report!!!


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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Monty - Is that picture in part 1 of you or of Kim Bushong??? I'm guessing it's Kim??? In any case, great race report!!!

What are you trying to say? It is me, in my more leaner years of course. Same height now just 20 extra lbs, all muscle of course..(-;


Glad everyone is enjoying the pieces, great memories of a bygone era...
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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monty wrote:
Monty - Is that picture in part 1 of you or of Kim Bushong??? I'm guessing it's Kim??? In any case, great race report!!!

What are you trying to say? It is me, in my more leaner years of course. Same height now just 20 extra lbs, all muscle of course..(-;
Glad everyone is enjoying the pieces, great memories of a bygone era...

OK, thanks, I just was not sure it was you. Your hair and Kim's hair are about same color, at least in the B/W pics, and you two are about same height, plus the passage of 36 yrs. Honestly, I was not trying to "say" anything... :)


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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What a great read, thank you so much for sharing!

the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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Kim is actually 5'8"(me 5'10") and he raced at 148(me 158/160). Funny thing is that kim is still 5'8" and 148, he hasn't gained one single pound in anger over all these years. Me on the other hand, well lets just say I'm watching that weight thread on the forum here very closely these days.. (-;
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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When you round that boat out in Kona's harbor, think of old Monty 27 years ago, telling them to drop it “right here.â€


Now I understand your passion around them shortening the swim course last year. :)
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [Zenmaster28] [ In reply to ]
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Now I understand your passion around them shortening the swim course last year. :)

And it only took them 37 years to figure out that swimmers just might make the swim course a little long!!!
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Monty, I never get tired of reading this. ERG Electrolyte Replacement Glucose or Gookinaid. The only thing available even before Gatorade!.....Gary
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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read it in 2007, re-read it now, still great fun. .thank you..
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Part 1 is absolute gold. Parts 2 and 3 are great, but feel, I don't know, rushed? I think if you edited 2/3 you might have something publishable (no offense to ST but I think you know what I mean).

either way great stuff to me...
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Monty, thanks for sharing - they were great reads.
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Re: A look back at Kona #1. 1981 [monty] [ In reply to ]
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This was most excellent... part 1, 2, and 3.
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