Added refueling and spectating info to the op.

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

Any specific types of information you'd like about Honolulu?

This will be our first time to Hawaii and have found all the popular/touristy things to do. We will be staying in Honolulu. I will have already shipped my bike home so I not worried about riding. Are there things the are off the beaten path that we should consider doing.

Thanks.

Do you know what days that market happens on the corner of Ali'i and Hualali? The one with the fruit/veggies/leis/souvenirs/etc? If I remember correctly from previous trips it only happens on certain days of the week, but now I can't remember....

Hmmm. I could swear its 7 days a week. BUT I shall stop by and see. They do have all new tent/awnings though! Nice and clean ones. :) I'll post an update later (after my morning swim then a drive to upcountry to check on the house build).

Oh I'll have info on ART Chiropractors posted a bit later today as well.

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

Can you help refresh my memory. This will be my 3rd time coming in to spectate (still trying!!). The previous times I'd walk back and forth from the Pier to the condo down Ali'i throughout race day. This time I rented a mtn bike. I know Ali'i is closed for run, but will I still be able to casually bike back and forth on Ali'i (along w/ the walkers)? I just don't remember if bikes were prohibited or even policed.

but can good deals or freebies be had?


Do you like Trucker Hats?

Two years ago, my wife and I came home with I think 12 each! :)

It was THE thing to hand out free then.

We gave most of them away when we got home.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Can you help refresh my memory. This will be my 3rd time coming in to spectate (still trying!!). The previous times I'd walk back and forth from the Pier to the condo down Ali'i throughout race day. This time I rented a mtn bike. I know Ali'i is closed for run, but will I still be able to casually bike back and forth on Ali'i (along w/ the walkers)? I just don't remember if bikes were prohibited or even policed.

Close to the pier and at least out to the "Hot Corner" on the run at Alii and Hualalai, and then out as far as Huggos, it might be advisable to just walk the bike along, after that I would say it's use your common sense. In the middle of the race field it is obviously pretty hectic with two-way traffic of runners going out and coming back along Alii.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

This will be our first time to Hawaii and have found all the popular/touristy things to do. We will be staying in Honolulu. I will have already shipped my bike home so I not worried about riding. Are there things the are off the beaten path that we should consider doing.

What do you mean when you say "Staying in Honolulu"?

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

The easiest is running. If you're focusing on Ali'i drive there are a lot of places in town if that's your turn around

Just adding to KC's excellent tips here, ounce into race week proper, Gatorade is usually set up by the big tree in-front of the King Kam hotel just by the pier and in years past. This is mostly for pre/post morning swim people - but if you are running by there, they have just been handing out bottles of Gatorade to anyone (I think).

Also along Alii drive, you'll find a number of nutrition companies who have set up renegade booths/tents and they will be handing out samples, and have dispensers of their product to fill bottles with.

In years past Powerbar in cooperation with Lance Watson and the crew from Lifesport Coaching were set up at about 2k from the pier.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

My not quite secret ... I tore my meniscus two years ago training for the 2015 New York City Marathon. It's was due to osteoarthritis rather than an acute injury, so It's not your regular surgery and back to normal (there is no surgery in such cases -- usually). So ... I haven't been that far down Alii Drive since I was doing my training for the 2016 New York City Marathon (I'm stubborn if nothing else) and I had quite forgotten about the Gatorade (and others) aid tents down Alii.

All of which is why I say this is a collaborative effort. :)

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

Water update.

Apparently all you athletes must smell during the lead up to the race... never showering etc. Just kidding of course, but the DWS (Department of Water Supply) says that there is no shortage of water for the IMWC. The 15,000 people that come here for the race (as athletes, volunteers, family members or those on the "business" side) almost exactly match those that left after labor day. While I might disagree, they likely have data to back their claim. The long and short of it is they don't expect water shortages (e.g. outages) for the race. I believe that means the showers in T1 will probably still be running as always. So shower away. BTW, it's been raining this past week so if this keeps up, Kona will be it's usually semi-green self.

Here's the article from West Hawaii Today if you're interested.

http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/...train-during-ironman

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

A.R.T. Practitioners

If you're looking for an A.R.T. Chiropractor (Active Release Technique) while in town for the race there are at least two that i know of. All deal with athletes of various abilities (from beginner to ultra elite pro's) on a regular basis. While they can do your standard adjustments if you're inclined, that is not the focus of their work. ART deals with soft tissue rather than the skeletal structure. Many find it valuable to help get things firing again.

Makai Chiropractic is in old industrial on the same road as Bike Works. They're the building closest to Palani rd if that makes sense visually. They have two ART chiropractors. 808-329-7900.

Odin Wilmott. Odin was ART trained though he no longer maintains his affiliation with ART. He will also come to you, bringing everything he needs for your session. 808-443-4097.

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

Thanks for all the info and updates.
How has the weather been in general? Hot humid windy? Last year was mild compared to years past.

You'll be fine on most of the course all day. From your Alii Drive condo you can go both directions justr be sure to be aware that the races will be rather oblivious. Once you're in town you likely will not be able to get past the old hot corner on Alii heading towards the finish line. That's Hualalai Rd and Alii Drive. Turn right there (up on the sidewalk most likely) and head up to Kuakini, then you can follow the course out onto the Queen K. Many folks use the center divider for their riding. Be careful as there is race day traffic (ice deliveries, water deliveries, volunteer folks putting out 'fires' etc.). If you're out on the highway near the first two or three run aid stations look for an older guy on a Specialized Stunt Jumper. That'll be me going between aid stations. Unless I'm driving. ;)

BTW, I've been told by a friend working for the aid station director that the ice deliveries are changed a bit and there's more. If you're one of the handful (literally less than 2 dozen) that got shorted in last years race at one aid station, it shouldn't be able to happen this year. There'll be all new challenges instead. :)

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

Today's weather is different than race day weather. It will be windy up north (beyond Kukio and the 4 Seasons) and particularly on the stretch from Kawaihae proper to Mahukona (the 90 degree turn to Hawi). That section will have crosswinds then a direct headwind most of the time. When you're behind the grading cuts get ready for a blast on the way out opposite of what you expect, then a switch to 180 opposite. At least that's my experience.

Currently it's muggy, calm and hot. I rode for 1+30 up at the Mauna Lani on Wednesday on my P3. I was well lubed with Trislide. I am still raw in spots. Riding a bike in a sauna. I'd expect race day temperatures to be in the mid 80's with the Queen K temperatures 5 -10 degrees warmer. Unless you're a night time runner. ;) Hydrate, electrolytes etc.

Temperatures can be brutal along with nasty winds. 2009. Crowie told me after the race (we have a mutual friend) that he couldn't feel his feet during the bike ride and when he started running .... he won btw. That was the year it was 120 on the Queen K and they had to peddle downhill from Hawi. 2014 had no wind on the swim, a south bound current, no wind on the bike in town and then 40 knot headwinds all the way to Hawi and all the way back (though they shifted off a direct headwind at Kawaihae Junction. 2011 was near ideal race conditions. 2016 wasn't bad at all by Kona standards!

The recent (last 5 - 8 years) race day weather has changed a bit due to our ever present VOG (Volcanic Fog). That's the haze layer you see here all the darn time. That's kept the swim somewhat less brutal on our exposed skin but it's also caused the Ali`i Drive run to be even more humid than normal. The vog is caused by the volcano. Blame Madame Pele. But blame her nicely, she doesn't take criticism (constructive or otherwise) very well. The summit eruption which has been ongoing for about 10 years now has made the vog constant rather than occasional. BTW, it is worth the trip to the Jaggar Museum/HVO in the park at night to see the glow and sometimes the lava in Halemaumau crater (the crater within Kilauea Crater at Volcano National Park) .

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

if i'm not qualifying, i'm going to have to think long and hard if i want a legacy slot, especially if i'm close. but that's just my ego.

as for prices, that's pretty cool. but then again, planes are MUCH MUCH more efficient. i bet the cost to fly a plane from california to hawaii cost half of what it used to cost 30 years ago.

john

as for prices, that's pretty cool. but then again, planes are MUCH MUCH more efficient. i bet the cost to fly a plane from california to hawaii cost half of what it used to cost 30 years ago.


Absolutely - there are many things that the airlines are doing now, today, more efficiently then they were 30 years ago.


if i'm not qualifying, i'm going to have to think long and hard if i want a legacy slot, especially if i'm close. but that's just my ego.

Why? It's within the rules/protocols that is the case. When IRONMAN Founder John Collins sold the race to Valerie Silk years ago, one of the provisions in the contract was that there, "always be space on the starting line at IRONMAN Hawaii for the, 'every-day-athlete'". Successive owners, on up to the current ones have kept that promise alive through several programs for those every-day-athletes to be on the starting line!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Everyone who has both the desire and ability to complete and train for long course triathlons should do Kona. Everyone. It's not just for elites, that was never the point. If you get the finishes in for a legacy spot, you earned your slot.

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

Thanks! Best post ever, every year. Do you know what the foliagical situation is on the upper highway? I like to ride from the top of Hina Lani to Waimea and back and I'll have an extra couple of weeks on the island this year. But last time I was riding up there the brush on the side of the highway was overgrown in a lot of spots and kind of nullified the normal little 2-3 foot shoulder. Lame. I'll probably take a drive up there on my first day to check it out before trying a ride. And there was some kind of massive construction project on the little climb up to Pu'uanahulu. I think that was way back in the winter so it may be done by now. Or not.

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Sylvan Smyth | http://www.sportstats.asia | sylvan@sportstats.asia | Starvas

The upper highway foliage has been cut back for the most part in town and fairly recently. The problem with the ride to Waimea in that direction is the drainage repairs near the Big Island Country Club on the climb. It's down to a single lane with zero shoulder. Traffic direction is controlled by a stop light (24/7) with delays of about 5 minutes wait on average for the opposite direction to clear. That construction will not be completed until January. An alternative would be to ride the Queen K to Waikoloa Rd and make a right there. The road shoulders have been widened quite a bit on the east side of town so you shouldn't have any need to be in the road way. You could ride that up to the upper highway then resume your ride as normal. Or just climb up Kawaihae Road if you leave early enough.

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

Sweet, thanks. Yeah, Waikoloa Rd is nice now, after being the most horrendous ride on the island IMO before the upgrade, and there's the other Lava Java in the Village half way up for a nice coffee stop. I'll probably do the full Mamalahoa a few times anyway.

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Sylvan Smyth | http://www.sportstats.asia | sylvan@sportstats.asia | Starvas

PSA: if you want to train in 90 degree heat, and in terrible air quality worse than the vog on the Island, come to PNW right now.

Awesome job at KQ. You are a stud.

Any info on the TGINR (thank god I'm not racing) party this year?