yeah it's long but i write them how i like to read them... to give me insight into the experiences of another individual... enjoy it... i know i did... congrats again pinkboy!!!
www.markavan.com
www.IMkona.blogspot.com
http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=306406157105&page=1&sort_order=0
The alarm rang at a quarter to 5…. but I had already been up since 4:30. Also had been up for a snack at 3AM too. Had a bite to eat, mostly whole grain bread and other low glycemic high carbohydrate foods as well as a little bit of protein. Got in some good stretching and then headed out for the walk to the pier. Almost as soon as I had left the lobby I knew that there was something VERY different about today’s weather than any previous day that I had been out here. The air was much cooler than any of the other mornings (blowing in from the cooler highlands) and the breeze was already present at 5:30 whereas in the days leading up to race day there had really been none till about 10 or so in the morning. Walked down to the swim start with Mom and many others who looked pretty focused on the day’s events ahead. Went around to the back of the King Kam to get marked and drop off special needs and then headed over to my bike to get some last minute prep in. Helmet and glasses and e-caps on the BLADE then slipped into the TYR aquapel that I was going to swim in and headed for the start. The pros had left at 6:45 so we were being corralled into the water immediately after this. Not one for waiting in lines… I took the short route to the water by hoping the sea wall and jumping right in. Warmed up for 5 minutes before the dudes on the boards started pushing us back. As the start came closer and closer we, the amateurs, kept creeping up and creeping up on the start line. As I floated in the water I made a gut decision that with this being my first full IM and my first KONA that it might be probably best that rather than going bonkers from the get go and smashing the swim field that I would sit back and see how things developed in terms of who was willing to swim with me and play off of them. BOOM!!! The cannon sounded and 1800 pairs of arms began to churn the water for the first strokes on their collective way towards a total day of 140.6 miles. I was actually surprised to find myself battling other swimmers as far as two minutes into the swim. Not long after that though things began to ease up and before I knew it I was in the clear save for one guy whose feet I was right on. About halfway through the first leg of the swim another athlete bridged the gap that had opened between myself and the rest of the field. He promptly moved right alongside the guy I was drafting off of and seemed to then conduct a slug fest with him for pretty much the remainder of the swim. Hell I was content with that… just sitting behind these two slugging it out for what… nothing… since when has there been a swim prime in the last 3+ years? To get an idea of how easy I was cruising, I would at times look at my HRM and check to see where I was at… most times I would see anywhere from 90-100 bpm. Oh yeah that was nice. Also, when we passed the Body Glove boat and Atlantis corral reef submarine I took the time to roll over and do some back stroke and talk to the people on board. As we came around the turnaround I decided to surge ahead and see what kind of reaction I would get out of my swim partners. Putting in a few strong strokes I, quickly and easily, found myself having gapped them but then thought that it really wasn’t worth it and most likely best that I stick with my conservative plan. So I settled back into 3rd position for the remainder of the swim and only once contemplated overtaking the leader at the end for a bit but realizing that it was not best to run my HR up right before T1. Also during the return to the pier we frequently were passing many of the slower men and women pros… including Karin Thurig (4:50 bike split last year) so I was bound to see her again somewhere out on the Queen K.
–—side note… there was a swim prime and I will forever kick my self in the a** HARD for having not gone for it… can you say 18 inch plasma screen TV. In the words of Charlie Brown… ARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!——
Out of the water and up the ramp as thousands of people lined the sea wall screamed in unison as well as all the volunteers assisting us in T1. All I had to do in T1 was simply peel off the TYR aquapel and drop my goggles and cap, the volunteers would make sure they made their way back to me. B/c of this quick T1 I was fast to my Litespeed Blade and as I crossed the mount up line and I remember hearing Mike Reilly say “…and our first amateur is coming out of T1, from Austin, TX, Mark Van Akkeren.” Yeah… that was cool, as the crowd upped its cheer another notch for the first non-pro. Shweet. Much relieved to find that my HRM/bike computer was working (unlike Wisconsin) I settled into my plan of keeping it under 140bpm. I think in the future as I become more accustomed to this distance I will raise that level to 150 but for my first full I thought it best not to push my luck. And plus… at this point, I was just having sooooo much FUN!!! The ride through town was quick and before I knew it we were back on the Queen K heading north to the airport and then onto the lava fields and Hawi. The going was quite easy here as I continued to swallow up women pros and get passed by the occasional uber-amatuer-biker. Cresting the ridge beyond the airport we ran into our first headwind as we set out into the lava fields. Not really all that bad, but definitely enough to severely impede forward progress. Kept my RPMs around 85 and switched gears frequently just to change it up. Once we hit the turn at Kawaihae it got a bit easy for a few miles or so as the close cut hillside provided some protection from the Trade Winds screaming in from the NE. It was here that the first serious pack of amateurs came upon me. This group was sooo big and drafting off of each other that there was nothing I could do but join in. Granted I did not do this on purpose, but think for a moment to your favorite big weekend ride and then imagine if you weren’t allowed to draft in it… yeah right… you can’t. Before too long the draft marshals found us and started dishing out penalties left and right. I would just sit up and drift when this happened and therefore was fortunate enough to never get a “sin-bin” pass. It was here that we got our first look at the pro race and how it was developing. Stadler came flying by and after a good period of time (not too big though) Faris came screaming by and then the rest of the pack followed… as I passed them Simon Lessing was just falling off the back and up on his bars shaking his head and looking quite exhausted. Oh yeah speaking of exhaustion, the climb up to Hawi in that horrible headwind was truly a test of mental will power, keeping the HR in check while at the same time trying not to get frustrated with your progress. About this time I heard a voice come along side me and start talking. It was fellow TYR athlete Chris Hauth whom I had swam with earlier that morning. We chatted for a bit… it was VERY nice to suddenly be in the middle of a casual conversation as the battle raged on. We soon hit the “turn-around at Hawi” and after grabbing my special needs bag (with two homemade Hammer Vanilla espresso café au lait flasks in it) shot off like a cannon. Sadly this did not last long as the crosswinds soon resumed and I had to do all that I could to stay upright. Reaching for a water bottle or reaching back for a shot was now a huge and very dangerous effort seeing as any unforeseen gust could have easily left me on the roadside somewhere in a heap. My fear of the wind and fear of losing ground were all assuaged by having seen the pros out on their base bars holding on for dear life as well and now to think that it was my turn to experience this…. now I know why this race is THE IRONMAN it’s absolutely insane at times to think that the fear of your well being is at stake rather than simply a race. Back down the coast to Kawaihae and turned for home. It was here that I began to think of that nice tail-wind I was going to get on the return “flight”. After a few more miles in the valley between Hualalai and the Kohala’s we began to come into the lava beds again and just as we passed the 40K to go mark we were hit with this vicious head wind. WTF!!! “Wait a minute, where did this come from?” At 90 miles I was still feeling good and was on pace for a high 5:20 bike split. As my speed slowed to around 15 mph while battling the head wind I gave up any bike split goal for good knowing that simply surviving was the goal in itself now. I made the most of this struggle by chatting with the athletes around me… including one good natured bloke from Brisbane who was just as sarcastic, hyper and comical in nature as I am, imagine that J. Just before hitting T2 Tim came around me on Makala and we rode to the pier together with a little chit-chat along the way. First thought once I was out of my shoes and shuffling was… whew glad that’s done, followed by… man I need to talk to Tammy about those cycling shoes again… my feet were toast. Into the changing tent where I took my time getting prepped for the run, greasing up my feet and layering on the sunscreen. As I headed out, the crowd going up Palani was insane, although I was already hurting, and knowing that this was going to be a very long 26.2, they seemed to carry me on. The crowd induced run seemed to work for about the first 3 or 4 miles before I just could not run any longer. It was around this time that Pat passed me and for awhile we simply switched off, both of us knowing that today was not a good day for racing fast. It was around mile 6 that my body finally gave out and the walking ensued. I can only guess that it was a good combination of a lot of things. No excuses here, just things I am very happy I learned about. 1) Although “numero uno” happened twice on the bike I still feel that I was dehydrated once I started the run. 2) E-caps are simply not enough salt for a day like race day in KONA… I need something more. 3) I believe that perpetuem works great for half’s and for training rides but similar to what happened on the bike in Wisconsin, I began to have trouble with it settling in my stomach and getting absorbed after about ¾‘s of the bike. 4) although I love my steep (80°) seat angle it seems better suited for half’s, international’s and sprint’s, seeing as I came off the bike with pretty toasted hip flexors and could definitely tell each time I pushed myself back in the saddle that the demand I was placing on them was lessened. 5) Two months of IM training is not enough and I kinda figured that going into the event… this is also why I am so excited about being able to work with Steve for the next year so that I can have a grrrreat race at Coeur d’Alene. 6) I need more ride specific strength on the bike to allow me to power through the 112 and get onto the run still feeling strong rather than exhausted. Back to the run…I ditched my fuel belt at mile 9 seeing as there was no way I was sucking anymore of that stuff down. As I came back into town I did my best to run through the crowds, but when I hit “pay and save hill” on Palani I just walked up it… t-o-a-s-t. Out onto the Queen K and more walking. It is at this point that one becomes very introspective… “why the hell am I doing this?” One quick look at the little yellow band on my right wrist quickly destroyed those self pitying notions. I wear the livestrong band to remind me of how lucky I am to have all the opportunities that I have and that there are many others out there that must fight everyday just to survive, be it for health or financial reasons. (I still need a job though J!!!… but THANK YOU MOM & DAD… the race was a beautiful gift). I look forward to a time when I will be able to help others in their struggles just as so many have helped me along the way… “pay it forward”. I also made a conscious effort to really enjoy myself while out on the run course, taking in the sights and sounds and really just living it up. A steady diet of ice cold chicken broth (I hate that they think “hot” soup is good… yeah right all the blood right to the gut spells cramp… so I would pour it on ice) and bananas brought me back on line and by the time I had switched socks at the Natural Energy Lab turnaround I was moving. The feeling was great!!! I ran all the way up the hill out of NELH and out onto the Queen K. It felt so good to move swiftly once again. I didn’t even walk the aid stations. Back into town with Josh who, if not for him I would not be here. In April after returning from Ralph’s Half he looked at Vineman, found that it was open and insisted that I sign up for it. After 3 days of pestering I relented and signed up… come August 1st… I qualified… thanks Josh. Down Palani, right onto Kuakini, right onto Hualalai, and then… hallowed ground… Ali’I Drive!!! With a little light still left in the sky and thousands cheering us on we crossed the carpet together arms raised in jubilation and happiness. My first IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!! I really cannot express the fun I have had in both the journey and the destination. It has changed me and I LOVE IT!!! Everyone that I meet I feel has in a way helped me by giving me a different view on life and because of that I thank all you for your support and friendship. They say that the Ironman is an individual event… however I beg to differ… I truly believe that it is a team event because without the support that friends and family and the TRI community give to each of us it would not be possible for the impossible to happen. Thank you all.
Post race….
Okay so this time I didn’t eat so much that I passed out but after having eaten bananas and broth for the last 2.5 hours I was ready for something REAL. Five heaping scoops of Vanilla bean and macadamia nut ice cream, two slices of pizza and *sigh* a diet cola (2 months off of it is a loooong time) and I was feeling very happy and very good. Hauled my gear back to the hotel with my ‘rents… quickly stopping off to visit with my KBB (Lynne) and exchange hugs and stories, got cleaned up and headed back to watch the finish line… it truly is exciting to watch the last of the athlete’s come down the shoot. The HAWAI’I IRONMAN is an amazing thing… the sites, the smells and above all the energy that you can feel in the air for the whole week is very intoxicating… and I believe that I am addicted. I HAVE to go back… and I will…. see you in 2005.
36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App
www.markavan.com
www.IMkona.blogspot.com
http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=306406157105&page=1&sort_order=0
The alarm rang at a quarter to 5…. but I had already been up since 4:30. Also had been up for a snack at 3AM too. Had a bite to eat, mostly whole grain bread and other low glycemic high carbohydrate foods as well as a little bit of protein. Got in some good stretching and then headed out for the walk to the pier. Almost as soon as I had left the lobby I knew that there was something VERY different about today’s weather than any previous day that I had been out here. The air was much cooler than any of the other mornings (blowing in from the cooler highlands) and the breeze was already present at 5:30 whereas in the days leading up to race day there had really been none till about 10 or so in the morning. Walked down to the swim start with Mom and many others who looked pretty focused on the day’s events ahead. Went around to the back of the King Kam to get marked and drop off special needs and then headed over to my bike to get some last minute prep in. Helmet and glasses and e-caps on the BLADE then slipped into the TYR aquapel that I was going to swim in and headed for the start. The pros had left at 6:45 so we were being corralled into the water immediately after this. Not one for waiting in lines… I took the short route to the water by hoping the sea wall and jumping right in. Warmed up for 5 minutes before the dudes on the boards started pushing us back. As the start came closer and closer we, the amateurs, kept creeping up and creeping up on the start line. As I floated in the water I made a gut decision that with this being my first full IM and my first KONA that it might be probably best that rather than going bonkers from the get go and smashing the swim field that I would sit back and see how things developed in terms of who was willing to swim with me and play off of them. BOOM!!! The cannon sounded and 1800 pairs of arms began to churn the water for the first strokes on their collective way towards a total day of 140.6 miles. I was actually surprised to find myself battling other swimmers as far as two minutes into the swim. Not long after that though things began to ease up and before I knew it I was in the clear save for one guy whose feet I was right on. About halfway through the first leg of the swim another athlete bridged the gap that had opened between myself and the rest of the field. He promptly moved right alongside the guy I was drafting off of and seemed to then conduct a slug fest with him for pretty much the remainder of the swim. Hell I was content with that… just sitting behind these two slugging it out for what… nothing… since when has there been a swim prime in the last 3+ years? To get an idea of how easy I was cruising, I would at times look at my HRM and check to see where I was at… most times I would see anywhere from 90-100 bpm. Oh yeah that was nice. Also, when we passed the Body Glove boat and Atlantis corral reef submarine I took the time to roll over and do some back stroke and talk to the people on board. As we came around the turnaround I decided to surge ahead and see what kind of reaction I would get out of my swim partners. Putting in a few strong strokes I, quickly and easily, found myself having gapped them but then thought that it really wasn’t worth it and most likely best that I stick with my conservative plan. So I settled back into 3rd position for the remainder of the swim and only once contemplated overtaking the leader at the end for a bit but realizing that it was not best to run my HR up right before T1. Also during the return to the pier we frequently were passing many of the slower men and women pros… including Karin Thurig (4:50 bike split last year) so I was bound to see her again somewhere out on the Queen K.
–—side note… there was a swim prime and I will forever kick my self in the a** HARD for having not gone for it… can you say 18 inch plasma screen TV. In the words of Charlie Brown… ARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!——
Out of the water and up the ramp as thousands of people lined the sea wall screamed in unison as well as all the volunteers assisting us in T1. All I had to do in T1 was simply peel off the TYR aquapel and drop my goggles and cap, the volunteers would make sure they made their way back to me. B/c of this quick T1 I was fast to my Litespeed Blade and as I crossed the mount up line and I remember hearing Mike Reilly say “…and our first amateur is coming out of T1, from Austin, TX, Mark Van Akkeren.” Yeah… that was cool, as the crowd upped its cheer another notch for the first non-pro. Shweet. Much relieved to find that my HRM/bike computer was working (unlike Wisconsin) I settled into my plan of keeping it under 140bpm. I think in the future as I become more accustomed to this distance I will raise that level to 150 but for my first full I thought it best not to push my luck. And plus… at this point, I was just having sooooo much FUN!!! The ride through town was quick and before I knew it we were back on the Queen K heading north to the airport and then onto the lava fields and Hawi. The going was quite easy here as I continued to swallow up women pros and get passed by the occasional uber-amatuer-biker. Cresting the ridge beyond the airport we ran into our first headwind as we set out into the lava fields. Not really all that bad, but definitely enough to severely impede forward progress. Kept my RPMs around 85 and switched gears frequently just to change it up. Once we hit the turn at Kawaihae it got a bit easy for a few miles or so as the close cut hillside provided some protection from the Trade Winds screaming in from the NE. It was here that the first serious pack of amateurs came upon me. This group was sooo big and drafting off of each other that there was nothing I could do but join in. Granted I did not do this on purpose, but think for a moment to your favorite big weekend ride and then imagine if you weren’t allowed to draft in it… yeah right… you can’t. Before too long the draft marshals found us and started dishing out penalties left and right. I would just sit up and drift when this happened and therefore was fortunate enough to never get a “sin-bin” pass. It was here that we got our first look at the pro race and how it was developing. Stadler came flying by and after a good period of time (not too big though) Faris came screaming by and then the rest of the pack followed… as I passed them Simon Lessing was just falling off the back and up on his bars shaking his head and looking quite exhausted. Oh yeah speaking of exhaustion, the climb up to Hawi in that horrible headwind was truly a test of mental will power, keeping the HR in check while at the same time trying not to get frustrated with your progress. About this time I heard a voice come along side me and start talking. It was fellow TYR athlete Chris Hauth whom I had swam with earlier that morning. We chatted for a bit… it was VERY nice to suddenly be in the middle of a casual conversation as the battle raged on. We soon hit the “turn-around at Hawi” and after grabbing my special needs bag (with two homemade Hammer Vanilla espresso café au lait flasks in it) shot off like a cannon. Sadly this did not last long as the crosswinds soon resumed and I had to do all that I could to stay upright. Reaching for a water bottle or reaching back for a shot was now a huge and very dangerous effort seeing as any unforeseen gust could have easily left me on the roadside somewhere in a heap. My fear of the wind and fear of losing ground were all assuaged by having seen the pros out on their base bars holding on for dear life as well and now to think that it was my turn to experience this…. now I know why this race is THE IRONMAN it’s absolutely insane at times to think that the fear of your well being is at stake rather than simply a race. Back down the coast to Kawaihae and turned for home. It was here that I began to think of that nice tail-wind I was going to get on the return “flight”. After a few more miles in the valley between Hualalai and the Kohala’s we began to come into the lava beds again and just as we passed the 40K to go mark we were hit with this vicious head wind. WTF!!! “Wait a minute, where did this come from?” At 90 miles I was still feeling good and was on pace for a high 5:20 bike split. As my speed slowed to around 15 mph while battling the head wind I gave up any bike split goal for good knowing that simply surviving was the goal in itself now. I made the most of this struggle by chatting with the athletes around me… including one good natured bloke from Brisbane who was just as sarcastic, hyper and comical in nature as I am, imagine that J. Just before hitting T2 Tim came around me on Makala and we rode to the pier together with a little chit-chat along the way. First thought once I was out of my shoes and shuffling was… whew glad that’s done, followed by… man I need to talk to Tammy about those cycling shoes again… my feet were toast. Into the changing tent where I took my time getting prepped for the run, greasing up my feet and layering on the sunscreen. As I headed out, the crowd going up Palani was insane, although I was already hurting, and knowing that this was going to be a very long 26.2, they seemed to carry me on. The crowd induced run seemed to work for about the first 3 or 4 miles before I just could not run any longer. It was around this time that Pat passed me and for awhile we simply switched off, both of us knowing that today was not a good day for racing fast. It was around mile 6 that my body finally gave out and the walking ensued. I can only guess that it was a good combination of a lot of things. No excuses here, just things I am very happy I learned about. 1) Although “numero uno” happened twice on the bike I still feel that I was dehydrated once I started the run. 2) E-caps are simply not enough salt for a day like race day in KONA… I need something more. 3) I believe that perpetuem works great for half’s and for training rides but similar to what happened on the bike in Wisconsin, I began to have trouble with it settling in my stomach and getting absorbed after about ¾‘s of the bike. 4) although I love my steep (80°) seat angle it seems better suited for half’s, international’s and sprint’s, seeing as I came off the bike with pretty toasted hip flexors and could definitely tell each time I pushed myself back in the saddle that the demand I was placing on them was lessened. 5) Two months of IM training is not enough and I kinda figured that going into the event… this is also why I am so excited about being able to work with Steve for the next year so that I can have a grrrreat race at Coeur d’Alene. 6) I need more ride specific strength on the bike to allow me to power through the 112 and get onto the run still feeling strong rather than exhausted. Back to the run…I ditched my fuel belt at mile 9 seeing as there was no way I was sucking anymore of that stuff down. As I came back into town I did my best to run through the crowds, but when I hit “pay and save hill” on Palani I just walked up it… t-o-a-s-t. Out onto the Queen K and more walking. It is at this point that one becomes very introspective… “why the hell am I doing this?” One quick look at the little yellow band on my right wrist quickly destroyed those self pitying notions. I wear the livestrong band to remind me of how lucky I am to have all the opportunities that I have and that there are many others out there that must fight everyday just to survive, be it for health or financial reasons. (I still need a job though J!!!… but THANK YOU MOM & DAD… the race was a beautiful gift). I look forward to a time when I will be able to help others in their struggles just as so many have helped me along the way… “pay it forward”. I also made a conscious effort to really enjoy myself while out on the run course, taking in the sights and sounds and really just living it up. A steady diet of ice cold chicken broth (I hate that they think “hot” soup is good… yeah right all the blood right to the gut spells cramp… so I would pour it on ice) and bananas brought me back on line and by the time I had switched socks at the Natural Energy Lab turnaround I was moving. The feeling was great!!! I ran all the way up the hill out of NELH and out onto the Queen K. It felt so good to move swiftly once again. I didn’t even walk the aid stations. Back into town with Josh who, if not for him I would not be here. In April after returning from Ralph’s Half he looked at Vineman, found that it was open and insisted that I sign up for it. After 3 days of pestering I relented and signed up… come August 1st… I qualified… thanks Josh. Down Palani, right onto Kuakini, right onto Hualalai, and then… hallowed ground… Ali’I Drive!!! With a little light still left in the sky and thousands cheering us on we crossed the carpet together arms raised in jubilation and happiness. My first IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!! I really cannot express the fun I have had in both the journey and the destination. It has changed me and I LOVE IT!!! Everyone that I meet I feel has in a way helped me by giving me a different view on life and because of that I thank all you for your support and friendship. They say that the Ironman is an individual event… however I beg to differ… I truly believe that it is a team event because without the support that friends and family and the TRI community give to each of us it would not be possible for the impossible to happen. Thank you all.
Post race….
Okay so this time I didn’t eat so much that I passed out but after having eaten bananas and broth for the last 2.5 hours I was ready for something REAL. Five heaping scoops of Vanilla bean and macadamia nut ice cream, two slices of pizza and *sigh* a diet cola (2 months off of it is a loooong time) and I was feeling very happy and very good. Hauled my gear back to the hotel with my ‘rents… quickly stopping off to visit with my KBB (Lynne) and exchange hugs and stories, got cleaned up and headed back to watch the finish line… it truly is exciting to watch the last of the athlete’s come down the shoot. The HAWAI’I IRONMAN is an amazing thing… the sites, the smells and above all the energy that you can feel in the air for the whole week is very intoxicating… and I believe that I am addicted. I HAVE to go back… and I will…. see you in 2005.
36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App