The Race Day – October 6, 2022
Swam out to our age group start and tread the water for about 3 min and the horn went off. GO! The last time I raced in 2016, all women started together, so this was a much smaller group to start with and much easier to maneuver my way out. Just like last time, the water was so clear that it was very easy to see where other people were to pass or draft. Ever since I had severe breathing issues during the last several races during the swim typically in cold water with a wetsuit, I have to treat the swim as a warm up for the long day ahead of me, so control my effort for the first several buoys for my body to warm up and get into rhythm. There were enough swells but I just love and enjoy the swim in Kona. I spotted black, yellow and tan colored fish as we swam by and that just brightened my spirit. I made the turn around and heading back had much more swells but I put my effort into higher gear since my asthma did not kick in and I was breathing just fine.
Out of the swim, I used a water hose to rinse the salty water off before running to grab my T1 bag and into the tent. This year, I decided to use cooling arm covers and bike gloves to protect my forearms and hands from blazing sun but that took me a bit more time. Chapstick is a must before my ride, put bike shoes and helmet on and out the tent I go for a long run around the transition area to my bike. Up on Palani to the hot corner where many people are cheering. Turn left onto Kuakini Hwy out to Queen K Hwy back down to Palani to the hot corner again before a stretch of Kuakini out and back. That’s where I saw my girls, Stephanie, Bethany and Nadia, cheering and making me so happy and smile. I got to see them twice before going up on Palani again to go out on the long journey on Queen K to Hawi and back, a total of 112 mile of the bike course. As expected, it was already getting hot. My power meter and bike computer were just not communicating for some reason, so the power was not showing. My plan was to ride to the power and maintain constant effort but I just have to go by the feel. Although it was hot, there was not much cross wind on Queen K this year so I was able to enjoy the majestic scenery of the course much more.
I did pretty well on taking in my hydration and nutrition through halfway turnaround point at Hawi. I stopped for my bike special need bag that had 3 bottles with my hydration I froze and a bar and gel I was planning to eat on the way back. A volunteer called out my number but my bag was not brought to me and one guy said it was not there. They somehow lost my bag and cannot locate it. Another volunteer went back where it was supposed to be, but it was nowhere to be found. I was looking forward to my 3 more insulated bottles of drinks but now I don’t have any. I quickly shifted my mind from being mad to solving this challenge to keep moving, so I left and figured out how I was going to make it back with on course drinks and nutrition. Luckily, I still had ½ Maurten bar and a whole UCan bar, so I stopped at the next aid station and mixed orange Gatorade and water in my torpedo in the front and put those bottles in my cages to finish the rest of the bike course. I also had salt tab chewable and a ginger chew, so I was confident that I will be okay with those substitutions and Maurten gels on the course. The crosswind on the descent from Hawi was not insane but the headwind on Queen K was pretty strong as I closed the mileage back to town. This stretch seemed forever until you see the airport, and then you know the town is near. As I was coming into the transition, I saw my girls again at the hot corner in volunteer shirts. Unlike last time, there was no bike catchers, so after I got off the bike, I had to bring my bike to my rack and run all around the transition to the tent with my T2 bag. The changing tent was chaotic with not enough volunteers. There were bags everywhere, lines for the potty, not enough cooling towels with no ice in the bucket or people were asking for sunscreens or whatever they needed. I switched up my gears to run and made sure all of my bike gears were in my bag and tied a knot. Now off to run, the final leg of the race.
I saw my girls again at the hot corner, hence the name because athletes can see their spectators so many times. Again, I had a huge smile to start that hot long run. My strategies were to walk through aid stations to get ice in my chest, on my back and in Hydropak in my hand for heat control and take in enough water and Gatorade as needed. My legs felt pretty good and no hamstring pain! I ran in between aid stations and only walked at aid stations and up on Palani. I saw the sun was setting as I was coming down on Energy Lab and I knew it would be dark in no time. Because I learned how dark it gets on the back of Queen K, I had a clip-on headlamp but when I put it on my hat, my hat kept sliding down on my face with the weight. I ended up holding it in my hand. Lesson learned with failed attempt. I will figure out this hat issue next time. Last 6 miles on Queen K were very dark and lonely but you start to see some street lights as I get near the Palani.
As I ran down Palani, I could faintly hear Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman, calling finishers’ names. My spirit was all lifted again with much faster pace, coming around on Kuakini back to Alii Dr. where the red carpet and international flags awais with so many people all along the way. Bright lights are shining at the finish line. Stephanie, Bethany and Nadia were there again waiting for me right before the finish line screaming my name! All the pain and suffering just vanished off of my body, replaced by all the joy and gratitude. Mike’s voice “Izumi Yamashita, You Are an Ironman!” was heard for the last time as he is retiring at the end of this year. Oh, My Gosh! What a race! I’m done! All my fingers and body were tingling, my feet were in pain with blisters and I could not seem to walk a straight line without 2 volunteers holding me up on both sides, but all emotions I could feel were gratitude and happiness.
This race was my lucky 7 Ironman finish. So many wonderful memories were made with my friends, especially my best cheering squad, Stephanie, Bethany and Nadia being there for me. Also, a huge appreciation to Matt Cole of All3 Sports for believing in me and the support provided. I’m ecstatic I got to race in Kona and cross that very special finish line again.
