4 am. My alarm goes off. I'm not sure if I've been awake more than I've slept, but even in sleep my brain did not turn off so it feels like I've been awake all night. I remember back to Ultraman OZ and how I didn't sleep for 4 days- first because I was so nervous the night before stage 1, and then even when I was exhausted my body was beat up and I had so much caffeine and sugar in my system I couldn't sleep. It was like post Ironman on steroids. I was hoping this time would be different, but I'm starting to feel like it could be worse. The conditions here definitely add a little something extra.
4:56 am. We load the car and start driving toward Kawaihae. The plan today is to run the course from 6 miles north of Kawaihae until I hit 50k, which was almost to the airport in Kona.
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| The start. |
6:01 am. I flip on my headlamp and start running. OK, I think, this isn't so terrible. It's still dark out and there's a light breeze. This is probably the least humid it will be all day.
6:15 am. Why am I sweating so much???
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| Random waterfall on the Queen K. |
8:40 am. We're in a rhythm of bottle handoffs. I make my first stop of the day- I'm 16 miles in and the sun is starting to scorch my neck. I pause at the car long enough to grab a cooling towel and soak it in some ice water. I quickly eat a banana and I drape the towel over my head and let the cold wet ends flap on the back of my neck as I run off down the road.
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| Attacking one of the many rolling hills. |
9:30 am. 21 miles in. I stop at the car to drink a small coke. I add arm cooling sleeves to my repertoire. I tell DB I need him to stop no more than every mile now to throw ice down my cooling sleeves and wet the towel on my head.
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| Sherpa duties on point. |
9:35 am. Back on the road after my brief pit stop, I feel like I'm past the rough point of the run. Miles 16-19 were the hardest, and I'm back in a rhythm. My feet hurt, but we have this nutrition/ hydration thing nailed and I feel like I'm managing the heat.
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| Almost done! |
11:25 am. I'm laying in the back of the van with my shoes and socks off. My hydration vest, arm coolers, and towel are strewn about. I'm sipping on a coke because I need a second before I can start on the recovery shake. 31 miles done in 5 hours and 3 minutes. Far from earth shattering, but if I can hold this pace 3 weeks from today, I'll break my Australia day 3 time by an hour.
12:40 pm. I've eaten my recovery shake as well as a bowl of spinach, avocado and leftover pasta from last night. I slide my legs into the recovery boots and set an alarm for one hour. I close my eyes. I don't fall asleep but I rest.
1:32 pm. I receive a text message that the friend I invited a couple of weeks back to be our 4th crew person was able to arrange her schedule and she has a flight to the island. I almost cry I'm so happy. I realized today how taxing day 3 is going to be on the crew and having a 4th person to share the burden of pacing duties will help so much! Plus she has the best energy and I've been dying for her to meet my #bff for the last year so this is going to be awesome. I'm pumped!
2:20 pm. Standing in front of our lane at the Kona Aquatic Center I review the first set of the recovery swim and we jump in.
2:30 pm. I'm starting to get a headache. I don't know if it's the sun, the warm water, my swim cap which feels tight on my head, or if I'm dehydrated. Or maybe a combination of all 4.
3:06 pm. We finish the swim. Now I'm nauseated from the headache. I don't have any tylenol... I almost never take anything - but this is one of those situations I would.
3:30 pm. We pick a table at the lunch spot. I thought I could make it through lunch even though I'm too nauseated to really eat. It doesn't take long to realize I am not going to make it. DB runs across the road to the ABC store to grab tylenol and I order food to go.
3:46 pm. I'm lying in the fetal position trying not to die. At some point the tylenol kicks in and I fall asleep. Deeply asleep.
7:06 pm. I wake up. I think there was a noise outside. But it might have been because I'm hungry. I eat leftover sweet potato fries. I am grateful that tomorrow is a recovery day. I'll get my workout in and have time to drink coffee while writing plans and catching up on work. I plan to be inside, out of the sun, for most of the day. Even with the sheer volume of sunscreen I've been applying and reapplying, my skin is already showing the sun with new tan lines popping up each day.
8:17 pm. I'm ready to fall back asleep.
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