Ironman World Championships - Sherpa Duties Race Report.
It was April and I was walking with Rob after a tough day at the HITS series triathlon at Lake Berryessa. We were discussing our plans for the rest of the year, among other things. Rob was telling me about how he was hoping to get a Kona slot. I made him a promise, if he got in then I would be there to help.
Fast forward a few months and as I was preparing for Boise 70.3 my phone rang. It was Rob and he was telling me about the Kona inspired program. I thought to myself, "There is no way he doesn't get selected for this, I better buy my plane ticket." Sure enough he was selected and we were on our way for a Hawaii vacation in October.
I arrived on Thursday afternoon so that I could get checked in with the water safety director. I met up with Rob at Lava Java and we discussed his week so far. I could tell he was already tired and I started to get worried. Rob is the type of guy that believes in the mission completely. He was not going to waste this great opportunity to spread the word about Code 3 and Team Firefighter. So, when someone asked for an interview or a photo shoot, he was there. His lovely wife Nicole and I had to gently remind him that he was doing an Ironman on Saturday...
On Friday we met for a swim out to the coffee boat. On race week, Coffee's of Hawaii staff a sailboat anchored about a half mile from the pier. We swam out and enjoyed some coffee and cookies. Then the plan was for Rob to get his gear checked in and get off his feet. I took the rest of the day to spread the word about the team and meet some of the amazing people. I have been to Kona a few times but not in October. During the WC it is a completely different town. The town goes from a lazy attitude to hustle and bustle with a buzz the whole week. You can really feel the anticipation in the air.
After buying some new shoes at the K-Swiss tent, I wandered over to the Zoot tent to say hi to a Cycling House friend of mine. I heard some commotion to my right and saw Rob in full gear surrounded by people. I walked over to see what was going on. He was on his way out to a photo shoot on the lava rocks... He was sweating and I could tell he was a little stressed. I got a little firm wit him and told him that he needed to rest! I don't think it worked...
On race morning I got up at 0400, quick shower and grabbed my surf board and headed to the pier. I grabbed some coffee and a banana on my way out the door. I met the other swim safety volunteers at Dig Me Beach by the King Kam. We got our briefing and then grouped up for a picture. Athletes entered the pier from the beach side. I watched them shuffle in with nervous anticipation on their faces. I looked for Rob but did not see him. We paddled out to position and listened to the national anthem. The Pro men started and swam by quickly, followed by the Pro women. On a surfboard the small group of people swimming by created some waves but it was manageable. I knew tough that with 2000 people about to swim by it was about to be different. The Age Groupers started and I had to paddle backwards quickly or I was going to get swam over the top of. I positioned myself with a lifeguard for San Diego FD to follow the last swimmers. We paddled close by as they were struggling. As we got to the turnaround boat I got word from the race support boat that an hour and twenty minutes had passed. They were probably not going to make it. I got their attention and urged them to hurry. They bot looked up at me with blank stairs. I yelled to the race support boat their race numbers marked on their swim caps. They advised that they were bot Japanese citizens and didn't speak english. My Japanese is limited to what I order at Mikuni's so I just yelled and pointed to the pier and spun my hand to signal for them to hurry. They got that and sped up for a few minutes. They then returned to their slower pace and as we got close to the finish I could hear the race announcer countdown the final minute. We waved the support boat over and the contestants realized immediately what was happening and swam to the boat. I felt bad for them, so much hard work to build up to just a swim in the bay. They would not be allowed to continue.
I exited the water and took my surfboard back to my hotel room to change. I dressed for a long day of walking and headed down to Lava Java for some breakfast. I met up with some of Rob's friends from Wisconsin and we found a place to relax and wait for the pro's to come by. It was at a second story bar at mile 1 on Ali'i. After watching a few of the pro's run by I decided to head over to the finish to see the finish. I crept my way up to the finish line and got some good pictures of the Men and Women's winners. I then checked my phone and saw that I just missed Rob at T2.
I ran less than a mile down the course and caught up with him. I looked at his face and saw that the bike was tougher than normal for him. I asked him about his nutrition and the heat. He said he was ok. I didn't believe him. About a half a mile later we ran into his family. They walked with him until about mile 6 while I got some dinner and got ready for a long night.
I caught back up with Rob at the turn and we headed up Palani. The crowds were going nuts as he walked by. Some people in total disbelief of his attempt. The Sun had dropped and I checked my watch. He was going to be ok as long as he didn't slow down. I knew tat as he walked back up the last hill or if he cramped up he might not make the midnight cutoff. I checked his mental status and unlike previous races he was pretty beat up. I could tell he didn't want to chat so I just walked a little with him. We were both worried about another racer or an official disqualifying him for "pacing." Ironman is an individual achievement. You cannot accept any outside assistance. So, even though Rob was not in danger of any awards he could still be disqualified by having someone pace him to the finish. The rule makes sense because the completion of an Ironman alone is a reward in itself. So, I would walk with Rob for a minute or two, then run ahead and wait for him. We repeated this for a few miles until the NBC camera car showed up. I think the camera car at first was a blessing. It seemed to remind Rob of all the great exposure for our cause this would provide. After the energy lab turnaround the camera car caught up to us again. This time I could tell it was draining on Rob. He needed to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. His back was starting to really bother him from the heavy SCBA he was carrying. We were finally on the last hill before the turn onto Palani. It was at this point that I knew he would make its.
We went down the hill and I told him how proud I was of him. I knew that we would soon be back on Ali'i and I wanted to make sure that I didn't get in the way of any of his much earned praise. I ducked into the alley and headed to the finish line. I got there just in time to see him cross the line on the big projection on the King Kam. By the time I got to the actual finish line Rob was being escorted to medical. I stuck around to cheer in the final finishers and watch the closing ceremonies. I am sure if you have read this far you have heard about the magic of the finish line in Kona. It does not disappoint. The final finisher finished with less than a minute to spare, it was magical.
I ran into Rob's parents and helped them carry some of his gear back to their car. They gave me an update, he was feeling good but needed a couple of IV's. We said our goodbyes and I wandered up the street for a beer and a bar stool.
Please watch the NBC broadcast on NBC Saturday October 27th at 1am PST
