Johnna and I were relaxing in the hotel room, and I just happened to check out my emails when I saw one from my Uncle John which said "sorry about the race being canceled". WTF? The special athlete meeting was starting in 5 minutes--so we raced over there. The wind was blowing so hard, it was ripping flags off the flagpoles. People were surfing waves on the lake -- yes, imagine 4-5 footers on that beach. We got to the meeting, and they announced that they cancelled the IM and would have a 70.3 on sunday. That's cool. At least we get to have a race. After the meeting we had to go and retrieve my bike and transition bags. They didn't want anything damaged in the storm. So with that, it was time for a beer. We had driven past this Irish pub right on the lake all week, so we headed there. A couple guiness couldn't hurt the taper now that it was a 70.3. Serious local place and packed, but we found a spot to sit and order a beer. We slowly noticed lots of athletes in the place, and we moved over to a big table with some aussies. Sorry, to be correct, Aussie Firefighters. Serious drinkers and super nice. I was talking to Angus (this was to be his first IM), when this young lady comes up to our table and starts hitting on Angus immediately. She was from Florida, of all places. Small world. I mentioned to one of Angus's buddies that it looked like Angus's Ironman disappointment was going to be consoled, and his friend replied, if not by her then by that gal at the bar. After two beers, we wished Angus and his firefighter buddies good luck. I had to get Johnna out of there before she hooked up with one of the crew from Aussie Rescue Me.
We got up on saturday morning and decided to head over to race start and get some breakfast. On the way down the hill, we see Angus doing the "walk of shame" back to the hotel. We gave him a ride up the hill and he didn't kiss and tell. But he was smiling.
Sunday morning was race day. 70.3 day. I got my my bike and gear set up and was waiting in the Porta Potty line, when who walks up--the pride of Florida. I told her I saw Angus doing the walk of shame, and she just smiled.
Race was going off in 3 waves--Pros, Men and then Women. I had a good swim, out with the leaders. The run to transition is a mile long and up a steep hill. Temps were in the low 50s. No rain, but windy. T1 was pretty slow. Tried to get a long sleeve compression shirt on over wet skin. Crazy hard. Bike was good. Tail wind to the turnaround point. I think I did the front half in 1:20 and the return in 1:30 into the wind for a 2:50 bike. I'm not a cold weather racer, but I came out to run feeling okay, but probably didn't take in enough nutrition on the bike. When it's cold, I have to really force myself to drink and eat, and I didn't. I should have learned from IM Canada. One of these days.
Came out of T2 and saw the spitting image of my grandfather--it was my Uncle John. Hadn't seen him in awhile, and it was eery seeing him look so much like his dad. I heard him and Auntie Jo and Johnna cheer me on. The run was two loops so I saw everyone a few times. At each turnaround you have to get a different colored wristband. Run was uneventful, other than Meredith Kessler and Joanna Lawn blowing by me on my first loop on their way to the finish.
So, here's what we did during the rest of our time in New Zealand. It went by so fast. Visited Uncle John and Aunt Jo in Hawke's Bay and Glen took us on a tour of Tamata peak which overlooks many of the North Island's wineries on the coast. Uncle John and Aunt Jo and Glen drove us down to Masterton where we visited Grandma and Granddad's house, and I saw the old park and field where I got to play back when I was 8 years old. Totally remembered it. Pretty cool.
Had a few beers in the beer tent with Glen, Uncle John, Aunt Jo and Johnna and then we headed back to the hotel for a jacuzzi. Glen joined us. The next day the plan was to drive down to my Uncle's house with Glen and start touring for the second week of our New Zealand vacation.
Down in Wellington, we had dinner at the master chef of Air New Zealand's restaurant. From left, Paul, Diane, Me, Ryan, Johnna, Hanna, Jordan and Dean. Dean had to order whiskey after dinner. Good stuff.
At Grandma and Granddad's house in Masterton. Do you like Glen's shirt?
We visited the Kiwi sanctuary. We saw a baby white Kiwi--very very rare. We also saw the only remaining living dinosaur--the Tuatara, nearly made extinct by the domestic animals that the English settlers brought, i.e. dogs and cats in the 1840s.
At the officer's club with Major Paul Corke and his son Jordan.
Go All Blacks!
