…is really a tale of two races. The story actually goes back quite a long way and includes some chapters I'd rather forget. I've been struggling with where to start and finally have decided to start at the beginning…
From the moment I first set foot on the Big Island to compete in the Ironman in 2004 I knew I would be obsessed with getting back. I was totally swept away by the beauty, intensity and power of the lava and the sea. It was love at first breath. Though I came tantalizingly close, qualifying a second time was an elusive goal that seemed to slip further from my reach as I became an "elder" in my 45-49 AG.
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon (26 miles 385 yards, 42.195 km) run, raced in that order and without a break. Most Ironman events have a strict time limit of 17 hours to complete the race, where the Ironman race starts at 7 AM, the mandatory swim cut off for the 2.4 mile swim is 2 hours 20 minutes, the bike cut off time is 5:30 PM, and all finishers must complete their marathon by midnight. The time limit for Ironman Japan is 15 hours to complete the race.[1]
The name "Ironman Triathlon" refers to both the original Ironman triathlon and the annual Ironman World Championship. Also called Ironman Hawaii, the world championships of the event, held annually in Hawaii since 1978 (with an additional race in 1982), are now preceded by a series of qualifying events. Ironman Triathlon became known for its grueling length, harsh race conditions, and television coverage.
An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of a series of middle-distance triathlon races organised by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. 70.3 is the total distance in miles (113.0 km). The whole and each part of the event is half the Ironman distance. The length of the 70.3 event encourages a meeting of Olympic distance/short course triathletes and Ironman/long course triathletes. Like the Ironman, the bike section is non-drafting.
