Ultraman Post-race Thoughts
First, I must thank my crew: Dave Hinds & his son Chris from Livermore and Pam & Curt Harvel from Folsom. To fly to Hawaii and follow me around the Big Island...well, I owe them a huge favor. Second, thanks to everyone I trained with over the past few months. If we shared some miles on the roads or the trails or in the dreaded pool, thanks for getting out there to help me put in the time. Also, for anyone even remotely curious about doing Ultraman (are you nuts?), I would absolutely recommend it (are you nuts!).
Now that it's over, the race seems almost like a dream. There were no jellyfish stings, no flat tires, and the run was incredible! For me, the race was almost perfect. Rather than go on and on about the fascinating wildlife seen during the swim or the phenomenal coastal views on the bike, I'll mention my two primary highlights. One was getting to know the other crews and athletes, and two was the run.
Over the three days, we made several new lifelong friends. I've never done a race where everyone wanted to help each other reach the best possible result regardless of how close they were in the standings. The synergy was amazing! By Monday's awards dinner, we had plenty of laughs about the race with great friends who do crazy events (which makes me feel normal).
By far, the run was the most enjoyable day for me. Yes, it was a little mind numbing watching the mile markers tick down from 22 to 1 (from Hawi to Kawaihae) and then up from 68 to 99 on the Queen K. And, when coming around a bend in the road at about mile 8 on Sunday morning, it was a little intimidating to look 40 miles down the coast to where we were headed. However, this is why I did the race...the big unknown of what it would feel like to face that view with the fatigue of days 1 and 2.
When we went through the first marathon in 3:00, it was awesome to have no idea if the wheels were going to come off a mile later or twenty miles later. I had no clue we were going that fast because my focus was on embracing the environment, not at all on my pace. To me, there was no conflict between the challenging course (the sun, the hot pavement, the hills, the barren lava) and my energy level. EVERYTHING was made into a positive influence and it was one long, happy day. This outlook may sound strange, but it sure made the second marathon much easier and the wheels got a little wobbly, but they never came off.
Overall, I got more than I expected from Ultraman, and it was a great way to see the Big Island. Thanks for following along on the email updates. It was great being able to share this experience with everyone.