Rolling the Dice

It began at 4:30 this morning... the cars leaving from my condo's parking lot, carrying nervous athletes to their final pre-race ritual: the body marking.  It gets earlier and earlier every year, but the last thing you want is to be stuck in a 45-minute line with less than an hour to go before before the starting cannon.

Today's race contenders are going through their rituals, too.  Among them:  deciding "Will I roll the dice today or just let it ride?"

Tomorrow's Underdogs and Bike Powers

OK, we all have Faris, Michellie, Macca, Natascha, Normann, Cam Brown in our list of favorites for tomorrow. But there’s always an underdog that rises up, nips at the heels of the heavies on the bike, and pulls off a surprising run that puts them on the map. Among them are a bevy of gun bikers who promise to make the day’s dynamics exciting.

Earthquake Energy

I’ve started hundreds and hundreds of running, cycling and multi-sport events, and can now get to the starting line without those gut- wrenching butterflies that used to turn me inside out in the early years. Racing simply doesn’t horrify me any more. Maybe I’ve lost the oomph in my middle age, like an old cat. However, just arriving in Kona as a spectator immediately flips my stomach, reminding me of those sickening moments as a kid just prior to a race.