No Words

Well, Ironman Worlds is something of the past and as Luis Varges, my coach said on Thursday that one must enjoy the day as before you know it everything will be done and all the race day excitement will be something of the past. You'll be back into the normal stuff. Going to work, taking out the garbage and all those day to day things.

It is difficult to explain but I guess the people who have done Ironman Worlds or even any other Ironman will understand that at this stage I don't have words to describe yesterday. I am still just soaking up this wonderful experience we had yesterday, no words can describe it.

All I can say is that it was amazing. So many people have told me what to expect and how it feels but only if you finish the race do you realize what they've been through.

Below is the day in pictures, I will post a "technical" race day report later with all the times, the splits, how I felt when and what happened where. Share with me just these pictures and my great day yesterday.

The pic at the top is us on our way to the race start.


On my way to body marking.


Being body marked, the volunteers are amazing and make you feel like you are just the one.


Everybody in their own world getting their bikes ready.


The current world champion, Craig Alexander being interviewed at his bike, no private time for the world champion.


Meeting Kim and DJ again after everything's been done, body marking, fitting everything to bike, pumping wheels, changing into race cloths and checking in special needs bags.

Who said that the marine can't land on the moon. Kim took this picture as the marines sky dived into the water just before the start of the race.

Getting into the water, everyone is so quite, if it wasn't for the music and the announcers it would have sounded like a grave yard.

And when the canon goes it is absolute chaos. I thought that Ironman South Africa's swim start was bad where the course makes a 90 degree turn after 400 meter and everybody changing course. Well that is nothing compared to this.

Dejone waiting at the 50 kilometer mark of the bike route for me.

Here I comes, little bit to slow for Kim and the camera.

Spend a LONG time on the Queen K A' Ahumanu highway, running and biking.

Coming down Palani road was more emotional for me than running down Alii drive to the finish. It is definitely not as exciting as running down Alii drive but spending 25 kilometers of the marathon on the highway and through the Energy Lab is very tough. When you come down Palani road it is the first time again that you see lots of people and cheering you on and telling you that yo have less than a mile to go. Not ashamed to say that I shed a tear or two here.

And all you here is "Good Job, Great Job" from the spectators.

At the beginning of the run, still smiling.

Coming down the finish, awesome. A feeling you can't describe. Two guys came racing past me, how stupid. They don't know what they missed. Why walk during the marathon and then race down the finish. The feeling and experience do make up for losing two places. Hey what the heck, finishing 753 or 756'something who cares.

Meeting Kim and Dejone at the spectators area after the race.

For many this is what is it for, the medal but for others it is for that once in a lifetime experience.

Talking to my mother after the race. She watched it online right through the night. She even saw me cross the finish line and took a picture with her cell phone and send it to Kim. Can see Dejone is happy (or bored) starting to fool around when pictures are being taken.

This is what my family looks like when they ran a marathon. You can't see it that clearly on the photo but the photos of them were soaking wet and had no colour anymore. I covered their pictures in wrapping and stuck in in my pocket when I went through the bike, run transition.

For the whole 25 kilometer out on the highway I ran with this in my hand to help me focus and to prevent me from walking, because if you first start walking it's over and to just keep on walking instead of running becomes so easy. I only stuck it back into my pocket when I soaked myself with water and ice at the aid stations.

My Kona tattoo, my race number burned into my skin after 11 hours in the sun.

Best recovery drink after an Ironman. Having a beer after the race. OK having more than one beer after the race.

Race report to follow with more photos and all the race detail.