They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and since it has taken me so long to do this, I figured that it’d be better to get across 20,000 words with 20 pictures from the trip. Besides, if I wait much longer, it’ll be time to get out the 2015 race wheels!
Pre-Race…
At the 2014 World Championships name banner a few days before the race…
I did a practice ride up to Hawi a few days before the race, hoping to get some practice in the infamous crosswinds. Instead it was just calm and quite beautiful.
Checking my bike in the day before the race
Kailua Bay – All set up for race day
Kona Underpants Run
Race Day!…
Race Morning – Swim Start; The conditions in Kailua Bay were some of the roughest in more than 10 years
Headed out on the bike
Getting ready to head out onto the Queen K
Out on the Queen K: After the race, I was told by a few Kona “veterans” that It was the windiest year since 1992
Coming down Palani Hill on the bike after a tough 112 miles on the bike
Leaving transition and getting ready for the 26.2 miles of running…
Saying a quick “hi” to Alice before heading back out to the Queen K (I was feeling the effects of pretty severe dehydration by this point)
Run Finish. If you can’t tell by the expression on my face, I was really hurting… 20+ miles of running with chills and goosebumps – the dehydration had gotten the best of me.
Overall time – 9:51
Now time for some post-race fun!…
Finish line at midnight; it was quite the party!
Alice in a 30+ year old crater at Volcanos National Park
Sea Turtles at the Black Sand Beach
Todd & Alice at the most southern point in the US
Akaka Falls
WaipioLookout
Perhaps the most exciting part of this posting: Alice and I are pregnant! “Gavin” is due in May 2015. And by the pictures we’ve seen of him doing somersaults, he may have some athletic skills himself 🙂
A super big THANKS to Alice, my parents, and my sister for making the trip to Kona to watch and help me out.
And of course, the successes of the 2014 season couldn’t have been possible without the support of my awesome sponsors this year, GU Energy, Amino Vital, and Xterra wetsuits, and guidance (plus some butt kicking) from Coach Jenny.