Race Coverage

Acari Bowls, Manta Rays and Handfuls of Vaseline....

Saturday, 28 December 2019 23:10

By David Koppel(davidkoppeltriathlon.blogspot.com)

Kelsie and I traveled to the IRONMAN World Championships on the Big Island of Hawaii on Tuesday, October 8th, 2019, with no kids! The race was on Saturday, so it gave me three full days to get all ready and acclimate a bit with the heat I’d be racing in. We also enjoyed some touristy stuff in the days leading up, as I didn’t want to make every single minute about my race. Kelsie sacrificed plenty for me to be able to qualify for Kona and we both wanted to have a relaxing trip in paradise. If you want to just hear about the vacation, read the days leading up to the race and the days following!

The cliff notes version of the race is: Swim went as expected even with choppy conditions, bike was slow and legs were not feeling strong, and run was a mess for 2 hours until I pulled it together a bit for the last 14 miles. Slowest and hardest Ironman by 70 minutes, but an amazing experience that I’ll never forget.

Since this is a long post, I’ll start by thanking my wife, Kelsie, for her unconditional support with training and racing across the US. She didn’t hesitate when we found out I had a slot to Kona and said I had to take it! My in-laws were also...

instrumental as they watched the kids while we were gone and dealt with sick kids and all of the joys that fall brings in Minnesota. Thanks to friends and family who express interest in my races and support me from all over the US. I love how many people follow me and know my result in real-time by tracking in the phone app. I’m blessed to be surrounded by so much support.

Days Leading Up To the Race
Tuesday, October 8th: Arrived in Kona around 8pm, uneventfully got our bags, my bike, and our rental jeep, and headed for the condo in Holualoa, about 8 miles south of Kona and 1200’ above sea level. The 1200’ above sea level is important because many places do not have A/C due to the exorbitant cost of electricity and living at 1200’ made for perfect sleeping conditions even for a hot sleeper like me!  READ MORE