Ironman Kiwi Style

This is Day 3 for me in Auckland, New Zealand. We arrived in Taupo yesterday. It was cloudy and dark on the nearly four hour drive from Auckland, but the weather has held.

I almost missed our flight to Auckland, arriving less than 45 minutes to gate closing time. By the powers of a frequent-flyer card, we cleared the horrendously stressful hour, making it to the gate with time to breathe.

We stayed overnight at the Silver Oaks Inn near the international airport, getting an alternative as the one we chose was overbooked. The night passed uneventfully. We got a car from A2B the next morning, and we drove back to the airport to wait for our gang comprising my coach, Craig and his buddy Paul. Paul is gunning for a Kona slot (only four in his age group) in the 50-54 category. Craig is happy to race after five years, his last race being a 10:38 in Kona at the World Championships in 2005. Me, I am positive in racing after my horrific bike accident where I survived, and my Orbea Ordu tri-bike did not.

After a much needed and sustained sleep, we had a simple breakfast served by our B&B hosts in their spectacular home by the lake. Lake Taupo is 1.5 times the size of Singapore; it has its own wave and wind system. The retired couple have eight kids and 16 grandchildren between them. Their lovely home has dozens of photographs of family lining the mantle and walls.

We had our wetsuits treated by a friendly bloke at the race-fair to prevent an algae from clinging. The alage is a serious treat to marine ecosystems. The dipping solutions smells like scented detergent. I bought my Pit Stop (immediate flat tyre resuscitator) supply and cococonut-flavoured, caffeinated Power Bars. I met Ridwan from Singapore, who identified me from Clifford Lee's website, TriFastSingapore. I also met my friend, David (an expatriate from Wellington) at a turkish deli, as I sank my fangs into a monsters of a chicken wrap. David and I have met and competed in several races in Singapore over the years. I expect a contingent of Singaporeans at the Parade of the Nations tomorrow evening, including Alex Tung, and Jeffrey of Hi-Velocity.

We came back later, in bike kit, to have our bikes inspected and tyres fully inflated. We rode up Nathan Road, a significant climb before a 90-km loop. It was great watching to older men ride with their carbon bikes and newly acquired compressions socks and thigh tights. I was grateful for my slow bu reliable compact cranks on my first Orbea Vitesse road bike. I hope to save my legs for a marathon PB. We finished the short ride with a 3km run; my mates wanted to have a feel of the compression attire.

Latest long-range NZ weather forecast: Friday - lovely weather (for racing); Saturday - 20km/h wind; Sunday: rainy. I hope that it will not be a repreat of 2006 Ironman NZ for me? 100km/h winds, and 1-metre high waves.

More tomorrrow...