IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPS REPORT
Well I've now been in Hawaii training for the Ironman world champs for a month now and I'm only just getting used to running in the intense heat. Within minutes you're dripping in sweat. I am currently on the Island of Oahu and living on the famous North Shore. Winter time here is when they get all the swell and the surfers come from all over the world to compete in the famous surf comps. It seems to always be windy here. Even at 7am in the morning it's just picking up and is already hot. The average temp is 30o consistently. At night it drops a bit. Since I arrived I've competed in two competitions. The first was a 3.8km ocean swim from the famous Pipeline beach to Waimea Bay. I am a bit of a chicken when it comes to ocean swims as I come from Taupo where theres a nice fresh water lake with no big fish in it waiting to eat you. So the race was good to help me get over the mind games and fear of what was swimming near me. There were a few hundred people doing the race and the local pro athlete won it in 44mins. Tim Marr is his name and we got to meet at the swimming pool a week later and got chatting and he tells me he knows Bryan Rhodes (Go Fast athlete) really well as they race together. Anyway I placed 6th in a time of 1:10. This was a no wetsuit race. I actually crossed the finish line with the lady who got 5th but I guess her toe got on the matt before mine. The next race I did was just this Sunday. It was a 15km run from Waikiki to Diamond Head and back. It started at 6am. I placed 4th in my age group and finish in the top 30 overall. That was a real test on how I'd go in the heat and man was it hot. Before each race I had a Go Fast which has become a vital part of my training and racing. It's been fantastic to have it here with me. Everyday I train and every day I rely on Go Fast to help me through. I've found since I got here I use it even more than at home. Probably due to training harder and in the heat. My next race is the Duke Evans memorial ride which is very similar to the Taupo Cycle around the lake but it's a cycle around the island. Well that's my update. No time for the beach just hard training.
 Blue Skies Lynette
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