Today, Friday, October 14th was our last day in Hawaii. We spent the morning at the best beach for snorkeling in Kona. The beach is called Kahaluu and it was truly amazing. I have linked the word Kahaluu. We did take some pictures but we used our underwater video camera for 34 minutes as we looked at the beautiful coral and incredible fish. After we finished snorkeling, we looked closely at the sea turtles who reside in Kahaluu Beach Park. The sea turtles were the largest turtles we had ever seen. I have added pictures to the Exploring Hawaii album.
After leaving the park, we had a quick lunch in our condo. We then visited Kona International Market and then strolled through town one last time. We picked up dinner from our favorite sushi takeout place and then ate at the tables in the condo's common area. We were able to watch the sunset while we finished dinner. As soon as we finished dinner we needed to load our rental car and head to the airport.
At 8:50 our plane was scheduled to depart. We would have a four hour flight to Las Angeles and then another four hour flight to Detroit. We were sad to be leaving but we were ready to come home to Otto and Emme and get back into our normal daily routine. Our Hawaii trip was incredible and I am very thankful we had this opportunity of a lifetime.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday in Hawaii!
Today was the day that I took a trip to Honolulu to visit a school. I made a page, to the right, all about my visit.
Tom and Nolan stayed in Kona for the day. They watched the sunrise, went to the beach and walked around town. There are pictures in the Hawaii album from their day together.
Tom and Nolan stayed in Kona for the day. They watched the sunrise, went to the beach and walked around town. There are pictures in the Hawaii album from their day together.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Seahorse Wednesday!
Today was a wonderful day. We began our morning relaxing by the pool but we were only there for about 45 minutes. It was really hot and Nolan is not a fan of the water and would not go into the pool. So, it was short but nice.
Our plan for the day was to head to the Natural Energy Lab and visit a Seahorse farm. We would have to drive just 20 minutes north of where we are staying to get there. It was such an interesting drive; looking to my right (east), toward the mountains, were very low gray clouds from which I could tell precipitation was falling. Then, looking to my left (west), toward the ocean, the sky was crystal clear. It was just another reminder, as Monday was, that there are constant variations in the weather all over the island. Once we arrived at the Natural Energy lab, the Seahorse farm was about 1.5 miles into the facility. We had some time to spare before our tour so we explored the lava rock beach along the shore. We saw many little fish and crabs, and some beautiful lava rock and coral.
Once our tour began, we learned so much about seahorses. Seahorses are the only organism in which the male carries the babies. It was quite an amazing story to hear about the habits of seahorses. We were able to see hundreds of seahorses, from one male, that were born just hours prior. No pictures were allowed because they were so fragile. We also learned a great deal about ocean conservation and why seahorses, among other species, are endangered. My favorite part of the tour was getting to hold a seahorse. I loved feeling its little tail wrapped tightly around the "coral reef" that I constructed with my hands. After holding the seahorse, we observed many of the species at the conservatory as well as see other aquatic organisms. We also met Rosie, a pale pink parrot who put on quite a show in order to get some attention.
I have added many more pictures to my "Exploring the Island" album so please feel free to check the pictures out.
We ended our day listening to the pouring rain from our balcony. We enjoyed another sushi dinner; we were able to find the local sushi takeout which had some of the best sushi I have ever had. Each roll was about double the size of what we get in Michigan at almost half the price. I think I know where we'll get our dinner from both tomorrow and Friday!
Our plan for the day was to head to the Natural Energy Lab and visit a Seahorse farm. We would have to drive just 20 minutes north of where we are staying to get there. It was such an interesting drive; looking to my right (east), toward the mountains, were very low gray clouds from which I could tell precipitation was falling. Then, looking to my left (west), toward the ocean, the sky was crystal clear. It was just another reminder, as Monday was, that there are constant variations in the weather all over the island. Once we arrived at the Natural Energy lab, the Seahorse farm was about 1.5 miles into the facility. We had some time to spare before our tour so we explored the lava rock beach along the shore. We saw many little fish and crabs, and some beautiful lava rock and coral.
Once our tour began, we learned so much about seahorses. Seahorses are the only organism in which the male carries the babies. It was quite an amazing story to hear about the habits of seahorses. We were able to see hundreds of seahorses, from one male, that were born just hours prior. No pictures were allowed because they were so fragile. We also learned a great deal about ocean conservation and why seahorses, among other species, are endangered. My favorite part of the tour was getting to hold a seahorse. I loved feeling its little tail wrapped tightly around the "coral reef" that I constructed with my hands. After holding the seahorse, we observed many of the species at the conservatory as well as see other aquatic organisms. We also met Rosie, a pale pink parrot who put on quite a show in order to get some attention.
I have added many more pictures to my "Exploring the Island" album so please feel free to check the pictures out.
We ended our day listening to the pouring rain from our balcony. We enjoyed another sushi dinner; we were able to find the local sushi takeout which had some of the best sushi I have ever had. Each roll was about double the size of what we get in Michigan at almost half the price. I think I know where we'll get our dinner from both tomorrow and Friday!
 |
| The little seahorse had his tail wrapped tightly around my finger. |
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Island Exploring on Monday and Tuesday!
*My new album & slideshow called Exploring the Island of Hawaii have the pictures from what I talk about below!
Both Monday and Tuesday were filled with traveling around the island taking in everything the Big Island of Hawaii has to offer. On Monday we drove south along the coast, stopping periodically for pictures of the scenic views. Our first stop was at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau. This national park is a preservation of traditional Hawaiian life. Much of the park has original features but some parts have been reconstructed.
As we continued to drive south along the coast, we not only saw forest ecosystems but we also drove through some desert areas. Our mission was to get to the southern most point of the United States, Kalae, HI. The road was windy and the curves were beginning to hit me. Then we finally arrived at the point where we would travel down the tiny one-lane road to reach Kalae and the green sand beach. Along this road we were in yet another ecosystem, grassland. There were many windmills at the south point which were amazingly tall to see in person. When we finally reached Kalae, we got out of our car after the rugged, bumpy ride. The wind was blowing hard, so much so that Nolan became very nervous and said "Don't let me blow away." There were about a half dozen wooden structures on the edge of the cliffs. At first I thought, well these don't really look maintained and they are somewhat distracting to the beauty of the cliffs. Then I heard it, the crash of a person jumping hundreds of feet into the water. Then I saw the next person do it. I could not believe that people were jumping into the ocean. I regretted not having my bathing suit with us! It would have been so exciting! But by now Nolan was really getting agitated so we got in the car and proceeded on our drive.
We headed north east with thoughts of seeing the Hawaii Volcanoes. Along the way we stopped at the Black Sand Beach of Punalu'u. The black sand was truly an interesting sight. It was unlike anything I had seen before and it felt much more rough than the beach sand I am used to.
After driving through sun, then rain, then clouds, then more sun, then more rain, and after seeing a couple of rainbows, we arrived at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The views were breathtaking. We were able to see Halema'uma'u Crater and Lua Manu Crater as we drove through the park. We were unable to do some of the hiking as many areas were closed due to fumes. We walked on top of lava flow from 1974. The lava rock is black, gray and has shiny silver tones as well as reddish tones depending on which way you look at it. The rocks felt very light and the feeling of walking on lava flow was unlike anything I have experienced. It sounded really crunchy although nothing was breaking beneath our feet.
Once we left the park, we were headed North toward Hilo with the hopes of seeing a rainforest and perhaps some waterfalls. We took a scenic drive through a rainforest. I was astonished at how many different ecosystems and climates we had seen it just five hours and we were only about half way around the island! The rainforest was beautiful; there were plants with leaves as big as me! There were non-stop sounds of birds and other animals although they were very well hidden. The one creature I did see was the biggest spider. It was about four inches in diameter!
As the clouds were becoming thicker, it became darker and started to rain. We spotted a couple of waterfalls from the road but never hiked to see one up close. By this time we still had about one third of the island to drive through to get back to Kona. Once we arrived back in Kona, about 7:30, we picked up sushi and had dinner back at our condo. As you can imagine, great sushi is everywhere here in Hawaii.
On Tuesday we drove about 30 miles north to Hapuna Beach. Hapuna Beach was about a half mile long and 200 feet wide. The water was a brightest bluish turquoise that I had ever seen. Nolan was upset at first because of the wind. Finally he warmed up to the idea that the wind would not blow him away and he enjoyed playing in the sand. Tom and Bryan attempted snorkeling for a little but there was not much to see without swimming rather far into the ocean. We will probably just snorkel here in Kona by the pier. The waves were about two feet high and since the sand was so fine, the shallow water was very sandy. The ocean was crystal clear and very warm. As is typical in the afternoon, clouds began to cover the beach. We headed home and enjoyed another nice sushi dinner in our condo. I could seriously eat sushi everyday and I just might do that until we leave!
Both Monday and Tuesday were filled with traveling around the island taking in everything the Big Island of Hawaii has to offer. On Monday we drove south along the coast, stopping periodically for pictures of the scenic views. Our first stop was at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau. This national park is a preservation of traditional Hawaiian life. Much of the park has original features but some parts have been reconstructed.
As we continued to drive south along the coast, we not only saw forest ecosystems but we also drove through some desert areas. Our mission was to get to the southern most point of the United States, Kalae, HI. The road was windy and the curves were beginning to hit me. Then we finally arrived at the point where we would travel down the tiny one-lane road to reach Kalae and the green sand beach. Along this road we were in yet another ecosystem, grassland. There were many windmills at the south point which were amazingly tall to see in person. When we finally reached Kalae, we got out of our car after the rugged, bumpy ride. The wind was blowing hard, so much so that Nolan became very nervous and said "Don't let me blow away." There were about a half dozen wooden structures on the edge of the cliffs. At first I thought, well these don't really look maintained and they are somewhat distracting to the beauty of the cliffs. Then I heard it, the crash of a person jumping hundreds of feet into the water. Then I saw the next person do it. I could not believe that people were jumping into the ocean. I regretted not having my bathing suit with us! It would have been so exciting! But by now Nolan was really getting agitated so we got in the car and proceeded on our drive.
We headed north east with thoughts of seeing the Hawaii Volcanoes. Along the way we stopped at the Black Sand Beach of Punalu'u. The black sand was truly an interesting sight. It was unlike anything I had seen before and it felt much more rough than the beach sand I am used to.
After driving through sun, then rain, then clouds, then more sun, then more rain, and after seeing a couple of rainbows, we arrived at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The views were breathtaking. We were able to see Halema'uma'u Crater and Lua Manu Crater as we drove through the park. We were unable to do some of the hiking as many areas were closed due to fumes. We walked on top of lava flow from 1974. The lava rock is black, gray and has shiny silver tones as well as reddish tones depending on which way you look at it. The rocks felt very light and the feeling of walking on lava flow was unlike anything I have experienced. It sounded really crunchy although nothing was breaking beneath our feet.
Once we left the park, we were headed North toward Hilo with the hopes of seeing a rainforest and perhaps some waterfalls. We took a scenic drive through a rainforest. I was astonished at how many different ecosystems and climates we had seen it just five hours and we were only about half way around the island! The rainforest was beautiful; there were plants with leaves as big as me! There were non-stop sounds of birds and other animals although they were very well hidden. The one creature I did see was the biggest spider. It was about four inches in diameter!
As the clouds were becoming thicker, it became darker and started to rain. We spotted a couple of waterfalls from the road but never hiked to see one up close. By this time we still had about one third of the island to drive through to get back to Kona. Once we arrived back in Kona, about 7:30, we picked up sushi and had dinner back at our condo. As you can imagine, great sushi is everywhere here in Hawaii.
On Tuesday we drove about 30 miles north to Hapuna Beach. Hapuna Beach was about a half mile long and 200 feet wide. The water was a brightest bluish turquoise that I had ever seen. Nolan was upset at first because of the wind. Finally he warmed up to the idea that the wind would not blow him away and he enjoyed playing in the sand. Tom and Bryan attempted snorkeling for a little but there was not much to see without swimming rather far into the ocean. We will probably just snorkel here in Kona by the pier. The waves were about two feet high and since the sand was so fine, the shallow water was very sandy. The ocean was crystal clear and very warm. As is typical in the afternoon, clouds began to cover the beach. We headed home and enjoyed another nice sushi dinner in our condo. I could seriously eat sushi everyday and I just might do that until we leave!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Iron-stories: From New York to Ipswich and everywhere in between
Iron-stories: From New York to Ipswich and everywhere in between
We wound up being in a local news story. The night after the race we were interviewed but didn't really think we would make the article.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Day After the Race
The day after the race was still quite festive even though the course was completely disassembled. We woke up early despite the exhaustion we all felt (Tom obviously felt the most). He barely slept the entire night; apparently it was very difficult to get comfortable. It is surprising to me the inability of the body to want to rest soundly. But, that is the toll an Ironman triathlon takes on one's body.
We went into town early to have breakfast and check out the finisher products. The line was already about 100 people deep an hour before the store would open! After our delicious breakfast, we ran a couple of errands and then came back to the condo so Nolan could play. Shortly thereafter we went to a small nearby beach. Nolan really enjoyed the sand but went nowhere near the water. The waves were about three feet high and were crashing against the rocks and seawall.
After playing at the beach we would have to go get ready for the closing banquet. We picked up our friend Bryan and headed to the same outdoor venue where the opening dinner took place. Once again the performance was spectacular. There were much quieter performances and even a group of young girls, about 7-9 years old, performing a hula dance. Nolan much preferred these performances to the opening performances on Thursday.
We watched all the age group winners and the pros receive their awards. Tom and Bryan were actually able to talk to a few of the pros afterwards. Although I did not actually meet any of the pros, I did have the honor of meeting one pro in my book, Scott Rigsby. We spoke about how he is a true inspiration to athletes and non-athletes everywhere. He gave my a brief background about his accident at age 18, then his 12 years of life, until age 30, with just one leg. At the age of 30 he decided to amputate the second leg and pursue a life with two prosthetic legs. Scott walks, runs and rides his bike with three different sets of legs. It really made my day to hear Scott speak and I am very thankful that he was so willing to talk about his challenges. I am really looking forward to the fact that Scott said he is willing to Skype from Atlanta so students can ask him more questions!
We went into town early to have breakfast and check out the finisher products. The line was already about 100 people deep an hour before the store would open! After our delicious breakfast, we ran a couple of errands and then came back to the condo so Nolan could play. Shortly thereafter we went to a small nearby beach. Nolan really enjoyed the sand but went nowhere near the water. The waves were about three feet high and were crashing against the rocks and seawall.
After playing at the beach we would have to go get ready for the closing banquet. We picked up our friend Bryan and headed to the same outdoor venue where the opening dinner took place. Once again the performance was spectacular. There were much quieter performances and even a group of young girls, about 7-9 years old, performing a hula dance. Nolan much preferred these performances to the opening performances on Thursday.
We watched all the age group winners and the pros receive their awards. Tom and Bryan were actually able to talk to a few of the pros afterwards. Although I did not actually meet any of the pros, I did have the honor of meeting one pro in my book, Scott Rigsby. We spoke about how he is a true inspiration to athletes and non-athletes everywhere. He gave my a brief background about his accident at age 18, then his 12 years of life, until age 30, with just one leg. At the age of 30 he decided to amputate the second leg and pursue a life with two prosthetic legs. Scott walks, runs and rides his bike with three different sets of legs. It really made my day to hear Scott speak and I am very thankful that he was so willing to talk about his challenges. I am really looking forward to the fact that Scott said he is willing to Skype from Atlanta so students can ask him more questions!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Race Day!
Hello! The weekend of the race was incredible. The minute I woke up at 3:45 am on Saturday, I was already excited for the day! Tom completed his pre-race routine and we were ready to go. Nolan had been asking "When is Daddy's Big Race?" since departing the airport in Detroit so he was also quite happy to be up and ready. We walked 1.5 miles down into town in the darkness with many other triathletes and spectators. It was a very clear morning with great views of the stars. The bright moon shining down on us helped light the way.
When we arrived in town, Tom's mom and Nolan stayed at a perfect place to spectate while I went with Tom for body marking and to drop off the last of his gear that he would need on race day. The energy at such an early time of day was amazing. The announcer, Mike Reilly, was already speaking words of motivation over the energetic music.
The race was underway. After watching until we could no longer see swimmers, we headed to the beginning of the bike course which would be our only chance to see Tom on the bike. The full 112 miles were outside of town. We would have about one hour and five minutes until Tom was out of the water. He exited the water after 1:09 and he was right on track to meet his time goal. We saw him round the first corner of the bike out in his bright yellow helmet and bright green jersey. It was a matter of seconds that we could see him as we shouted "Go Tom! Great swim! Looking good!" Now he was gone on the bike course. This is when my five hours of worrying would start. I have heard of many stories of the bike course and I also thought about the unpredictability of what a 112 mile bike ride could bring. What would the possible 40 MPH head winds be like? Would Tom's bike handle the conditions? Would there be any crashes on the course? But I just tried to put that aside as we walked 1.5 mile back to our condo. This was the first race where we would actually have time in between Tom sightings. We would not see him again until mile 2 of the 26.2 mile run. Miles two and seven would be on Ali'i drive, right past the condo complex where we are staying.
Surprisingly the five and a half hours passed quickly. It was 1:30 pm and we were outside of our complex cheering on runners. Most pros had passed as we could hear screams of spectators about a half hour earlier. We waited and finally saw the bright green jersey and the white compression socks coming up the hill. Tom was looking amazing at mile two.
He continued to look strong when we saw him again at mile seven. Our friend Bryan was also looking awesome at both miles two and seven. After they both passed, we heading out on our second 1.5 mile walk into town of the day. As beastly hot as it was, I knew our second walk would be nothing compared to what the triathletes were feeling. We walked alongside runners for the entire 1.5 miles. The energy at the finish once we arrived was incredible. We found a spot along the barricades and waited for Tom. His goal to finish was 9:47. It was about 4:35. I was wondering how the 19 miles since I had seen Tom were going. I was able to track him on my phone but the updates were not coming through after mile 17. Based on how he looked earlier and his consistent pace, I hoped we would see him soon. It was 4:40, 4:41, 4:42, 4:43, 4:44 and then 4:45. I knew in just a few minutes I would see Tom. Then suddenly seconds later he was running past and I almost missed him because I was texting my cousin to see if he would video the finish on his phone and then send it to me! Tom was about about to finish at 4:45 pm. His total finish time was 9:45:57. I don't think he has ever been as exact as he was today about his finishing goal. He was actually a minute early. Given the conditions I was absolutely astonished at what an amazing race he had! I was beyond proud. Although we did not have a spot close enough to see him cross finish line, I could hear Mike Reilly say "Tom Maliszewski from Rochester, MI, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" Saturday was the fourth time I have heard Mike say that but I knew today was completely different for Tom. It was not just another Ironman, it was the World Championship Ironman, which Tom had aspired to complete since he was a child. I cannot even imagine the feelings going through Tom as he crossed the finish line. I know I could not believe my ears. The Kona finish is something I have only ever witness on television.
Finally we were able to meet up with Tom. He barely looked like he had been through 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running. I looked far worse than he did ;-). We joined him in the finishing area and we were able to play on the beach with Nolan, which Nolan was asking to do all day long. I am also so proud of Nolan and his ability to help be so supportive. He was very tolerant of all the standing around and waiting. I know that he was so proud and happy for his Daddy as well.
Around 7:30 we began our final 1.5 mile walk back to the condo for the day. Then, at 10:00 pm, Tom and I headed back into town (by car this time, thankfully) so that we could watch the final finishers. Although I respect every finisher, the final finishers and challenged athletes are really the athletes who inspire me. I was very excited to see Scott Rigsby cross the finish line. Finally we heard Mike say that he was about five minutes away. I had my phone ready to video and Tom was ready to take pictures. Scott is a double-amputee. Watching him cross the finish line was truly incredible. We were among hundreds of people cheering him on. I thought it would be a true honor to meet Scott someday...
It was 11:59:30, just thirty more seconds until 12:00 am, the 17 hour limit of race completion. Three of the finishers in the 80+ age group crossed the finish line in the final minute. With about ten seconds left we heard of the runner coming down the finishing straight. She had about ten seconds to finish to be considered an official finisher. My stomach was starting to knot up and my heart was pounding for her. Would she cross the line in time? The massive crowd was cheering along with Mike Reilly. She crossed the finish... four seconds too late. My eyes welled up with tears as they are now while I write. She was an Ironman in my mind but she was not an official finisher. She still had a smile across her face even though she had to have known that she missed the cutoff. If you watch the video, the announcer still says her name but she did not hear the words "You are an IRONMAN!"
The closing performance began as two men danced around with torches lit with fire on both ends. There was still so much energy at the finish. After the performance the finish area cleared out surprisingly fast. There was so much preparation leading up to the big day and then it was all over in a second. The crews were already beginning to take down the course. By the next morning, there would be barely a trace of the World Championship Ironman race.
When we arrived in town, Tom's mom and Nolan stayed at a perfect place to spectate while I went with Tom for body marking and to drop off the last of his gear that he would need on race day. The energy at such an early time of day was amazing. The announcer, Mike Reilly, was already speaking words of motivation over the energetic music.
Finally it was about 6:15 am and Tom and I said goodbye for the day. I went back to our spectating spot to watch the pros begin at 6:30. It would be another half hour before the other 1,700 athletes would start. All athletes at the exact same time, from the exact same spot in the water. It would be a "brutal start" if you were in the middle of all the swimmers, is what I was hearing from spectators who have either completed Ironman Kona or who knew someone who has already competed in the race. I wondered where Tom was out in there in the ocean but I trusted that he and Bryan had found good spots and that they were focused and ready for the cannon. BOOM! Although I knew it was coming I still almost dropped my phone from which I was trying to video. Good thing the camera was hanging from my neck...
The race was underway. After watching until we could no longer see swimmers, we headed to the beginning of the bike course which would be our only chance to see Tom on the bike. The full 112 miles were outside of town. We would have about one hour and five minutes until Tom was out of the water. He exited the water after 1:09 and he was right on track to meet his time goal. We saw him round the first corner of the bike out in his bright yellow helmet and bright green jersey. It was a matter of seconds that we could see him as we shouted "Go Tom! Great swim! Looking good!" Now he was gone on the bike course. This is when my five hours of worrying would start. I have heard of many stories of the bike course and I also thought about the unpredictability of what a 112 mile bike ride could bring. What would the possible 40 MPH head winds be like? Would Tom's bike handle the conditions? Would there be any crashes on the course? But I just tried to put that aside as we walked 1.5 mile back to our condo. This was the first race where we would actually have time in between Tom sightings. We would not see him again until mile 2 of the 26.2 mile run. Miles two and seven would be on Ali'i drive, right past the condo complex where we are staying.
Surprisingly the five and a half hours passed quickly. It was 1:30 pm and we were outside of our complex cheering on runners. Most pros had passed as we could hear screams of spectators about a half hour earlier. We waited and finally saw the bright green jersey and the white compression socks coming up the hill. Tom was looking amazing at mile two.
He continued to look strong when we saw him again at mile seven. Our friend Bryan was also looking awesome at both miles two and seven. After they both passed, we heading out on our second 1.5 mile walk into town of the day. As beastly hot as it was, I knew our second walk would be nothing compared to what the triathletes were feeling. We walked alongside runners for the entire 1.5 miles. The energy at the finish once we arrived was incredible. We found a spot along the barricades and waited for Tom. His goal to finish was 9:47. It was about 4:35. I was wondering how the 19 miles since I had seen Tom were going. I was able to track him on my phone but the updates were not coming through after mile 17. Based on how he looked earlier and his consistent pace, I hoped we would see him soon. It was 4:40, 4:41, 4:42, 4:43, 4:44 and then 4:45. I knew in just a few minutes I would see Tom. Then suddenly seconds later he was running past and I almost missed him because I was texting my cousin to see if he would video the finish on his phone and then send it to me! Tom was about about to finish at 4:45 pm. His total finish time was 9:45:57. I don't think he has ever been as exact as he was today about his finishing goal. He was actually a minute early. Given the conditions I was absolutely astonished at what an amazing race he had! I was beyond proud. Although we did not have a spot close enough to see him cross finish line, I could hear Mike Reilly say "Tom Maliszewski from Rochester, MI, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" Saturday was the fourth time I have heard Mike say that but I knew today was completely different for Tom. It was not just another Ironman, it was the World Championship Ironman, which Tom had aspired to complete since he was a child. I cannot even imagine the feelings going through Tom as he crossed the finish line. I know I could not believe my ears. The Kona finish is something I have only ever witness on television.
Finally we were able to meet up with Tom. He barely looked like he had been through 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running. I looked far worse than he did ;-). We joined him in the finishing area and we were able to play on the beach with Nolan, which Nolan was asking to do all day long. I am also so proud of Nolan and his ability to help be so supportive. He was very tolerant of all the standing around and waiting. I know that he was so proud and happy for his Daddy as well.
Around 7:30 we began our final 1.5 mile walk back to the condo for the day. Then, at 10:00 pm, Tom and I headed back into town (by car this time, thankfully) so that we could watch the final finishers. Although I respect every finisher, the final finishers and challenged athletes are really the athletes who inspire me. I was very excited to see Scott Rigsby cross the finish line. Finally we heard Mike say that he was about five minutes away. I had my phone ready to video and Tom was ready to take pictures. Scott is a double-amputee. Watching him cross the finish line was truly incredible. We were among hundreds of people cheering him on. I thought it would be a true honor to meet Scott someday...
It was 11:59:30, just thirty more seconds until 12:00 am, the 17 hour limit of race completion. Three of the finishers in the 80+ age group crossed the finish line in the final minute. With about ten seconds left we heard of the runner coming down the finishing straight. She had about ten seconds to finish to be considered an official finisher. My stomach was starting to knot up and my heart was pounding for her. Would she cross the line in time? The massive crowd was cheering along with Mike Reilly. She crossed the finish... four seconds too late. My eyes welled up with tears as they are now while I write. She was an Ironman in my mind but she was not an official finisher. She still had a smile across her face even though she had to have known that she missed the cutoff. If you watch the video, the announcer still says her name but she did not hear the words "You are an IRONMAN!"
The closing performance began as two men danced around with torches lit with fire on both ends. There was still so much energy at the finish. After the performance the finish area cleared out surprisingly fast. There was so much preparation leading up to the big day and then it was all over in a second. The crews were already beginning to take down the course. By the next morning, there would be barely a trace of the World Championship Ironman race.
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