Ironman World Championships 2014: Kona Day 4

Parvilla Cycle and Multisport are fortunate to have two outstanding athletes racing in Kona this year and they are going to be providing their daily updates right here on the Parvilla Cycles Blog!

Leslie DiMichele qualified at Lake Placid earlier this summer by crushing the ladies field and winning the overall age group title. Crissy Fuentes traveled to Lanzarote in late Spring and won her age group to punch the ticket to Kona for yet another year!

Day 4 - Oct 9th

Leslie

Just a couple of days to go and now we start to look ahead to the race day more and more and we especially the weather! As far as race insights, I always expect the worst at Kona, high wind and heat. Other than preparing mentally for the day, I don't really change anything from a regular race! I want to be the fastest I can be (the Guru Cycles CR.901 will make sure of that!) and hope that's enough for a good place. Keep in the zone and the mind on the prize.  

More swimming was done in the Ocean and we made it out to the Coffees of Hawaii floating bar for a quick shot of espresso!

Crissy

This is my 5th Kona and it has been a very rewarding journey! I have finished top 10 in my AG consistently and as high as 7th twice here on the Big Island. In order for me to qualify for the big show, I need to win an Ironman within the same calendar year as slots are at a premium.  This year in Kona will be my 12th Ironman since 2007.

All these IM's and long distance training over the past 7 years have taken a toll, and since mid-summer I find myself with an almost detached hamstring! Ouch, it is preventing me to run like I used to and it will be making me dig deeper than ever on Saturday!

I will keep my nutrition with Hammer Sustained Energy on the bike and Hammer gels on the run. I will concentrate hard on staying in my HR and power zones throughout the ride and hydrate a lot! It will be hot and humid. Hopefully, I will be able to do my best on the run which may well be more of a jog than a run, I will do it all on perceived exertion rather than pace or HR like I did at World's 70.3 in September. Ultimately it will be about  enjoying my day and finish with a smile! (and a top finish!)

More ART today!

Ironman World Championships 2014: Kona Day 3

Parvilla Cycle and Multisport are fortunate to have two outstanding athletes racing in Kona this year and they are going to be providing their daily updates right here on the Parvilla Cycles Blog!

Leslie DiMichele qualified at Lake Placid earlier this summer by crushing the ladies field and winning the overall age group title. Crissy Fuentes traveled to Lanzarote in late Spring and won her age group to punch the ticket to Kona for yet another year!

Day 3 - Oct 8th

Leslie

Hit the pool with my Smashfest Queen training group in the morning. I know I know, who swims in a pool when you have the ocean? But that's what we did and luckily Kona has a beautiful and free community pool.

The awesome Kona Aquatic Center

 After the swim we all headed to athlete check in before the crowds start later in the week. Typically this is a quick process but just as I was about to get my wrist band and pick up my free bag I got ushered away by some volunteers and earned myself a personal escort for the rest of the process, apparently I was getting drug tested. After finishing check in, I was brought to a room where I had to wait in line to have my blood taken. This all would have been fine, but when I heard I was being tested I assumed a urine sample so I started chugging water to  speed up the process, little did I know that it was actually a blood sample and I wasn't allowed to go to the bathroom without a personal escort until it was done. So an hour later I was finally allowed to pee alone. 

By the time this was all done I had less than two hours to get in a 90 minute bike ride on my Guru Cycles CR.901 before we hosted a couple friends for dinner. The ride was great and would be my last longish ride before the race. All good!

My Guru Cycles CR.901 and the Pacific Ocean!

That evening we had some friends over who we haven't seen since last year in kona. It was great to see them again and reminisce about old times swimming in Massachusetts. 

Crissy

I thought I had seen all types of training in my 5 times in Kona.... But this caught my attention this morning! Running down Alli drive in a wet suit!

A little bit of heat training!

At 7:00 AM this was the practice swim today, looks almost like race day! This is still my favorite part of being in Kona such a beautiful swim!

Of course, the traditional Kona banner... Training is done and I feel ready (and so is the Guru Cycles CR.901) and happy to be here!

Ironman World Championships 2014: Kona Day 2

Parvilla Cycle and Multisport are fortunate to have two outstanding athletes racing in Kona this year and they are going to be providing their daily updates right here on the Parvilla Cycles Blog!

Leslie DiMichele qualified at Lake Placid earlier this summer by crushing the ladies field and winning the overall age group title. Crissy Fuentes traveled to Lanzarote in late Spring and won her age group to punch the ticket to Kona for yet another year!

Day 2 - Oct 7th

Leslie

Got my run in early and headed to the swim start to check out the ART tent (ART is a combination of massage and stretching, popular with athletes), fortunately they were open for business! So I got my back and hamstrings worked out which ave been tight since the flight. 

Later in the day we went on a sunset snorkeling cruise to swim with the manta rays. This was insane. They use surf boards with lights attached,  light up the water and the manta rays come straight up to eat the plankton attracted to the lights. These things, which can get up to 30 ft wide, come straight at you with their mouths wide open. We actually got body checked by one. At one point there were so many rays around you couldn't see the lights. Highly recommend this to anyone visiting Kona. 

Attractive wetsuit with leg zipper!

After the boat brought us in, we went straight home to bed. Great day!

 

Crissy

A rest day today and some time for ART (I didn't see Leslie!).  Just a very chilled day on the island and did the admin stuff of athlete check in etc.  I did manage to meet this guy though....he can skate and dance but can he conquer the Big Island?

With Apolo Ohno

Also caught up with some friends at the ART tent....can you guess who they are?

Ironman World Championships 2014: Kona Day 1

Parvilla Cycle and Multisport are fortunate to have two outstanding athletes racing in Kona this year and they are going to be providing their daily updates right here on the Parvilla Cycles Blog!

Leslie DiMichele qualified at Lake Placid earlier this summer by crushing the ladies field and winning the overall age group title. Crissy Fuentes traveled to Lanzarote in late Spring and won her age group to punch the ticket to Kona for yet another year!

Day 1 - Oct 6th

Leslie
Day 1: first full day in Kona! Flight from DC went smoothly and bike box with the Guru CR.901 arrived in one piece. Started the day with a swim down at Dig Me Beach on the course with my coach and her athletes. The swim was super rough and the water wasn't as clear as normal, so we didn't get to see as much wildlife. But we did swim with a pod of dolphins on the swim back, so cool. 

After the swim, I embarked on bike building, which was not entirely as smooth as I had hoped. A quick trip to the local bike shop and we were good to go. Once we had that sorted, everything was put together and we headed out for a ride on the Queen K.  It was windy and hot! Not sure we can hope for favorable conditions this year based on today, but I guess we'll see! 

Leslie and Nate (Sherpa for the time in Kona)

Crissy
Day 1: When I got in the water to do my swim early today I realized why this place is special. I met my two good friends and age group world champions, Diana and Cherie, with many others to swim the course perfectly marked and supported!

We had an endless pool set up at the pier where we could check out strokes with mirrors and a nice adjustable current. 

I went to pick up my bike which I sent together with all my gear, how easy that was! And it will be nicer at the end of the race to turn it all in! This is the first time in 12 IM and over 20 1/2's I have traveled without my bike.

Of course, nothing beats the Queen K road and a wonderful hot, humid and windy ride in Kona. It is what makes this race unique!

My first day in Kona was very nice and ended with good friends here on the island over a lovely dinner as we watched the sunset.

Good friends at Dig Me Beach

Guro on the Queen K

Day 1 Sunset!