Off to Kona this week: Honu Half Ironman

This Wednesday I’m off to Kona to race the Honu Half Ironman.
The weather in Kona looks like showers, which either means it’s going to suck or it’s going to be godsend. I am a fair weather training/racing person, but you can’t ignore the fact that the humidity and heat of Kona and the lava fields roast you as your race, and cloudy/drizzling conditions make it cooler than if the sun were beating down on you the whole time.
The heat/humidity also strain my bod. I sweat a lot and I have not completely solved a muscle cramping problem at the half ironman distance. In every (3) half ironman I’ve raced until now, I have cramped towards the end of the bike which has wrecked my run. I have upped my salt/electrolyte intake as well as improved my strength so one of these years, I hope to actually complete a half ironman race without cramping.
My training has been very intense leading up to this race. I am in the middle of building for Ironman Austria, and in the last few weeks have done some focus work for Honu. My intensity has risen, and so far I have not shown signs of cramping. I hope it bodes well for this race coming up.
It should be fun. Many SF Bayers are also going so it will be one big party.
And no matter what, there is ALWAYS a great reason to go to Hawaii.