THE EARLY SIGHTS OF THE 2006 IRONMAN TRIATHLON

It is amazing how nothing seems to stop the human heart. Just 6 days after a huge earthquake shook up the Big Island, the World Championship Ironman Triathlon got off to a smooth start by the pier in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Almost 1800 athletes began there 140.6 mile adventure in the ocean with a 2.4 mile swim.


After that daunting task alone, they hop on their bikes, still salty and wet, to begin the 112 mile bike from Kona to Hawi and back.

None of that is enough for these athletes.


After all of that they begin running. Not just a little run - they take off for a full marathon of 26.2 miles.

We woke the kids at 5:45 a.m. so that we could walk down to the starting line and see the racers off. We watched the swim begin and then went up for a pancake breakfast that was being done by a local youth group and church for their mission trips. As we walked back home we watched the cyclists in their first few miles. We will be leaving shortly to volunteer at the aid station located at the 13 mile marker of the marathon. We will be there from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m., and we will see the very first athletes (all the winners) there during those times, because only the fastest will make it there before 3. We will be cutting up fruit and preparing the aid station for the athletes so that they can grab and go as quickly as possible.