Kona Ironman 2009, Part 1

It's that time of year again; the Ironman World Championship. This is the week when the village and most of Ali'i Drive slows to a crawl or shuts down completely due to bicycles riding three abreast and runners swerving into traffic to avoid a stick or pebble on the shoulder.

I enjoy this race. I like all the hoopla and the hype, enjoy seeing the elite athletes training on the roads, and I'm a runner and cyclist myself. But even I find myself growing increasingly annoyed by the slow pace on Ali'i Drive.

Yesterday evening while returning from my walk with Jack and Saylor at End of the World, I heard a horn blare (a rarity here) and screeching tires. Ahead of me an athlete had suddenly swerved her bike into the street, nearly getting hit. As I passed her, I slowed and told her how close she came to dying, not so much because of the car and the serve, but because she did that in front of ME. (My reader will remember that I seem to attract fatal accidents).

Maybe I'll try to post some photos, it's fun to see the transformation of Kailua from a sleepy village to the host of an international event. On the other hand, it's dang hot, and who needs traffic and crowds?