When your dream of dreams becomes reality (2017 Ironman World Championship Race Report)

This is a long overdue race report from my Dream of a lifetime experience participating in the 2017 Ironman World Championship as the Subaru Canada Road To Kona winner.

Find your favourite comfy chair, curl up with your favourite hot or cold bevvie and if you’re in for the whole report, be prepared to spend some time this is gonna’ be a long one, my longest race report to date!

Before we get to the race report a few things to set the stage.

A bit of a background:

In October 2011, I was doing a trainer ride while watching the Ironman World Championship broadcast. 

It was the year that Rick and Dick Hoyt completed the event and I decided at that moment that I was out of excuses..."I'm afraid of the water" no longer seemed to hold water.

Inspired by their story and their amazing attitude, I made up my mind to do an Ironman triathlon.

I chose Ironman Mont-Tremblant (IMMT) after volunteering and spectating there in the first few years they hosted the event. Right from the beginning, the community embraced the event and athletes and spectators that flock to it.  They have built something truly special over the years and I knew I wanted my one and only Ironman to be here where it would be a truly amazing experience and memory.

Fast forward to a few days before IMMT (you can read that race report here:  http://shmittysrunningblog.blogspot.com/ ) and I start getting some indications/emails and texts that a couple of friends had nominated me for the Subaru Road To Kona contest.  Some folks included the text from their submissions and others just indicated that they had nominated me and wished me luck, both for Tremblant and in the contest.  I started reading what some of you had to say in your submissions, but it was making me too emotional and I had to keep my composure for the race, so I marked the messages as unread and put them aside to read later.  The day before the race I disconnected from social media to focus on mental prep which meant I missed a few of the other emails and texts about the contest as well.

With IMMT now complete, I could go back to reading what folks had sent not only about the contest nominations but about my IMMT race as well, it was an emotional teary eyed few hours and very humbling.

2017 was the year that I and most of my close-knit group of high school friends turned 50 and we had planned a long weekend of white-water rafting and outdoor adventuring, just as the weekend was wrapping up, I got a call from Subaru Canada letting me know I had made it to the final 5 in their Road to Kona contest, they wanted to know if I would accept if I was chosen and let me know that they would be informing the winner by the end of the day…what a way to cap of an amazing weekend with friends, but it was going to make the 1.5 hour drive home seem like forever.

I got the call around 5:00 p.m. from Joe Felstein from Subaru Canada and it was a tear fest!  Joe asked me to keep it quiet until they could get the official announcement out the next day…LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGEEEEESSSSSTTTTT day ever!!

When then they broke the news my social media feeds blew up!! It was awesome, humbling exciting and as the news sank in…a little nerve wracking…thinking that in just 7 weeks, I would be toeing the line of another Ironman event, but not just ANY Ironman event, the Ironman World Championship (a.k.a KONA), something I could never have dreamt of qualifying for and I was going to get a chance to participate AND not only was I going to share the course with the pros and the best of the best age group qualifiers in the world, among those qualifiers, was my coach Dave Harding, imagine getting to do your dream race…and getting to do it with your coach there as well, UNBELIEVABLE!!

Pre-race here in Canada:

My next call was to my coach to let him know that I was going to need help (and a plan) to get me ready for this unexpected chance of a lifetime. He assured me that he could put something together (this would be his second time going to Kona) and that the goal would be to maintain fitness and avoid injury, but that I’d get one more week of rest before a 6 week prep for the race.

As with my entire Ironman journey, the support of my family and friends was immense, with many offering to train with me in spite of the fact that their seasons and races were either done for the year or wrapping up.  It was great to have the company on those long, hot humid training days in the weeks leading up to our departure.  A big shout out to Mother Nature for cranking up the heat and humidity to allow me to acclimate for Hawaii.

Subaru Canada arranged for Blair Rossen (Keystone Studios) and Greg McFadden (Ironworks Productions) to come to Ottawa to shoot a promotional piece which they allowed me to use to promote awareness of Imerman Angels and which featured some of my running and triathlon friends, my coach David Harding and my long time friend, inspiration and the person who first introduced me to Imerman Angels, Derek Threinen.

You can find that video here: https://vimeo.com/236811424?ref=em-share

Subaru took care of EVERYTHING, they covered our flights, hotel for the week before the race, some spending cash, Subaru hats for all the folks who helped out with the promotional video, and a stylin’ new Tri kit for the race.  They also made sure that my race registration was taken care of and that Sonia, Riana and I all got VIP passes, no small feat when you’re talking about the World Championship, and they still had a few surprises up their sleeves, keep reading to find out what exactly and you’ll see why I speak so highly of this team!

Pre-race in Hawaii:

We had already planned to be in Hawaii for the Ironman World Championship (IMWC) where I was going to volunteer and cheer as part of my 50^th celebrations, so there were a few changes to the itinerary necessary.

I spent the weekend before the IMWC on the island of Kauai with Sonia and Riana where we managed to get in a tour of the botanical gardens, a helicopter tour and some mountain tubing as well as my first non-wetsuit ocean swim with Riana and a snorkeling session with Sonia which helped calm me and let me get a little more comfortable with the natural buoyancy afforded by warm salt water.

After a weekend packed with activities, on Monday morning, I headed over to the big island for race-week preps and promotions while Sonia and Riana stuck to the original plan and hungout together in Kauai to get in some hiking, kayaking and other sightseeing.

From the minute I touched down on the big island there was a vibe and indescribable energy that just lifted you up and made you smile.

The airport on the big island is open air, and there is a great statue in the “lobby”

When I stepped out of the airport to meet the Subaru team (Joe Felstein and Blair Rossen) I got the first of a series of surprises they had in store for me, there to greet me as I went to pick up my bags was none other than Canadian Ironman and Ironman 70.3 legend Lisa Bentley.  There may have been more tears, and hugs, just the beginning of a week full of those!

The surprise didn’t end there, Joe informed me that we’d be going to dinner with Lisa and her husband Dave and then Lisa and Dave suggested I drive with them so they could give me some pointers about the course, the race, Hawaii, ALL of it…OMG if my face didn’t show it, I was giddy as a kid in a candy shop!!

Lisa was so approachable and being with her had a calming effect as my nerves were beginning to build.  Lisa must have picked up on my anxiety, especially about the swim. I was scheduled to head down to the pier and do a swim with coach Dave the next day, but his flight delays meant he wouldn’t be there and I was going to be on my own (well with all the other athletes, coaches and spectators in town for the event), but Lisa and Dave suggested I join them and they could give me some more pointers about the swim and getting setup on the pier on race day…seriously? Pinch me! No wait, if I’m dreaming, I don’t wanna’ wake up!!

And to top it off, we bumped into Craig Alexander on the way out from dinner, turns out he and Lisa were training partners once upon a long ago and so we got a chance to chat with him and grab a pic as well! What a first day!!!

Tuesday started off with meeting Lisa and Dave for a swim at Digme beach (the small beach next to the pier in Kailua-Kona), Lisa walked me through what to expect on race day including some tips on timing and mental prep.  Lisa was scheduled to swim with her athlete who was competing there, but Dave and another of Lisa’s athletes swam with me, pointing out buoys as meet up spots to make sure I was doing ok and to provide some more race day swim tips. The water was crystal clear, you could see 30ft or more, fishes of all varieties, it was AMAZING!  

We swam out to the coffee boat and floated around for a bit enjoying a coffee, chatting with other athletes from around the globe and just letting it sink in, I was in Kailua Bay, sipping coffee at the coffee boat, 4 days before I would participate in the IMWC!! OMG!!! No picture proof, but I can guaranteed I had the biggest smile out there!

Next up was a breakfast for all Canadian athletes hosted by Subaru Canada and Triathlon Magazine Canada.  A fantastic opportunity to chat with some of the amazing Canadian age group athletes who qualified to be here to race, and an inspirational speech from Lisa to fire everyone up! 

Joe and his team had yet another surprise up their sleeves, they arranged for an interview with Kevin Mackinnon from Triathlon Magazine Canada where they afforded me yet another opportunity to promote awareness of Imerman Angels mission, you can see that video here:

https://triathlonmagazine.ca/feature/road-kona-winner-brent-smyth-ready-race/?fbclid=IwAR2-uyZxmAIH9AB2Zl_tKKzh3zOxDGPvj6sOIpHuOwFDtD3A5oqLstrxlkI

Then it was onto VIP registration, thanks to Subaru Canada this meant no line ups, and Blair managed to smooth talk his way in to snag a few photos too.

After VIP registration there was some, no, LOTS of shopping in the Ironman World Championship store for swag J

We headed back to the hotel and I grabbed a nap so that I would be rested for the parade of nations planned for that evening.

Joe, Blair and I headed into town again for the parade of nations where Subaru took it upon themselves to coordinate and outfit Team Canada in t-shirts as well as hand held and a few large Canadian flags as well. You can see some of the photos posted by Triathlon magazine Canada here (includes a few from the breakfast event as well): https://triathlonmagazine.ca/feature/canadians-parade-nations-day-two-photo-gallery/?fbclid=IwAR1ljyFESIH8-dBS0rzuiForuIbkr92lzg1gDLBhzSHksNeoCECll02SohY

Then it was over to expo to get meet two Kona champions and legends Dave “the Man” Scott and Mark “the Grip” Allen and get them to sign my t-shirt (great idea Joe!)

I headed over to get my Underpants run race kit (and undies of course) before heading out to dinner with Joe and Blair to cap-off the day.

Wednesday’s schedule had a short easy run as well as some fanboying of past and present pros down at the race expo and other venues.

Mike Reilly - The Voice of Ironman

Mirinda Carfrae, some age grouper and Craig Alexander

Some Age grouper and Chrissie Wellington

The evening was possibly the BEST non-race part of the whole experience.  Joe and the Subaru Canada team arranged for us to be invited to the Aloha Reception at Hulihe’e Palace where Chrissie Wellington was inducted into the Ironman Hall of fame, Daniela Ryf and Jan Frodeno were honored as returning champions. Thanks to Lisa Bentley, I got to meet Karen Smyres and hear them share stories from their IMWC and other racing and life experiences, fierce competitors, but the friendship and respect was obvious even to this casual observer.

The icing on the cake though and a memory that is forever etched in my mind, getting to meet Rick and Dick Hoyt AND spending time chatting with them about their racing, Boston Marathon and IMWC experiences, and I got to tell them how they inspired me to conquer my fear of the water and that they were the reason for me deciding to do an Ironman. There were many tears shed!

Thursday’s itinerary was packed with fun activities, starting with the underpants run.  Thankfully coach Dave’s flights finally got off the ground and we were able to do this fun run together.

We then headed over to Kailua Bay for a swim together where we headed out to the coffee boat, grabbed a coffee and Dave got me to jump up on one of the inflatables and take a look out to Ali’I Drive, where they were starting to setup up for the finish line chute and arch.  I don’t remember his exact words, but it was about reflecting on where we were, what we’d be doing and just enjoying the moment and just how incredible it was to get to be a part of this.

After the swim, we headed back to our hotels to prep for our bike ride (Dave had a couple of sections he wanted me to see) and then headed out to the Lava fields.  Once we unloaded our bikes, Karen drove ahead to one of the lookouts to wait for us so she could grab a few photos.  I have to say, downhill with a cross wind in the Hawaiian heat and humidity was a bit of a trial by fire, whoooo boy that was a scary start, but once we settled in, not too bad and not nearly as bleak as the videos of the lava fields had made it seem.  Then the fun part, turning around and climbing, a real quad burner and some mental prep tips from Dave as he reminded me this would be about 120k into the race on the way back, so settle in, stay focused and just remember this training, up and over and then it is homeward bound, list of landmarks which I remembered on the day, but cannot today I really need to get better at writing race reports soon after the race. J

The athlete banquet and briefing were that evening and thanks to Joe and the Subaru Canada Team, not only did I get to experience it as a VIP, but so too did Dave and his family.  It was truly fantastic to get to experience this with Dave and his family. 

Friday was a final short ride on the bike to make sure everything was in working order before heading over to bike check-in.

When you get to the check-in, you have your own volunteer to walk you through getting your bike racked, understanding the whole layout of the Transition zone on the pier, from where swim exit, bike out, bike in, run out are to the change tents and where to hand-off and pick-up your gear bags. Top shelf all the way!

Then it was back to the hotel to get the rental car (Sonia and Riana were arriving today and we’d needed it for the next week) and prep my special needs (nutrition and other on-course items) bags. 

I had no luck finding baby potatoes and so I had to settle for full sized, but then the next hurdle was…no way to prep them, no stove at the hotel…the kitchen couldn’t prep outside food and didn’t have potatoes that they could prep for me…akkk! Coach Dave and Karen to the rescue, they suggested I head over to their condo and prep the potatoes, phew!  My schedule was off with all the running around to find the potatoes, which meant I had to dash out as soon as I finished prepping the food, I couldn’t even do my own dishes, but Karen assured me, it was all fine, she would take care of it and not too worry, quite the team they are!!

Headed over to pickup Sonia and Riana at the airport and caught them up on the week’s activities, they were thankful to have had a much more relaxing (and non-triathlon related) week in Kauai.  We had an early supper at the Kona Beach Club Restaurant and then it was final preps and early to bed to be rested for the 3:30 wake up.

Race Day

By the numbers:

Swim: 1:39:35 (7:05 a.m. Start)
T1: 9:02
Bike: 7:05:54
T2: 13:52
Run: 5:55:31
Total: 15:03:52 (10:09 p.m.)
Overall: 2068/2460 athletes
Gender: 1515/1761
Category (M50-54): 195/225

The alarm sounded at 3:30, normal race prep checklist kicked in, oatmeal, banana, bagel w/PB and some water to get things started.

Then check and re-check special needs bags, get dressed and go through everything from top-bottom and bottom-top for all three disciplines and make sure all is good.

Feeling pretty nervous about the swim and with the predicted times that Dave I have (16:00-16:30 depending on how the swim and run go), not much room for any malfunctions on the bike, going to have to stay focused and in the moment, execute the plan and not worry about that fear of a DNF that has been plaguing me all week.  Time for some reflection on why I am here and meditation before heading out to check-in.

Wake Sonia and Riana and gather up all the bags, then head out.

A pretty quiet drive in as Sonia and Riana are a little sleepy and they know I am nervous and just need to get my head in the game.  We find great parking at the Wal-Mart about 1k from the action.

Walking over lots of reassuring words from Sonia and Riana so grateful to have them both with me.

Our talk turns to joking about who will be more tired at the end of the day, I KNOW it will be them, but I am comforted and grateful for the fact that Subaru Canada has secured VIP access for them so they can get out of the sun into AC and they will get fed throughout the day.

We get to the parking lot of the King Kamehameha Kona Beach hotel and I get my last hugs and kisses before we have to part ways, Riana has the phone for the day so they can stay in touch with Joe and Blair and meet up for the start and finish at the very least.

There’s a fairly large group heading in, but thanks to the timing tips from Lisa, I’ve got lots of time and so not worried about being able to take my time getting setup and going through my pre-race routine.

While I am standing in the crowd a conversation starts up between two of the women, one of them happens to be Kathleen McCartney Hearst (you can read about her here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_McCartney_Hearst ), she is chatting with the rest of us, letting us know how she is an age grouper just like us, Ironman has not paid her to be here, she just loves racing and being here with all of us…WOW!

The first stop is for body marking (getting your race number tattoos applied) and then I head over to line up for sunscreen application by the volunteers (they think of everything here) before heading over to get things setup at my bike.

I bump into Sonia and Riana on the way over, apparently VIP access means they can get out onto the pier, and just about everywhere else that only athletes typically can go, except for the transition zone.  That little unexpected encounter and extra hugs put a smile on my face and kept the nerves at bay.

Swim:

After getting things setup on the bike, I head over to the swim entrance, they’ve let the pro men in, but age groupers will have to wait a bit. Coach Dave and I spot each other and get to have one last chat before swim warm up and the race. As we’re standing there, Mirinda Carfrae (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirinda_Carfrae ) walks by to go help her husband Tim O’Donnell (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_O%27Donnell_(triathlete) ) get his bike setup, you know, no big deal, just a 3 time Ironman World Champion an arm’s reach away.

A few minutes later the announcer is urging all age group men to head down the stairs and straight into the water, it’s a small beach, so no hanging around there, just wade out and then tread water (it’s about 5 min to the pro men’s start another 5 to the pro women and then 25 before the age group men get to go), uh…I wasn’t counting on that…so I wade sloooowwwly, but end up treading water for about 15min…thankful for the extra buoyancy of warm salt water (the water is warmer than air temp at this time of day). I get a chance to chat with a couple of the other athletes who are floating far away from the mass of age group men that will soon be the “washing machine” known as the Kona swim start. 

With a 5 minute warning, most of the men move towards the water safety crews who are floating at the start line holding them back (men and women pros have already gone).  I’m still hanging back for now.  2 minutes to go, I look over to the pier to see if I can spot Sonia and Riana…hah, it’s a mass of people, not as many as the swimmers, but still a lot, no chance of spotting them.  With a minute to go, I swim closer to the mass, but keep my distance, no need to get into that washing machine. 

BANG!!! The canon goes and we’re off! I’m swimming, in Kailua Bay, as part of the 2017 Ironman World Championship….O-M-G!!! WASHING MACHINE!!!

The water is clear and fairly smooth, I can see for miles, well feet, but it feels like miles compared to the dark (and sometimes murky) lakes in Canada. I can avoid all contact with other swimmers as I see them well before our paths converge. I settle in to my swim and just focus on the stroke and breath count rhythm. Sighting is pretty good; I can see all the buoys and lots of SUPs, kayaks and motor craft keeping an eye on us, phew!

Next big thing I spot is the Body Glove boat (1/2 way point ~1.9km), and I’m thinking, with a 15min head start on the age group women, could I make it to the boat before I am passed that would be ambitious, but hey, something to keep my mind focused on the present and staying efficient.

With about 200m to go to the Body Glove boat, I start seeing the pink swim caps, here come the age group women and they are torpedoing past me, DANG they are fast, RESPECT!

As I reach the Body Glove boat and make the turn for the way back, I glance at my watch…45 min., wait…that can’t be right, we were thinking 1:50-2:00 for this swim…dang, must have started the watch late, oh well, just keep swimming.

Heeding Coach Dave’s advice about the current that can/will pull you out of the bay, I sight and correct often, using the buoys rather than the shoreline landmarks which can be deceiving from this distance.

With just a 100m to go, I can see the volunteers in the water, I can see the steps, I’m going to finish the open water swim in the Ironman World Championship….oh boy, the waves out there weren’t too bad, but the wave of emotion as I climb those stairs…breathe, focus, still a long day ahead!

T1:

And with that, I’m into the showers; off to the change tent where the volunteers apply a generous coating of sunscreen (you’ll see it in all the bike photos) while I slide on my shoes, helmet, cooling sleeves and shades before dashing off to grab my bike.

Bike:

Immediately after leaving the T-Zone, there’s a slight climb on Palani Rd. to get the heart pumping, I hear but don’t see Sonia and Riana as I ride by, they manage to get a clear photo (must be going pretty slow) before I turn off onto Kuakini Highway.

There’s a short out and back section on Kuakini Highway that is mostly flat before we head out on the Queen Ka`ahumanu (Queen K) highway and into the lava fields, so time to settle in and get my bike groove on.

That first swig of Gatorade is a bit of a shock, no one warned me that salt water could make your mouth raw…yikes! Thankfully this effect wears off the further in I get…phew.

Out in the lava fields now, taking mental notes on the landmarks Lisa and Coach Dave mentioned, ticking them off on the way out to Hawi.

Lots of fan support on the way out, and so very energetic, how the heck did they get out here, aren’t they hot, how are they going to get back, so many questions, but time to focus on the bike and the views, lava to the right of them, lava to the left of them, lava behind them…focus, focus…

As I’m riding a motor cycle pulls up beside me, camera guy on the back asks, “Are you Brent?” After confirming that I am, he lets me know that Greg sent him out to get some shots and asks if he can ask me a few questions on camera, sure, why not, this could be good for Imerman Angels.  The cyclists around me must have been wondering who the heck I was, what camera crew interviews some back of the packer? But they were all good sports and either slowed down or sped up to stay out of the shot. With that done, it’s back to focusing on power numbers and staying hydrated.  I’m grabbing Gatorade at every aid station and I have no idea how they are keeping the bottles cold with the temps climbing into the 30s at this point.

A few minutes later another motor cycle pulls up beside me and asks if he can interview me, euh, sure…I have no clue who he is with, but more exposure for Imerman Angels is what this is all about. When we’re done chatting he thanks me and says, I’ll see ya’ later on the run…euh, ok, sure???

Grateful for those 2 distractions as I am now at the turn that takes us up towards Hawi, yup, I said UP; see the excerpt below from the athlete’s guide: 

• Along the route, the terrain is rolling with several quarter- to one-mile hills that reach a maximum grade of about 6 percent (6 foot rise for each 100 feet of distance).

Yeah, those famous headwinds they talk about in the broadcast…there they are…alrighty, just stay in aero position, monitor your power and keep hydrating!

Not much to say about that climb that isn’t already written above, but having watched every Ironman Broadcast from 1987-2016, Hawi has a special place in my brain…knowing it is the turnaround (~halfway), that it is downhill with a tailwind and that special needs (gels, more sunscreen, and chips) are all there are giving me a little extra oomph to get there.

As I approach the noise is thunderous, I look around and the crowd is HUGE, probably hundreds, possibly nearing a thousand, not bad for a small town in the middle of nowhere ( video evidence would later confirm there were 10s of people, the heat may have been affecting perception at this point).

When I pulled into the special needs stop, one of the volunteers offered to spray on my sunscreen so I could grab some chips and a few gulps of Gatorade…it was a scorcher and the wet facecloth I had put in the bag, felt AWESOME on my face, even if it was warm.

Time to get back in the saddle, get up to speed and see what those tail winds can do.

A lot they can do a lot!!! Tactical error, I went into the downhill section in aero, with a tail crosswind that meant I was too nervous, twitchy to come out of aero for fear of losing control.  My longest sustained downhill in aero, 20km @ 61kph, my eyes may have been larger than my wheels; I definitely passed a lot of people and missed an aid station.

As the road flattened out a bit, I was SUPER happy to be able to get up out of aero and pull into the next aid station for a bio break and to stock up on Gatorade and water (most of which went on my back).

Back onto the Queen K, and heading through the lava fields again, a lot less fans out now, riiiight the pros were through here hours ago. But the scenery is still stunning; especially off to the right where the blue of the ocean is highlighted by the dark lava foreground, amazing, I’m cycling the Queen K lava fields, in Hawaii, as part of the Ironman World Championships!!!

Ticking off the landmarks and that climb that Coach Dave had me work on in race prep, just stick to the plan, work the power numbers and stay focused, this is the worst of the hills on the way back, ~30k from here and then I get to run. Big relief when I see the lookout/parking lot where Karen took our photo, now it’s just an easy 30k into town where there will be crowds to give me energy before heading out on the run.

Making sure I shout out huge thanks at every aid station, they are always smiling and cheering us on, and even at 38C, they’re keeping the Gatorade and water cold, how? How? Magic!

Right turn onto Makala, left onto Kuakini Highway and then right on Palani heading to transition, lots of spectators heading into the T-zone, with Mike Reilly calling out athlete names as they are finishing just a few metres away on the other side of the grand stands. Still a marathon left before I can hope to hear that, but I finished the bike with no mechanicals, and a quick glance at the watch tells me I could walk the whole marathon and still finish in time, I won’t but that takes a load of pressure off.

T2:

Rolling dismount and I hand my bike off to a volunteer as I “run” towards my gear bag and the change tent.  Grab fresh socks, apply more sunscreen and slide on my running shoes. A big thanks to the volunteers and it’s a quick walk through the rest of the t-zone grabbing fluids before heading out on the course

Run:

It’s back up Palani to get the run started (and the heart racing), but with the cheers of the crowd it’s over in no time and I am grinning ear to ear.

A few right turns and we end up on Ali’I drive heading away from the finish for an out and back, but just after the turn I spot Sonia and Riana and stop for hugs, haven’t seen them in about 8 hours and it feels like days, but I am riding such a high, knowing I am heading out on the run course and my two favourite women will be here to give me one last hug before I head out to the Queen K and the Energy Lab sections of the run.

The views on the way out are spectacular as the sun is beginning to set just beyond the horizon, so stunning that I decide to take an extra walk break and another runner decides to join me, we chat a bit about how lucky we are to be here, how we got here and wish each other well before we get back to it.

The volunteers and spectators are doing such an awesome job of keeping us motivated, hydrated and smiling, woot woot!

I hit the turnaround and now it is even easier to keep an eye on the setting sun, feeling so fortunate and grateful to be able to be out here, high fiving volunteers and giving some shout outs to other athletes who are either speeding by or struggling.

Taking a walk break and on my left lying on the ground is none other than Dave “the Man” Scott, I must have looked pretty bad, ‘cause this six time Ironman World Champion felt the need to ask me if I was doing ok? Oh boy…better get back to running!

Back in town and I must be getting tired, I am definitely confused, I can hear the finish line announcer and in the distance I can see the finish line…OH CRAP, did I miss the turn? Am I heading to the finish, will I be DQ’d? I stop and ask (maybe a little loud) one of the spectators, DID I MISS THE TURN? They look at me equally confused, I run a bit further and ask someone else, I must have been looking a little unhinged, because he stepped into the road and said something to the effect of “you’re good, just a little further and then you turn, you’re good!!” And then a little bit ahead I noticed the building where I saw Sonia and Riana on the way out, phew…and there they were, across the street from it…more hugs, more breathing, time to head out on the Queen K, just a few more hours to go and I can head back to Ali’I drive if all goes well.

Out on the Queen K and it is starting to get dark, and on the big island when it gets dark, it is D-A-R-K. No distance perception, that traffic light, (there are only a few out here), could be 100m or 1000m away, can’t tell, oh gawd, how far to that aid station near the lights? Oh man, freakin’ out a bit! Ok, breathe, traffic signs those seem closer, construction cones, count them…5, 10, 26, 42, 50…ahhh better, keep the brain busy.

Wow, Queen K didn’t seem to be this much of a climb on the bike, and not steep, but looooooong….

Just as I get to the aid station near one of the traffic lights, I see these bright lights near the table and someone holding them sitting on the ground…and then I hear “that’s him, 2510, that’s him!”…euh, that’s me, what the heck was that about? As I leave the aid station I find out, a motor cycle pulls up beside me, “Hey Brent, I told you I’d see you on the run, how are you feeling, how has your day been, a few other questions I can’t remember, but my answers are about Imerman Angels, my gratitude to family, friends and Subaru Canada and how amazing it is to be able to get to live this dream!

Counting construction cones again to get me to the Energy Lab, where the special needs table is and then it’s back to town.

The spectators are thin at this point in the race, but the volunteers are so energetic that they keep you going between aid stations, loving that over half of them are in their teens and seem so happy to be out here.

Into the energy lab, past the turn around and now I get some chips and a top up on the gels.

Heading back towards town now and although things are sore, I’m tired and there are more walk breaks, I am loving every minute out here!

In the distance I can see the street lights and the shadows of the buildings in town, but in this darkness, I have no idea how far away that really is, I guess I could have looked at my Garmin, maybe I did, but it didn’t register.

As I hit the edge of town, there are more people, the noise is amping up and so is the energy, it’s bright compared to out on the Queen K and all of this is making me realise that yeah, I’m going to finish this I am going to finish the Ironman World Championship!!! Oh boy…easy there emotions, save it, get there first.

I pull up to the next aid station to ask how many more before the finish line, “this is IT says the volunteer, you’re almost there, you can DO THIS!!”

I pull over and toss a few of the extra bottles I picked up along the way, put my cap inside my race belt and pull out the Imerman Angels flag that I had put in a ziplock in my special needs bag. Less than a mile to go all in town, with lots of support.

I turn right on Hualalai Road and there at the bottom just before Ali’I drive are Coach Dave and Karen! My smile grows even bigger, I get a high five from each of them and Dave says (what sounds like to me) “You’re going to F’ing Finish this!” Dave, I meant to ask you about that, did I hear right?

Right turn and I am heading down Ali’I drive, towards the finish line…of the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

Man, Ali’I drive is long, it’s not just the barricaded finishing chute you see on TV…breathe, save some energy for the chute…

The Finish:

Ahh there it is, the finish chute, the crowds, the tiredness fades away, the sore muscles, gone, I can’t stop smiling as I drape the Imerman Angels flag over my shoulders and run side to side down the finish chute, the same finish chute that I have seen in all those broadcasts on all those training rides since I first saw Rick and Dick Hoyt cross this very same finish line, and then, I am caught off guard by Subaru Canada’s last surprise of the day, there on the other side of the finish line waiting for me are Sonia and Riana, HUGE wave of emotion, so much joy and gratitude!

Riana places the wooden lei around my neck and I can’t hold back the tears anymore.

I am so focused on Sonia and Riana that I don’t even hear the announcer tell me that I am an Ironman, but Riana tells me later how he told the story of my fear of swimming, of Rick and Dick Hoyt being my inspiration and of how I race for Imerman Angels.

This photo captures the pure joy of crossing the finish line, the perfect ending to my Subaru Canada Road To Kona journey and the dream within the dream of carrying the Imerman Angels flag down Ali'i Drive.

The rest is a bit of a blur, but there were lights, cameras, questions, more tears and later on food, a medal and a VERY long walk back to the car with my bike and the rest of my gear.

Summary

I was supposed to be a one and done Ironman, Tremblant was a perfect day and I saw no way or need to try and improve, but I was wrong, this whole journey and the exposure for Imerman Angels improved on perfection.

My time on the big island as a part of the Ironman World Championship was an incredible experience from the moment I stepped off the plane and was greeted by Lisa Bentley to meeting so many pros, hearing the stories from age groupers from around the world on where and how they qualified and getting to meet and chat with Rick and Dick Hoyt, my inspiration for starting my Ironman journey.

I was humbled to get to share this course with all of the athletes and hope that I can pay it forward.

That said, I am two and through.

Coming Home:

And if that whole amazing experience wasn't enough to fill my heart with gratitude and my eyes with tears, a fantastic group of friends gave us an amazing welcome home fit for a pro athlete or visiting dignitary.

Another crew had gathered at a friend's pace to watch the live coverage and passed along this awesome memory.

Truly humbled and grateful for such an amazing group of friends.

Videos

IMWC highlight video – (You can spot me or my bike at 4:00, 4:21, 4:49, 5:10, 5:21, 10:10)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdCW_777CE8&pbjreload=10&fbclid=IwAR2FgTIPGBoUTjt_-xzxcyDOkpuRsfhB9B3MLNduzECrjWOIVFH7vW-uyzE

TSN Ironman World Championship broadcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy9FrL4KV50

Mahalo (Thank you)!

My thanks begins with those who started it all, Peter, Jane and Julie THANK YOU for spreading the word to friends, family, colleagues and training partners and maybe even some strangers about this contest and the nomination process and for asking them to nominate me.

To Adam and Velofix Ottawa for not only getting Rasher (my bicycle) to the race and back, but for keeping her in tip top shape through the season, IMMT and the IMWC, Thank you for your attention to detail and your support of me and my many Imerman Angels fundraisers.

Heartfelt thanks to Chris at 3Sixty5 Cycling for building me those amazing wheels in 2014 and for agreeing to leave their company decals off the wheels so that I could use them and the bike to promote awareness for Imerman Angels.

To all of you who came out to swim, bike and/or run with me over the years and in the lead up to this race, Thank you for sharing the journey and your unique perspectives on our sport and community.

To Trish, thank you for helping me to dare to dream bigger than I ever imagined possible.

To the Slush Monkeys and Sunday Run Club, for helping me gut it out and being by my side on oh so many fun and not so fun runs, my eternal gratitude for your love and support.

To the RLCT crew, who were there in the early days when cycling 180km felt so very daunting and for sharing their knowledge, experiences and humour along the way.

To my NRC colleagues and friends for so many lunch time runs in less than ideal conditions and for the wonderful celebration when I came back, it was great to get to share the journey (and the coffee) with you all.

To the OTC for giving our community a place to share, learn and grow together.

To coaches, Geordie, Sean, Dave and Sharron for helping me to get over that fear of the water and learn to love the swim; I am forever in your debt.

To Coach Dave, for preparing me for and sharing this experience with me, you made sure I got to the start and finish lines and it was awesome to have someone there who was just as wide-eyed and excited to be a part of it all.

To Karen, thank you for extending you support and encouragement to me and for being so patient and accepting of the life of not 1, but 2 triathletes as we prepped for this.

To my brother-in-law and first run and multi-sport coach, Norman, thanks for seeing what I was capable of when I couldn’t.

To my sister, Brenda and her family for their love and support over the years and for always sharing with me their pride in my endeavours.

To Elrik for always being willing to take care of our home and Molly so that I could get out and train and so that we could live this experience to the fullest.

To Riana, for sharing the experience, enduring a crazy early wake-up call and for taking over the social media helm on race day.

To Sonia, for her never ending support, patience and willingness to adapt to the changes necessary to make this dream possible.

The folks from Subaru Canada and their partners went out of their way to make this an unforgettable experience in every way.  To Joe Felstein, Blair Rossen and Greg McFadden who used their considerable influence with WTC and found a way to shine a light on me and Imerman Angels in countless ways, you have truly made a difference not only in my life, but in the lives of those who will not have to face cancer alone because they were made aware of Imerman Angels, thank you just isn’t enough for all the you have done!

The fear in writing a thank you like this is that I will have missed someone, so I wanted to say Mahalo to all of you who nominated me for the #RoadToKona contest or supported and encouraged me in other ways along this journey. You are all a part of my extended Ohana and I am so very fortunate and grateful to have you all in my life.

The last Word(s):

About a year before this all happened I was sitting in a coffee shop with my friend Trish talking about how we could bring Imerman Angels to Canada, with both of us being triathletes and with my Ironman coming up in the next year, it didn’t take long for the conversation to steer towards talk of the Ironman Championship, Trish had contacts and thought it might be (remotely) possible to use those contacts to secure a spot.  Wow, that would be a dream, an even bigger dream would be to have an Imerman Angels athlete do the race, and the dream of a lifetime, would be if that person had a compelling enough story to be featured on the Ironman broadcast so we could spread awareness nationally.

This truly was the dream of a lifetime realised as the experience(s) of a lifetime and I will cherish the experience forever!

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” - Yoko Ono