Kona 2019 Unforgettable Journey

I have so much to catch up on in my blog, including a season recap of Iron Fit Endurance athletes’ accomplishments.  This year marked the 5^th year of Iron Fit Endurance Coaching and it was an incredible year filled with first time Ironman and 70.3 finishes, epic races, the 3^rd annual IFE World Championships, transition clinics, and so much more!  First, I’d like to give my recap of Kona as so many people have been asking me about the race.

After taking a 5-year hiatus from Ironman I decided that I wanted to try to get another slot to Kona as a 40-year old.  That was 2016 and I did so in Ironman Florida.  It wasn’t meant to be as I had to forfeit my slot to Kona in 2017 due to injury.  In 2018 I competed in Ironman Maryland to earn my sot to Kona 2019.  My good friend Bob Spina also qualified in Maryland, so it just seemed meant to be. 

Imagine finding someone with whom you are almost perfectly matched in the swim, bike and run.  Someone who had the same amount of experience as you, someone with whom you plan every week with and laugh with at every workout.  Some days they push you and some days you push them.  That’s Bobby to me.  2019 was the most fulfilling and exciting in all my 22 years of racing.  We trained harder than ever and enjoyed every minute.  In our last long run I was feeling particularly tired and when we finished that 20 miles, I felt that Bob had literally carried me the entire way.  Going into Kona it was number 18 Ironman and number 6 Kona for both of us!  Like I said, this was a special year.  I urge everyone I coach to find SOMEONE to train with, in fact I’ve made training groups for that purpose.  It changes the game.  It elevates your training in every way.  I honestly don’t think I could do it any other way at this point. 

In addition to Bobby I had Jose to do 2x20’s with as well as to drop in on any long ride, Leah who stepped up to another level this year and qualified for Kona along the way!  Gabi who turned into a triathlete this year and showed us what true talent looks like while always bringing positivity to the workouts.  Shayne who was there for us to chase as well as to accompany me in the dark on the track.  Derek who jumped in on long workouts and even brought us catered food at the end of one particularly long one!  All these experiences make a singular goal something so much greater and I want to thank each and everyone who was part of my journey this year!

It had been 12 years since I was last in Kona and it felt like the first time again.  My family was there to support me including my parents, George who took time from work to be there, as well as my good friend Erin.  Of course, Craig Longobardi showed up for the festivities on the Big island as well.  As race day approached, I felt great!  Bob and I took advantage of all the pre-race festivities they offered.  Friday, the day before the race, I woke with a sore throat!  I tried to remain positive.  I texted my good friend Nadine and she put me at ease, still this was certainly not ideal.  Race day arrived and my throat was killing me.  I knew I wasn’t 100%, which was disappointing, but again, I tried to remain positive.  Being at the World Championships is truly incredible.  In every aspect of the race you feel like a rock star and I really tried to take it all in and enjoy it!

At the race start I saw Bobby… “I have a sore throat!” I told him.  He looked at me and took it in.  Then we talked a bit and he gave me a hug ready to line up for the start. “No excuses.  Do the best you can today!” he told me.  That snapped me out of it.  “OK, no excuses”, I thought.  The swim started and I went for it.  I tried to ignore the burning in my throat and just swam hard.  After the turn around I instantly felt sick and threw up in the water!  “OK Danielle, just keep swimming”, so I did, and I felt better.  As I was in sight of the finish, I got sick again…this time I basically emptied my stomach in the water.  I was treading water getting sick and as I looked at the finish, I wondered how I would even get there!  I weakly swam to the finish and continued on autopilot through T1.  As I saw George and Erin, I yelled to them what happened.  Then I saw my parents and did the same… “OK Danielle, enough of the complaining and the excuses…get it together!”.  I saw George one more time and he gave me a look, like “are you OK”?  “yes!  I feel better now!” I yelled. 

Onto the Queen K my power wasn’t where it should have been (it was about 20 watts lower!), but I went with it.  I tried to take in a lot of fluids, but I was just nauseous, so it was tough.  I would gag as I shoved GU’s down my throat, but I knew I had to try and get them in!  I saw my family around Mile 40 and stopped my bike.  “I’m not feeling good” I complained… “you’re still doing well on the tracker!”, they cheered.  “OK”, I thought, “keep going Danielle”, and I did.  I suffered on the way up to Hawi.   The heat and the crosswinds along with the fact that I felt sick to my stomach was a struggle.  As I rounded the turnaround, I began to sob.  I was also trying to choke down half of a PB &J at the time!  Finally, around mile 80 I saw George again.  He was running up the hill next to me and he looked concerned.  “Danielle, you are covered in salt, you have to drink!”  “I’m trying my best; I just feel sick”.  Then I saw my parents and I weakly pedaled past them.  Little did I know that I looked bad enough that my mother, stepped aside and cried for fear of how and I looked.  George told them he wanted to pull me off the course.  He was afraid I’d hurt myself, but I was already on the Queen K back into town.

At the next aid station, I stopped.  I was resting on my handlebars when a volunteer came along to check on me.  “Can I get you something?” he asked.  I was not exactly making a whole lot of sense, so he suggested I get off my bike.  He pulled up a chair for me under a tent and took off my helmet.  I sat there sipping a Gatorade that he gave me.  After 5 or 10 minutes he asked me if he could call over a medic to check me out and I said sure.  The medic checked me, and I was starting to be more “with it”.  He told me I could continue but being sick I really had to pay attention to drinking and taking in salt.  After 10 or 15 min I continued on, weakly (THANK YOU volunteer!).  I ended up hold 109 watts for the last 3 hours of my ride.  That’s about 50-60 watts lower than expected!  As I approached town George appeared in the middle of the road stopping me.  “Danielle, you don’t have to finish this race” he said.  I started crying…  “I have to finish!” I told him.  “I coach so many people who want to finish.  How can I not”?! “Also, there’s a mom out there towing her daughter out on the course, and there’s a double amputee out there!  They are doing something greater than me.  I have to finish!”. 

I took my time in T2 and thankfully the nausea went away for the run!  I was able to shuffle.  The switch from compete to finish was nothing I was prepared for.  That marathon seemed daunting, but I knew I was going to do it.  I kept looking for Bobby.  I heard that he had cramping issues and when I finally saw him on the Queen K (as I was headed toward the Energy Lab and he back into town) we slapped hands and he said, “what a struggle”.  I knew he wasn’t having the day he had trained for and that made me sad.  I reflected on our training together and I felt happy again…  “what an incredible experience” I thought.  As the sun went down in the Energy lab, I look at the ocean and sobbed again, but not for being sad, just for the experience. I put one glow stick on my head and one on my race belt and couldn’t believe it.  Here I was, running in the energy lab in the pitch dark.  I felt a bond with those around me like I’ve never experienced before.  We were out there, in silence, in the dark running towards a finish line.  I’ll never forget it.

As I finally reached the downhill on Palani road (around mile 25) I saw my parents. My mother was crying and gave me a hug.  “I’ve never been prouder of you”.  “this is your finest hour”.  I was of course crying as well.  Running down Alli Drive towards the finish was amazing as I reflected on how I had envisioned my finish would look like during my training, running towards an age group placing.  This time I ran for a finish.  I saw Erin and George just before the finish and gave them high fives.  They were amazing all day long and I thought how much I love them as I ran by.  At the finish Bob was there to put my beads on a give me a hug, again I was sobbing…the emotion from the whole day, the whole build up, got me.  It was a perfect finish.

Thank you, mom and dad, thank you George, thank you Erin, thank you to all my athletes who provide so much inspiration to me, thank you Bobby for making this so special.

Happy training and racing!

Dee