Kona Sweet Kona.

Forty hours after leaving Oahu, I am home. And I am so much better for the training trip. I love Kona. I love to run. I am back, it is on, and I am going to be ready.

On Friday we rode past Hawi to the cutest little town I have ever seen. Cuter than Hawi even. The weather was gorgeous, and the 25-mile stretch from Waikoloa back to town was still hell, just like it is every time. You know it's bad when I stop talking. Katherine and I didn't draft at all, and did the Kawaihae-Hawi stretch 50-100 yards apart so that we would both get the full workout. The only talking in the last 20 mi was when I may have muttered something about a vag-otomy as she went by near Hualalai. I'm crass when I'm tired.

The two mushroom-heads - it's 8 am and we've already been up for 5 hours.. let's go ride for 6!

The first stop of the day, where we learned that Vittora Pit Stop sucks and that houses being moved take up the whole shoulder.. Katherine can jump into the bushes quickly when necessary.

Katherine did a quick brick run off the bike. I did a quick Jamba run. Protein Berry Workouts with blueberries instead of strawberries and extra protein fit well in my bottle holders. My slippers didn't work that great with my keo pedals though.. especially up Palani.

We had dinner at Lava Java - who new they made real food? The veg pizza and the sunset were incredible. The Wees rolled by on their way to ice cream for Kainoa.

First thing up in the morning was the run. The run was hard. The run was incredibly beautiful. The run was 20 miles exactly, finishing at the line.. and the run was a gift. I had doubts about my injury because it had whined all week. We left the Seaside and headed to the energy lab, where Wee came out to cheer us on, offer cold drinks and take photos that are probably not too pretty. About 15 miles in, out at Honokohau Harbor, I declared my love for running. We raced up the Queen K to the top of Palani. And even with a slow start we held an average pace of 7:20 per mile. That was the run I needed to change my mind, to remind me why I am racing Kona. That was the pace I needed to be able to hold onto again, comfortably quick, pain-free, smiling.

We hit Jamba immediately after finishing with a sweaty $10 bill. The grumpy Jamba girl said $10.31. Hmm. I looked in her tip jar. She did not find that amusing. So I turned around and asked the man behind me if I could bum 31 cents. He kindly loaned us the money, then told us he had seen us on the highway. And that he is the volunteer coordinator for Ironman. This is Joe, the man who saved our recovery and the man who organizes all those awesome volunteers for us on race day. The man brave enough to touch us after that run when I wouldn't have touched Katherine with a ten foot pole. Joe rocks.

I suppose I should have included on the food run-down post that I was showing my rest day eating. I am not a big eater by nature. In Kona this weekend there were thousands of calories consumed.. and even a little chocolate. I do track online to make sure the protein and cals are high enough, I promise! And now I have the Weezles.. Bree's home-made all natural energy balls that are so good! She sells them in stores in Kona and brought K & I a bunch of different flavors at lunch after the run. We scarfed them down all afternoon.

Kona was a blast.. we ran into Peaman, and visited Linda at Bike Works, which is such an incredible store.. they even sell Splish! We chatted with superstar Lieto and Aaron on Alii as they headed for an evening swim (feeding time.. ). Every where you turn in Kona there are friendly faces.

You know those morons that make your plane late because they won't just get on and sit down? All giddy and goofy on the tarmac because they had a great trip? Yeah, that's me.

I realize that my bag is bigger than my shorts. At least I'm not wearing compression socks..