Up, up and away…

Last night I only had 5 hours of sleep, but it was good sleep. It felt longer and just what you want before a 14-hour travel day to Kona.

I was up at 5 am and there was no “rush” or “panic” to get ready. I already loaded my bike and luggage in the truck the night before. All I had left to load was Alice and Reid’s luggage.

We left for the airport at 6 am and Alyssa came with us to say goodbye and drive the truck home. Even though we got to the airport close to three hours before the flight, I was nervous about making sure we had a seat on the plane.

Whenever I fly Air Canada, there is a much higher probability of problems. In February when I went to Los Angeles, I showed up to the airport two hours before the flight and they oversold the flight and I didn’t have a seat, even though I had a ticket.

Last night I tried to check-in online at it wouldn’t allow it. All I could think about was history repeating itself and Air Canada overselling the flight and not having a seat for us.

I guess that’s why I was on edge this morning and made sure we were at the airport well in advance. I’m glad I was, the line-ups were insane. I overheard someone saying it’s like this every Monday morning.

Before I could get out of truck to unload our stuff, a car pulled in behind us, two feet from the truck bumper. I didn’t have enough room to get the luggage out and immediately started sweeping my hand repeatedly at them to “back up”.

I guess it was a little aggressive, because the girl and the guy in the car were both yelling back, “okay, okay, okay” with an angry look of “we’re trying”. I couldn’t hear them, but their “pissed off” facial expressions and mouths flapping as they backed up told the story.

My number one focus was to get into that airport and get a seat on that plane. Nothing was going to stop me and if they didn’t like my approach, so be it. Frankly, I was a little surprised they took my actions as “hostel” and realized I must be a little “tightly wound” this morning.

When I got to the ticket kiosk and put in my information, I was relieved to see we had seats assigned. I thought all was well until after I put in all our passport and hotel information it wouldn’t print out the tickets and instructed me to see an agent.

While I was working the kiosk, Reid was “throwing up”. He woke up with a stomachache and said he felt sick. Before we left the house I gave him a small plastic garbage bag incase he started to “throw up” during the drive to the airport. It was a good thing he kept it and took it in the airport because he had four major “exorcist-style up-chucks”.

As we drove to the airport I was worried it was his appendix and was playing in my mind the options. My primary thought was to get him to Kona and if it was his appendix we could take him to a hospital and I would still be able to do the race.

As bad as this sounds, before we left the house I was playing scenarios of what might prevent me from racing, like a death in the family. As selfish as this might sound, I told myself, if anyone dies, I’m not aborting this race to attend a funeral.

I figured if they’re dead, what's the advantage of returning for a funeral. If it was me who died, I wouldn't want one of my relatives to miss racing the Ironman and return for my funeral. I'd rather they "live life and race".

Although, now that I think more about it, if Alyssa had any problems, I’d be on the first flight home without hesitation. Aside from that or anything just as serious, "come hell or high water" I’m racing.

Even if Reid has to go in the hospital for his stomach problems, I’m racing. Alice can stay with him and I’ll join back up with them after the race.

With that said, I don’t think Reid has any serious stomach issues. I asked him a series of questions and I realized it wasn’t his appendix, it sounded more like food poisoning and after he “threw up” he started to feel better.

After the kiosk wouldn’t print my tickets, I had to stand in my first long line to deal directly with an agent. When I finally got to the front, I turned my back to get my bike case that was sitting just outside of the line rope and some white haired German guy who was behind me didn’t notice and cut in front and was going to the agent.

Before he went to far I said, “HEY, HEY, HEY, I’M NEXT!!!” I guess it came across a little too aggressive because he shot back, “okay, relax” in a “dick head” way. I thought two things, “what gives him the right to get testy with me, he should have apologized” and my other one was, “man, I must be wound up and coming across aggressive, that’s the second confrontation today”. Again, I blew it off; all I was focused on was getting those plane tickets in my hand.

The next long line was customs; it was insane with hundreds of people waiting. I was so glad we showed up early or it would have been “major anxiety” whether or not we were going to catch our plane.

We finally got through that line and then we had another crazy long line for security clearance. When I got to the front, they checked my ticket and instructed me that I’d be “flagged” by Air Canada as someone for “enhanced security inspection”.

I’m not sure if it was random or the woman at the counter made an “executive decision”. She had an edge about her and saw that I was in a little verbal “scuffle” with the guy behind me.

They took me to a special line and did the “bomb swipe” and “open every zipper” bag check as well as the “full body scan”. Which was a little weird knowing someone somewhere can “see your pecker”.

Because Reid and Alice followed me into that line, they got the full body scan as well and also gave someone a “peep” show. Reid had the option to turn it down because he’s under age, but went for it anyway. Afterwards, I was “teasing” him that if he became famous, they have that picture and could release it.

In total, it took us close to two hours to get our tickets and work our way through all of the lines and get to the gate. Other than a short delay to wait for about 50 other late passengers that were caught in customs, the departure and arrival was uneventful and the 5-hour flight went by quickly.

When we got to Los Angeles we had two hours before our next flight, about 30 minutes of it was eaten up trying to get from one terminal to another. It was a bit of an adventure figuring out where to go and what bus was to pick us up.

Our next flight was on Delta and I have a Credit Card that gets us into the “Sky Club Lounge” where they keep all the free snacks and drinks. I think I pigged out on fourteen pounds of peanuts, yogurt covered peanuts and some other “dog food” looking snack. It was a bummer not being able to take advantage of the “FREE BEER” offering.

The flight to Kona had its scary moments, especially in the beginning. We had some “wicked” turbulence of the “scary” variety. It had me wondering if we were going to make it and I was considering what my final words should be to Alice and Reid if we were going down. The best I came up with was, “see you on the other side”. I think there was an “I love you in there as well”.

The bumpiness lasted for a while and eventually the pilot told us that a plane in front of us, on the same flight path, said it would end in about 100 miles, which it did.

Getting on the plane to Kona was the first time I started seeing other triathletes. On the plane we sat in the last row beside the toilets and got a chance to see a lot of “very fit” looking people that looked “lean and mean”.

In Toronto, before we left security, I felt like an athlete when I got a compliment from the female security woman who asked me to open my bike case.

She saw my Ironman shirt and tattoo and was impressed that I was competing in Kona. She said, “you look really fit and I’m afraid to guess your age”. I said I was forty-five and she said she was forty-seven.

I was wondering if I looked as old to her as she looked to me. She had “none of her prime left” or “was I delusional about how old I look?” Do we both think we are still younger looking than we are when we look in the mirror?

Age and looks wise, Alice and I got some good compliments from our nieces and nephews this weekend. We were at a wedding and they were all amazed and kept saying, “you guys haven’t aged”. That was kind of cool to hear. I can guarantee you that if I was still a Fat Guy and out of shape, they would have been saying, “Geez, Aunty Alice sure doesn’t age” or “why is she with that old fat guy”.

We finally arrived in Kona and checked into our hotel. It’s the same one that Alice and I stayed in 22 years ago when we were 22 years old. Alice remembers more of it than I do.

It didn’t take us long to get tired. There is a 6-hour time zone difference. We forced ourselves to go for dinner and now it’s 7:30 pm Hawaii time and 1:38 am Burlington time.

Good night all, we're pretty tired.

Oh, and by the way, I just noticed this is my 1000^th post since I started the blog. It seemed like just yesterday I started this blog November 12, 2007.

Travel Day – No Training.