The alarm buzzed at 4:00 a.m. but I was already awake. I went into the kitchen and saw Hillary already eating her traditional race day breakfast of bagel and peanut butter. She was relaxed and smiling. We watched some old re-run of Melrose Place while listening to her iPod. A mix of Missy Higgins and Snoop.

Special Needs bags in tow, we made our way over to the race start at 5:10 a.m. This is always one of my favorite moments of an IM; all the athletes shuffling along in the pre-dawn darkness, always an eerie silence. The calm before the storm. The 6:45 pro swim start saw little wind. There were already blue skies and temperatures reaching the low 80’s. It was going to be hot out in the lava fields. Not just for the athletes, but for me and my friend Babak as well. We had purchased bikes days earlier for better mobility on race day.

After watching Hillary exit the water, we headed out onto the bike course. A short time later, she was climbing Palani (pushing a big gear of course) in her new Splitsfiftynine race kit. Both looked hot! (See pic.) After she turned onto the Queen K, I went for a short run/swim with my friend Lukas (’06 Kona Finisher). The water is absolutely majestic in Kona. The sealife is colorful and abundant, making the lengthy swims a bit easier.

I waited for her to come out of T2 on Alii Drive. She looked fresh and ready for the run. Babak and I grabbed our bikes and headed out to the Queen K. We began to leapfrog her, offering encouragement all along the way. We finally waited for her at the Energy Lab. Already there were a string of athletes making their way down into the furnace while the male leaders were heading back into town. It’s difficult to describe the scene at the entrance of the Energy Lab. The athletes had a look on their faces that read part determination, part terror, knowing that when they came out, they wouldn’t be the same.

Hillary was no different, emerging from the E.L. looking as though she had dug deep within herself both mentally and physically in those few miles. We leapfrogged her a couple more times over the last 10K and then sprinted to watch her at the finish. She placed 20th in her Kona debut as a pro! Quite an accomplishment. And as a testament to her character, Hillary returned to the finish line, cheering on the final finishers and staying past midnight.

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Four years ago I arrived in Kona to watch a friend compete in the Ironman. I had been competing in triathlon for a few years but this was my first taste of IM. To say the experience was a positive one would be an understatement. It was literally transformational. There is an energy here that is derived part by the island itself, part by the locals, and part by the athletes. Surrounded by an abundance of healthful, driven individuals in a picturesque setting, one cannot help but be inspired. I was so overwhelmed that I not only decided to begin training for my first IM, but I also decided to build my carrer around the world of multisport. Thus my experience at the 2003 Hawaii IM served as the catalyst for what would become SPLITSFIFTYNINE.

When I boarded the plane yesterday I began to get butterflies. Everywhere I looked I saw the chiseled bodies, cleanly shaven, tanned legs, and livestrong bracelets of IM athletes. I was heading back to a magical place with magical people. But most exciting of all, I was going to Kona to support our first sponsored athlete, pro triathlete, Hillary Biscay.

Tomorrow: Countdown to Saturday with Hillary Biscay.

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We’re a women’s athletic clothing company located in Marina Del Rey, in the heart of sunny Southern California. We may design athletic clothing specifically for women, but we know that there’s much more to athletes than just the sports they do. We’re holistic creatures. We care about food, exercise, recovery, nutrition, alignment, massage, vitamins, sleep, medicine, equipment, racing, and so much more. And this is our chance to talk about all that stuff too. The way we design our clothing, by blending form and function, is our first step in celebrating the importance of having a well-rounded lifestyle. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice what’s important to you; it is possible to have more.

As this blog evolves, we will share what we’ve learned from experts in many different fields who have helped us maintain our health and well being as we’ve attempted to achieve our goals. We don’t expect you to embrace it all, but we hope that you’ll learn something from what we share, and we encourage you to contribute your own comments and ideas along the way. And not to lose sight of our core inspiration, we’ll also share with you important local, national, and international athletic events that we know you want to read about.

Thank you for joining us on our adventures. We look forward to having you along for the ride.

Next entry: Going to the Hawaii Ironman with the Pros.

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