Kate Writes: emotional weekend

Getting to Ironman has been an emotional journey. Having arrived on Thursday, booked in and got to the race meeting we were very excited. I found my coach Gerrard and the group of friends from camp, we sat down to listen to all the rules and regulations. Falling asleep as the last speaker got up to talk and started talking about the weather BOMB. Well that woke me up. We might not be able to do the swim, he said. Ok I was worried about the swim, that's OK I thought. Then he said if there is no bike race there will be no race.  OMG, we might not be doing it! My coach was sitting with us and he told us all to carry on as normal and get ready.


Friday came and the morning was spent getting our bags ready and bikes ready and then off to town we went. We booked our bikes in and looked the part as if we were going to become Ironmen. It was going to be cold so we also went to buy more clothes. The extra meeting that night at 4pm was an eerie experience, 1600 people jammed into a sports hall all waiting to hear the news. The lady who stood up the front and told us the weather bomb was happening and coming right over Taupo on Saturday and the whole event was cancelled was very brave. It was the only thing they could do, but we could not believe that it was happening. We had trained for almost a year for this event and now it was gone. There was silence in the room. I wanted to cry but no one else was crying. We walked out and into the cold air. I dropped Karen off to get the bikes and went home to get the bike rack for the car. We picked up the bikes and stored them back in the garage.
Gutted is the word I have used the most. There was nothing we could do.


Saturday came, the sun shone, but the wind whipped around us and we knew it was the right decision.
Again 4pm meeting, were they going to be able to put on a half Ironman the next day. It was a hard ask of all the volunteers and officials. We sat in the same hall all holding our breath. YES they were going to do it. WOW at least we would have some closure. Home we went to prepare for the next day.


I have cried a lot over the last few days and would like to thank Family and friends who have supported me. LOL