The Kindness of Friends and Family

Craig Hunter ready to race Hawaii Ironman World Championships 

My husband has now been away eight days; he is enjoying his stay in Kona, Hawaii or paradise if you want to be honest. I have been to Hawaii with Steve on at least four other occasions so I know just how heavenly a holiday there can be. He is there with a friend who is racing in the Ironman World Championships tomorrow. The Hawaii race, is the ultimate race for most triathletes, it is the bright light at the end of a long tunnel that in many cases has taken years of dreams and work and preparation to arrive at. It is also very expensive to travel there but worth every penny to take part in the legendary event that every other triathlon is a descendant of.

 

 

I have been fortunate enough to compete there three times and it is an experience that stays in your memory and is forever as bright and clear when you look back on it as it was at the time you first were lucky enough to qualify to take part. I know Steve and Craig Hunter have had fun while they have been there and Craig has done all the prerace testing of the course he planned to. Steve has loved doing the swim course every day including the coffee boat which is an almost silly thing but still puts the widest smile on your face stopping there; a coffee stop in the ocean, it is making me laugh, and I am on the other side of the world just thinking about it.

 

Whilst Steve has been away I have been well looked after by my friends and it has been lovely that so many people have asked, not only how are the boys getting on in Hawaii but also how am I doing left behind, with only an internet connection keeping me in touch. All have offered any assistance I might need. 

Well I have been fine for the most part, although I never sleep so well when Steve is away. I have been continuing with my own training and have also been out more often than I would when my man is home. So not counting the training sessions where I have seen lots of friends, I have been out with the gang for a fish and chip supper on the first night when we also went to watch the local Am-Dram mob in Worthing after the F & C’s.

 

 

 

 

Today my friend Helen came to the house and re-did my hair colour and a little trim and it was shame that I was not going out because it looked smashing when she had finished; I can never get it as straight as she does, it is very curly hair when it’s allowed to grow. Sunday evening I am off out with friends again to the Connaught Theatre in Worthing to see the film of Michael Bublé’s recent tour. It was a good time to get to see this because Steve doesn’t like Michael Bublé, and that is a mystery to me because I cannot see what there is not to like, I certainly cannot hear anything to dislike when he sings. But hey ho, each to their own. Michelle, her mum and I will love it that is for sure and again being spoiled by having Michelle pick me up in her car and see me home, all very kind.

 

Jacqueline and Martin Rackham AAAHHH! 

The other evening I went for dinner and a chat with my daughter Jacqueline and her husband Martin, again a kind gesture because I was on my own. That was a lovely evening and they were not even a tiny bit cross at me turning up way too early because of my poor communication skills. They were still working when I got there, Martin in his office and J in her own little office. The other consideration was that they knew that after the fish and chips with the guys last week, that I had started a strict diet for the duration of Steve’s trip and did not try to tempt me off my plan at all. Martin made me a tall glass of ice water to drink and he cooked a lovely steak and made a delicious but harmless salad. They did not even offer dessert which was nice.

 

 

After dinner, Jakki introduced me to her new friend Thumper! This Thumper has nothing whatsoever to do with Walt Disney and Bambi, this Thumper, is a heavy duty sports massage device and J demonstrated just how effective it was by giving me a thorough thumping, showing me how to get at all the places that she knew I had been trying to keep in order this year.  She is a sport massage therapist herself, as well as an excellent and gifted photographer. So I was happy to listen to her sales pitch about this, she was sold on hers and Martin too.

 

 

Our new friend Thumper at work on those tight muscles

 

I was so impressed that the next morning I ordered my own friend Thumper, who arrived next morning and has already been given a good trial. Excellent for my IT bands that are pretty much always on the tight side as well as the Hammies, Quads and those naughty Glutes that have given me a lot of grief this summer.