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Who could have thought that a 4am hotel breakfast would be so popular? It was packed with athletes trying to get some food in before heading to the race site. Sam appeared to be reasonably calm and had a decent sleep (I didn't dare tell him I didn't sleep a wink - I had set the alarm and was certain it was going to go off hours too late!). We jumped on the train (once again along with plenty of athletes and supporters) and arrived at the transition area in plenty of time for Sam to get organised and warm up. Once he got to transition he was informed that the water was too warm and that it would be a non-wetsuit swim. That would mean that it would be a little bit harder swim and slower time but he had prepared for that and everyone else was in the same boat. A nervous kiss goodbye and he was over to the start line and he was off. As expected, Sam's strong swimming (and the poor European swimmers!) had him getting out of the water towards the front of the pack in a time under his goal. His transition on to his bike was a palaver due to the Europeans organising the race differently, i.e there were no change room helpers and he had to wear his bib on the bike which was in his run bag (which had been meticulously packed according to the race rules and how he had done it previously). Fortunately they let him access his run bag, get the bib and head out on the bike. I was watching all of this from the fence and could see he was flustered. I tried to yell out some words of encouragement before he was off on his bike. Later in the morning I headed up to the iconic Heartbreak Hill. It is known for its Tour de France style atmosphere and it didn't disappoint - there was music, enormous cow bells and crowds and crowds of people lining the road cheering the riders on through the smallest of pathways the crowds had left for the riders to go through. I was very proud watching Sam come up the hill and know he will remember the experience for a long time. Even though Sam later told me that so many riders passed him (the Europeans are used to riding those sorts of hill all the time), his bike time was still good and once again under his goal time. It was now time to hang on for the run, the part that Sam finds the most challenging. The run course was four laps along the water front so it was pretty good for spectators. After a while I wondered if my "c'mon mate" cheer to the runners as they went passed actually translated? I saw Sam get his 4th lap wrist band and told him the next time I see him will be at the finish line. One thing the Europeans do well is a finishers chute. I got prime location in the raised stand and it was fantastic to watch him come down the red carpet and the announcer say "Samuel Hutchinson ...you...are...an...Ironman" - an unforgettable moment. It was pretty much a race that went exactly to plan and under his goal time on a very tough course. There was plenty of post race activities and wonderful atmosphere to soak up, so it was about 11pm by the time we caught the train and got back to our room. We talked nonstop about each other's version of the day's events and I think we were just so amazed at how to plan it went - a testament to Sam's preparation.
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