Kramer has been sampling the sights and sounds in the Island and says it is ‘so far, so good’ for her.
“Yesterday, I rode from Volcanoes National Park (where there is still an active volcano) through jungle and lava fields down to the ocean. Fascinating to see so much difference in landscapes in just a one hour and 30 minutes ride! It was extremely windy, there’s nothing here blocking the strong Pacific Ocean winds!” Kramer explained.
The triathlete further admitted she expects a taxing outing in the race in light of the picturesque but challenging lava fields in which she will be riding during the weekend’s competition.
“The volcanoes in Hawai’i are fascinating. The different islands are all created by the same hot spot – the plate of the earth is moving slowly over the hotspot and as a result, over time, new islands pop up above it. Apparently Japan was created by the same hotspot,” she explained.
Kramer added: “Knowing a bit more about how these islands were created, and the importance of the volcanoes in shaping this land, gives me some deep respect for the lava fields that I will be racing through next week, and makes me appreciate the difficulty of this race a bit more!”
Her preparations in Hawaii have also brought her into contact with legendary triathletes who have competed in past editions of the Ironman World Championships.
Kramer admits the interactions with her peers have been an eye-opener on various aspects of triathlon.
“I also met one of the 12 finishers of the very first Ironman ever organized, in 1978, back then on the island Oahu. His name is Archie and he’s a strong swimmer,” Kramer, a senior research fellow at International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), said.
She added: “The big question that he and his friends asked themselves, was who would be the better athlete: swimmers, cyclists, or runners? They decided to find the answer by doing the 3800m Waikiki Rough Open Water swim, a 180km bike race around the island, and then a 42.2km marathon running, all in one day, to see who’s be fastest; this was the birth of what we now call Ironman.”
The Ironman World Championships has been traditionally held in the west coast town of Kailua Kona since 1981 and brings together numerous triathletes from worldwide.
The course includes a 3.9km ocean swim, 180km of bicycle race before concluding with a 42km run that ends in Kailua-Kona.
