In good news, we are heading over on Thursday night to hang out and watch the scene for the weekend. I am excited of course and I know that I'll have a blast watching and cheering, though I would be LYING if I told you I was happy to not be racing. TGINR??? Um, No. Well truth be told, if someone told me today that a spot opened up and I could start on Saturday I would turn that down b/c, well, I am FAR from feeling like I'm in shape to knock out a good ironman right now, but you know what I mean. I can promise you that when I am standing on the sidelines on Saturday morning and the helicopters are buzzing overhead and the drums are beating rhythmically and the swimmers are in the water waiting for the cannon (oh I just got goosebumps), I will have a massive pit in my stomach that will turn into something that will burn in my belly until I get to the start line in Cabo in March.
Anyway. I'll be drunk by noon and then it'll all be just fun and games hooting and hollering at everyone as they suffer out there on the Queen K. ;)
So I've been asked several times who my picks are to win the race... It's a crap shoot really, because what do I know? Disclaimer: I don't know any of those pros. I am completely guessing. But here are my WAG's anyway... and I'll give you my little reasonings why I'm guessing the way I am.
Women first!
1. Steffen (she's coached by Sutton and I have a hard time believing she won't be 120% prepared for this. She's like a machine, no?)
2. Cave (I think she has more confidence and sees herself as a deserving contender now. She'll come off the bike 2nd and stay there?)
3. Joyce (Total guess here but I think she'll stay near Leanda and finish before Rinny. Either Joyce or Ellis in this third spot but since I'm writing it down, I'll guess Joyce.)
Notice I left Rinny off the list? I don't know. She's hard to bet against in Kona, but maybe since she dropped out of Vegas and just hasn't seemed to be on fire anywhere yet this year, I am betting against her. There you go. I said it.
Men next!
1. Macca (ok I know people love him or hate him but I love how he puts himself out there and I think he's going to be ready for this race mentally more than anything. I think he's going to shadow whoever is near the front until late in the marathon where he will run to take the lead!)
2. Andreas Raelert (He's hot. and a badass. That's all.)
3. Crowie (I think he'll be right in there and close to the lead with Macca and Raelert and I don't know why I'm betting against him losing on the marathon but my WAG is that he is not going to actually be able to run them down- they are going to run just as fast as he does.)
So who do you think are going to be top 3 women/men? Give us your WAG's in the comments below and I've got a box of PowerBar gels (Kona Punch!) to send to whoever guesses correctly!
I'm also working the Powerbar booth on Friday morning, so if you're around, come say Aloha... and I'll also try to grab some more schwag to send out to whoever guesses the winners correctly! And in case it happens that 2 people guess exactly the same and are both right, the prize will go to the first person who made the guess... so I guess a good WAG strategy would be to not guess exactly the same as the person before you? Mix it up a little... :)
One last note, I'll be tweeting from the race all day on Saturday so if you want my version of the live happenings, follow along! #mamasimmons :)
8 comments:
Those are EXACTLY my pics, but I have Andreas as winning, and you know he is the man of my dreams with hotness. Women, same 3 as well.
Okay here is mine (not that you don't know already:)
1. Steffen
2. Joyce
3. Cave
1. Macca
2. Crowie
3. Rapp
I am going to defend Jordan Rapp as he said he would never do this race unless he would do well! I love the sh*t disturber in Macca. Now he just needs to walk the talk! But still love him!
1. Carfrae
2. Cave
3. Steffen
1. Crowie
2. Macca
3. Raelert
1. Steffen
2. Carfrae
3. Cave
1. Crowie
2. Jacobs
3. Macca
1. Carfrae
2. Steffen
3. Cave
1. Macca
2. Crowie
3. Raelert
It is hard to pick since they all seem super fit and ready to go go go.
I think that Raelert (older one) will tore a muscle in his thigh during a bike leg and will have to drop out. The younger of the brothers will use his frustration after Vegas and his brother's misfortune to pump him up and finishes third, while battling it out with O'Donnell on a run. Boecherer crashes on a bike because of flat he gets while going down that hill after the turn around point. Alexander will try to stay with Kienle on a bike who makes a big move soon after the half point and that will destroy him and will end up suffering through the last miles of the bike and 2:48+ marathon. Although Kienle comes first in T2 he will be ran down as if he was standing still and finishes out of podium, but still in top 10. Jacobs will not be able to run enough people down after horrible swim and missing the pack on a bike and finishes just out of top 3. Bracht will have a great day a finishes second. Rapp will drop out on a run because of overheating and so will Schildknecht. McCormack will not even come close to being a factor in the race and we will not even hear his name until he crosses the line in disappointment. And the winner is Vanhoenacker!
Women's race will be completely different with little "action". No blood, no broken bones, no tore muscles, no crashed, no overheating, distances between 1-2-3-4 will be so big that we can start opening champagne and hanging out the congratulatory signs before 16 mile mark. Steffen will lead until Carfrae catches her early on a run giving her no chance. Steffen will come in second. Kessler rounds up a podium. Cave and Joyce will have both disappointing races and will not be factors.
Now please send me that PowerBar swag.
Raelert IS hot!!!! Did you hear I drove Chris Lieto back to his hotel (~30 min ) in Vegas? Uh huh... Just me , mark and chris. Ok.. I know he's not racing but felt like sharing. :) I'll guess tomorrow. Love kona punch. Have fun!!!!'
crowie
macca
kienle
carfrae
steffen
kessler
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