The BOCA Kona Training Weekend

Training for a half Ironman can be an overwhelming challenge. The physical task of swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles, and running a half marathon is something you don’t just jump into. It takes time and energy to prepare. And for the Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, the weather and the terrain are added considerations.

For 20 years, BOCA Hawaii has been preparing athletes for the Big Island race here in Honolulu. Oahu has great areas to swim, bike, and run. But, in 1998, when several athletes openly wondered how different it would be on the Island of Hawaii, Mr. BOCA saw no limitations, “Let’s go train there!” So the BOCA Kona Training Weekend was born: three days of concentrated training with “2-to-3-workouts-per-day” kind of intensity, including instruction, seminars, and yoga. The athletes love it! Some look forward to it more than the race weekend because there is a lot of bonding among the athletes.

This year’s trip did not disappoint. However, there was a new twist: rain! Due to a passing storm, for the first time, we had rain and very choppy ocean conditions. No Saturday swim and strong currents on Sunday’s swim encouraged athletes to dig deep and focus. They used what the coaches taught them: to stay calm, to sight, and to take situations as they come.

No one can predict race day conditions, so you have to be prepared to do your best, no matter what happens. Train with passion.