Kaua‘i’s Ironman prepares for World Championship

LIHU‘E — In 2009, Joe Kali drank alcohol on a regular basis, weighed  220 pounds and was unhappy about his appearance and his overall fitness level.

Today, Kali is an Ironman, and in more ways than one. Kali turned his life around when he decided to start running to get in shape. He surprised himself, doing better than he expected, and finished a half marathon with a respectable time. Running turned into competing in a triathlon, and from that point on, Kali was hooked to running, cycling and swimming.

Kali is a 27-year-old resident of Koloa, who works full time for Blue Dolphin Charters in ‘Ele‘ele. He has a training regiment that could rival most top athletes in any sport.

His weekly training schedule goes something like this:

• Tuesday: Swim and cycle

• Wednesday: Run

• Thursday: Swim and cycle

• Friday: Run

• Saturday: Run and swim

• Sunday: Cycle

In total, Kali trains about 25 hours per week and is planning on doing more as he prepares for the biggest competition of his life.

On March 2, Kali competed in Ironman New Zealand, and once again surprised himself with his outcome. Kali finished fourth overall in the male 25 to 29 year old division, a field that included 74 other competitors.

“Going into New Zealand, I wanted to compete, but I didn’t want to push the limits because I still wanted to have fun.” Kali said. “Coming out of it, it boosted my confidence, because I was extremely intimidated. I had a goal time set, but for a first-time Ironman it was kind of unrealistic, but when I was approaching the finishing line, I was like ‘I did it.’”

He finished with a time of 10:08:17.

Kali’s finish not only was surprising to himself, but left him emotional as he completed his goal and received and invitation to compete in the Ironman World Championship in Kona.

“I was an emotional wreck,” Kali said. “I crossed the line and I was crying like a little girl. I finally sat down in a chair and was like, ‘Wow this awesome.’ It’s a very, very emotional and a moment of achievement. A real milestone in my life. It was like hitting a homerun.”

Kali is now preparing for the World Championships in Kona, which will be a contest in another league. The Super Bowl of Ironman competitions is an invitation only event and will also be an extremely grueling test on the human body.

The Kona course will consist of a 140.6-mile journey that will start in Kailua Bay where Kali and other competitors will begin their quest on a 2.4-mile swim. From there they will hop on their bicycles for a 112-mile ride that begins in Kailua-Kona and ends in Hawi. And finally, the competitors will go on a 26.2-mile run in temperatures that can reach 95 degrees and crosswinds that can travel 45 miles per hour.

In short, it will not only be a challenge on the physical body, but on the spirit and mind of these competitors, a fact that is not lost on Kali. He will be making major adjustments in his training regiment to give him an edge he did not have when in New Zealand. Kali will be flying to Kona specifically to train for the competition to get acclimated to the course and attempt to gain a home-field advantage.

“When I start to peak for the race, which is when your toughest workouts come, is when I will go,” Kali said. “I think I can compete at a professional level.”

Like any great athlete, doing something alone is nearly impossible, even in an individual sport. Kali wanted to give thanks to everyone who has helped him in his journey to the top of the Ironman mountain.

“I would like give thanks to my mechanic Bruce and the team at Kaua‘i Cycle, Lisa Ledesme and the Divas Running Group, my friends and family for supporting me, my employer for understanding my goals, Brandon Jacinto at the Kapa‘a pool, and Ihilani Lauretta for putting up with me this whole time.”

Kali will be training and competing in events for the months to come, which will culminate on Oct. 12  for the Ironman World Championship.