Coming off a recent 2nd place finish at ITU Triathlon World's, Get a Grip Triathlete Steve Johnson is competing in the 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Follow his progress below with regular updates from the sandy beaches of Hawaii.

10/4/09: Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii! There truly is something different, even magical, about this place. This is the second consecutive year I’ve been here for the Ironman World Championship and you feel “it” once you get off the plane. It all starts ...click here to read more.

10/5/09: Traci and I took a walk down to the swim start on Monday morning and stopped by Island Lava Java to pick up a fresh morning brew of Kona coffee. That place seems to be “the” place to be seen while in Kona. It’s hopping mad with activity from sunrise to sunset. ...click here to read more.

10/6/09: For the second day in a row, we took a little walk from the condo on Ali’I Drive down to Island Lava Java for a hot cup of Kona Coffee. I think I’ll make this part of the morning routine since it’s probably the best coffee I’ve ever had – albeit expensive coffee...click here to read more.

10/7/09: Another morning, another cup of Island Lava Java medium roast! This time on the way down to the beach for a morning swim, we ran into our friend Erin Finnegan from Chicago. She got in the night before was giddy with excitement to be a part of the week in Kona. ...click here to read more.

10/8/09: The week in Kona has been great so far. Traci and I have been able to take in some sights and participate in some fun activities. But now that it’s Thursday and the race is just around the corner, it’s time to start to focus a little bit more on the race...click here to read more.

10/9/09: OK – the game face is starting to make an appearance. I’ve been fairly happy-go-lucky this week, but now that the big day is less than 24 hours away, I’m starting to feel a little more tension in the air as opposed to the excitement and energy from earlier in the week...click here to read more.

10/16/09: Race Recap Through the years, I’ve had a recurring dream that remains somewhat consistent: I’m either swimming, running or biking – and no matter how much effort I am putting forth, I’m just not making any forward progress. I’m not about to deconstruct what it might mean, but I know that I feel like I’m standing still compared to those around me...click here to read more.