We are now in race week! This Saturday, 11th October, it's the biggest and most famous long-distance triathlon in the world: the The Ford Ironman World Championship - Kona, Hawaii. We'll be bringing your our Kona diary, with updates, news and gossip from the event, including updates from the Brits who are out there racing.

Are you a Brit in Kona? If so, let us know how you are feeling in the days before the race! You can contact us on editor@tri247.com and we'll let your supporters back home know how you are preparing.

After Scott Neyedli yesterday, we heard from another pro. Not a Brit this time, but one of the most popular guys on the circuit, Kiwi Cameron Brown.

"Well another Ironman build up has flown by and we are now into the taper mode of trying to freshen up and relax before the race this weekend. This will be the 30th anniversary of the Hawaii Ironman World Championships and another star studded field has assembled here. The first week in town has been very quiet, normally there are nine cruise ships here a week but they are down to 3 so the local economy is starting to hurt, even the Hard Rock cafe has closed down!

The build has gone very well, I left France on September 17th and spent the last 10 days in Austin, Texas getting use to the warm weather. Austin was great, the heat and training conditions were very similar to Kona, lots of rolling terrain for biking and running.

Kona has been suffering from Vog(like fog) but it's caused by the Volcanic eruptions going on over the other side of the Island, so every day around mid day the haze sets in and so does the humidity which will make running along Alii Drive even harder. It seems to just hang around the city but as soon as you head out of town on the bike course the sun comes out and its a beautiful day!

The race will be shown live on www.ironmanlive.com this saturday 11th of October, (Sunday NZ time). The professionals start at 6:45am(5:45am NZ time) and the age groupers at 7am. Look forward to telling you how my race unfolds, I'm excited about this year's race that's for sure!

Before departing, GB age grouper Stuart Anderson (Ful-On Tri), dropped us a note too. Stuart secured his Kona spot with a scorching 3:12 run at Ironman Lanzarote this year, and we believe this is his second time on the big island:

"Kona is such a ‘special magical place’... I remember arriving there last year, tired and travel weary. But, within an hour of wandering down Alii Drive you suddenly realise that all the pain, sacrifice and hard work was worth it.

I was interviewed by the Daily Telegraph yesterday (Wednesday) - they are going to do a piece on me and the race. I just need to make sure I turn in a solid performance now…no pressure"!

And finally for today, GB age grouper Tim Bishop (Optima Racing Team), also checked in with his thoughts heading into race week, on his second visit to Kona:

"Thanks for the good luck messages from tri247. A few thoughts on the first few days out here.

It's the start of day 4 in Kona for me and second time round it feels just as great to be here and a lot less intimidating. Memories of early morning pool swims in the UK are quickly banished by the daily routine of swimming from 'Dig me beach'. Here the number of lean bodies means the pro's barely stand out from the crowd, but the usual roll call of past champions has been visible (not least Stadler strutting his stuff and setting off doing butterfly just to make sure he's not missed). The others, like Luc Van Lierde, who still looks lean and ready, don't draw quite so much attention to themselves.

Something you won't find at the local pool is the resident turtle, who has been going about his business nibbling seaweed off the rocks unperturbed by the shaved legs and testosterone crowding into his patch in daily increasing numbers. Or the reef fish you get to see at the shallower points along the course. If swimming was always like this I'd do a lot more of it.

Indeed it's tempting to get out there every day, but given my usual swim load is never more than four times a week and two of those are short and easy, that might not be sensible. One of the hardest things out here coming in to race week is to back off the training. Ali'i Drive is a constant stream of ironman athletes running and biking from dawn to dusk (and beyond) and everyone just looks SO darned fit. Body dysmorphia, come on down! For most age groupers this 10 day period is a rare chance to live the life of a pro athlete too - no work distractions, great weather and everything right outside your door. Add to that the constant images of your competitors seemingly training all day long and the little voices start to whisper that the taper you worked out with your coach before heading out just isn't appropriate out here. It would be all too easy to swim, bike and run every day and arrive on race day fried (as many ironman athletes do - I'm relying on it in fact). Well, the voices haven't won me over entirely yet - I'm off down to the swim start this morning to sit on the sea wall for half an hour and just soak up the atmosphere.

Later I will be driving up to Hawi with a couple of other British competitors. We will ride up the ascent to Hawi and back down to check out the crosswinds, but it will be an easy ride (if the winds allow), followed by lunch in Hawi. I think Chrissie will be out there this morning riding back from Hawi to Kona. I have seen Chrissie out running and riding but she is generally keeping a low profile as she did last year. I am told she is going well! Let's hope so - last time I was here I was hopeful of a British win from Simon Lessing, but this year looks a much better prospect."