Week 12: N. Shore to N. Carolina
Better Late then Never.
Happiness is derived from within. I really do believe that. This trip to Hawaii was one where I didn’t want to be there and I was pretty unhappy for most of it. I failed to count my blessings and really enjoy the beauty of the Island. I did take a few moments to stop, be aware of my situation and understand it was a special place and was fortunate to be working in such a beautiful location.
As I get older, I think that I understand more of what makes me happy, but this old saying keeps creeping into my mind.
“People don’t know what they like, they like what they know”.
Life is full of adventure and there is more out there to explore, to see and to experience. Constricting my happiness to what is within the limits of what I already know is growth prohibitive. I learned on this trip to never stop exploring and learning new things.
The trip to the Island during Marathon training validated that fact that relying on discipline is more effective than depending on motivation. Motivation is skin deep, it doesn’t run into the soul and is fleeting. With discipline you will reach your goals. It was discipline, and maybe some incredible views that kept me running in Hawaii. That and I don’t want to be a complete embarrassment to myself, my family, my friends and my club on Race Day. I’m the president of a run club, I ought to be able to run a damn marathon!
Waking up Monday morning was still disorienting and I was confused that my bathroom wasn’t where I expected it to be. Then like a flash of lightning it hits me, I’m still in Hawaii. I’m not on my third week on this tiny rock. After waking up and getting my bearings, I throw on the running shoes and head for the elevator. The routine is now in place that eventually leaves me standing on the sidewalk starting my watch.
Stepping outside reveals that the famous trade-winds have made the appropriate shift and the heat and humidity that has been plaguing me for months is now gone. It’s still warm but this feels good. I’m stepping off for my 5K run, a rather short distance as compared to what I’ve been doing. The run feels good and I finish my 5K in under 30 minutes, which is always a win in my book. I’m certain I would have been a little faster had it not been for stopping for traffic. Such is the running life when getting through Waikiki. Overall it was a good run and I felt I didn’t need any pictures. Later that day I found myself at the North Shore of Oahu and eating shrimp at one of the many famous food trucks along the road.
Leaning into the week I felt good to never miss a Monday and that last 5K felt good. Work picked up the pace and I decided to take Tuesday off as a rest day and then get back to work on Wednesday morning. Humans are creatures of habit and I’m no exception to that phenomenon. On Wednesday I decided to get in another 5K through Waikiki. So on Wednesday, October 19th, I woke up early and decided to go down to the park at sunrise and caught that great view of Diamondhead through the palm trees.
Thursday was my last day on island and later that evening I’d be catching a flight. Originally I had a 10-mile run planned but then I decided to run around the Volcano one more time. So that’s exactly what I did. On the ascent up to the Diamondhead lookout I was passing a few dozen cats who would routinely watch me run past. They would perch themselves on the wall and just watch. The above feline is a wild animal. These are not domesticated cats, even with that food bowl sitting next to her.
I would always see a gentlemen providing food to the cats, so I stopped and talked to him. He’s been feeding these wild animals since 1987! He shows up every morning and provides them with food and water. He was basically the Ace Ventura of Oahu and all the animals were attracted to him. It made for an entertaining view on the mornings I would run by.
Getting off that tiny rock in the deep blue see is a giant pain in the ass. It was an eight hour flight from Honolulu to Minneapolis then another 2 hour flight from Minneapolis to Raleigh. As much as 10 hours of flying sucks, you are losing time as you fly east and thus jet-lag turns from theory to reality pretty quick. After leaving Hawaii at 5pm, I finally arrived home around lunch time on Friday. I didn’t run.
On Saturday I volunteered to support a local 5K with the South Johnston High School Cross Country Team and didn’t get in any miles. Part of me must think I’m crazy because I have a Marathon approaching and I’m not running on a Saturday!
Sunday I decided to get in my weekly long run and knock out 10-miles. Since I’ve reduced my miles for my taper I decided to pick up the pace just a little. My initial goal was 10-miles of negative splits. It felt great to be back in North Carolina, in the cooler fall weather and more importantly to be running with friends.
My friend Daniela met up with me and did the first 2.5 miles with me, of which we accomplished negative splits. Once we parted ways I decided to pick it up just a bit more. Here’s my splits:
Mile 1: 10’10”
Mile 2: 9’54”
Mile 3: 9’43”
Mile 4: 9’23”
Mile 5: 10’20” (This was much closer to 9’15”, however I got distracted by some white-tail deer and failed to pause my watch)
Mile 6: 9’01”
Mile 7: 8’48”
Mile 8: 8’45”
Mile 9: 9’02”
Mile 10: 9’39” (I actually decided to use this mile as a “cool down”, little did I know it’d be this fast of a cool down, but it felt great)