Aloha and then some ...

I just returned from ten glorious days in Hawaii where I went to run my first marathon – there is an emphasis on “first” marathon because I know it will not be my last. The experience of the marathon was quite amazing. The idea of running 26.2 miles was always a real mystery, it felt like this unknown distance during which anything could happen including hitting that dreaded “wall” people talk about. I think I did hit a “wall” at around mile 22 but I still pushed on to complete the race in a respectable time of 5:02:04.

The remainder of my time in Hawaii was very relaxing and I am very grateful to my friends with whom I stayed. They made me feel as if I had a home away from home there and I had complete freedom to relax as much as I needed. While I was there I read a fascinating book called “Born to Run” – it is a book about the Tarahumara people in Mexico and their approach to running. Quite inspiring – as said, I will be running quite a lot more in my future and god wiling, I will tackle an ultra marathon one day too.

I was really impressed by how friendly people are in Hawaii, there is a sense of island friendliness you don’t really get on the mainland. Perhaps the warm weather inspires people to be more open. I know there are some challenges and like any big city Honolulu has its fair share of crime and homelessness, but the time spent on the North Shore was very special.

I feel recharged and ready to tackle the holiday season.