Maui Marathon 2015 Recap

    After running last year's 2014 Maui marathon they offered us a deal.... I Love A Good Deal, if we signed up right away for the next year's race it would only cost us $35 a person compared to the normal marathon price of $100. So Diane and I forked over the money Plus we signed up our husbands too. No laying on the beach and drinking beer for them while us girls are out running. Surprise! and the best part was we were still saving money :) Kent and Diane decided to make it a vacation while we just wanted to fly in the day before to run our race and return home immediately after. The benefits of working for an airline is flying for free and choosing your own dates of travel if there's space available. 

   Kent and Diane picked us up when we arrived on Saturday night and played tour guide during the drive from the airport to the hotel which happened to be the marathon course. Lots to see along the very scenic coastal road. Maui was as beautiful as I had remembered from the previous year and glad to be back because my husband had never been to that part of Hawaii.      

       We were all very excited to run the next day. Although the weather forecast wasn't looking so promising. The Majestic Hawaiian island was expecting its usual high temperatures in the mid to upper 80's but also 100% chance of light rain in the morning. Oh Boy... Another experience of Hot and Steamy!! I'm glad I'd run it before knowing there was plenty of ice and cold water at the many many aid stations along the route. 

     Our alarm went off way too early race morning because we had to catch the 3:15am bus to the start line. Just like last year it was a fantastic unforgettable pre race event Hawaiian style. A lot of high energy with hula dancers, native fire twirlers and drums beating loudly, oh and we can't forget the Zumba class just before the start. Our National anthem sang in English then the Japanese anthem in their langue followed by a quiet 5am start in the warm rain. 

    If you remember from a previous blog I ran the Destin Beach Ultra in February for Paige she had just been given good news by her doctors after fighting leukemia for a year she was Cancer free and able to go back to school. The remission didn't last long Paige's mom Amy contacted me just before going to Maui in September with bad news... her Cancer was back :(  Now this 15 year old girl is in her second battle with cancer. More aggressive treatment was planned and a bone marrow transplant was needed. Cancer Sucks!! I have said many prayers for that girl and she's helped inspire me during the hard times in my races so I dedicated the Maui marathon to Paige. 

     I had a good feeling about this race and my plan was to run easy because of the extreme humidity. The roads were actually a little slick from the rain and the sunrise came after about an hour into the run. Hot and steamy with the rain being intermittent and the sun trying to poke through. When I finally started paying attention to my watch at mile 13, to my surprise, I was on an average pace of 10 minute miles. Wow! feeling good, should be about a  4:20 marathon. The miles kept coming 15, 18, and 20 still a solid 10 minute pace. Then I realized I'd been conscious of drinking lots of liquid but not eating any calories. I started getting really nauseous a combination of the heat with lots of water in my stomach. Oops....  I was heaving my guts out for the next 2 miles (a very slow 2 miles) I finally recovered to where I could run again and finished the last 4 miles. Completing the race in a good time of 4 hours 42 minutes. Lesson learned EAT!!! 

   We all had a great run that day. After the post race beer and celebration it was off to find some amazing Hawaiian cuisine since my husband and I were leaving bright and early in the morning for home. 

  

Hotter than Hell

   I signed up for a race last year in New Orleans LA over the 4th of July weekend. Hotter than Hell 10 Hour Endurance Run.

I figured I'd try out my massive amounts of heat training and see what I could run in 10 hours, my goal was 50 miles. The race started at 8pm and finished at 6am all night running with hot humid weather conditions even after the sun goes down, that's 'My Kind Of Fun'. Complete as many 2 mile loops on a dimly lit wide paved path changing direction every now and then in Audubon Park located at the heart of the very old and beautiful Garden District of New Orleans. If you weren't that crazy to endure 10 hours of fun you could sign up for the Marathon distance that started at Midnight.

Mileage was your responsibility to track on a large chalk board an Honor System amongst runners.

People take this event to the extreme 'Mardi Gras style' and really design funky costumes with all kinds of reflective clothing and blinking lights. It was a really nice change to some of the other races I'd been involved in no stress or worries no awards, no cash prizes, or bling and not really even a winner just knowing that you completed a certain distance was good enough. Just good old fashioned ultra running bring your own supplies of food and water along with coolers of beer and just run. You could get a long sleeve finishers shirt (which I thought was odd for New Orleans in July) for completing the marathon distance if you gave a donation to the event organizers charity of choice, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. 

   I talked my Maui Marathon running partner, Diane, along with her husband Kent to join us for the fun festivities. They said "Why not we're up for a new adventure". Little did they know I wanted them to run farther than a marathon. Diane exceeded my expectations and ran her very first 50k distance (31miles) officially becoming an ultra marathoner. What an accomplishment after having only started running 4 years ago. I'm so proud that she kept her mind focused and her legs going forward. Kent enjoyed the tranquility of night running while being completely drenched in sweat from head to toe and able to change his shirt at least 6 times Kent finished his marathon with a big smile on his face saying next year he'd like to tackle the longer distance. 

   Now for my husband..... On his second loop around he decided to run with me for awhile. Talking laughing and having fun as we always do he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and tripped on the Only Speed Bump out on the course. Yes a speed bump, what maybe 4 inches high and painted bright yellow? That's my husband :) as he was trying not to smash his head into a steel guardrail and a stop sign post he twisted his body as he fell saving his face (thank you Love). Getting up and doing a full body check finding a strange sensation in his calf he decided to walk the lap and stretch it out. I kept running knowing I'd catch him later. Back at the start/finish area where we set up camp with all our supplies I found him sitting and icing his calf. Sorry to hear that he was done for the night with only 4 miles completed. Sometimes that happens we always say "Live To Fight Another Day". Well it was still early and with a quick kiss knowing he was ok I was off on the rest of my run. Loop after loop went by seeing Kent and Diane actually enjoying themselves running and joking about who was gonna start drinking beer first. Diane was the first to tattle later she said my husband was out running again. WHAT!!!  I caught up to him and he said he was doing well and really wanted to complete the marathon. I wasn't happy but it was his choice. Still on a great pace to reach my goal of 50 miles easily but few more hours later I saw my husband struggling and his calf was swelling up like a watermelon so I decided to run/walk with him and keep him company for the remainder of his race. I really wanted him to finish. He only had 4 1/2 laps to go. When he finished I sat him down and got him more ice for his calf it really didn't look very good. Once again his choice. Stubborn Men!! Popped him a couple of beers while Diane and Kent joined him. Another quick kiss I still had some time to go out for a couple more laps. Finishing my run with 40 miles not bad considering I rendered aid and assistance to my foolish husband. Live to fight another day and saved the husband too, I earned a Beer!! 

    The celebrations began for Diane who completed her first ultra distance. Being in New Orleans pulling an all nighter was awesome. We didn't even start drinking until the wee hours of the morning after completing our races. Followed by breakfast at the famous Mother's Restaurant with their amazing eye opening mouth watering Bloody Mary's finished the day off perfect.