Aloha! My Maui Marathon Experience

If you are going to do a marathon...what better place than Maui, Hawaii? Last year my husband and I decided to plan our 2008 vacation around a marathon I wanted to run. My goal is to knock one out in every state...plus D.C. They say young couples should travel after they tie the knot so we decided to do just that.

First of all...Hawaii is 5 hours behind us so if I look a little more tired than usual blame it on extended jet lag. Plus, as you may have noticed our morning show now begins at 4:30 a.m. so that's been an adjustment all its own. We left our house for the airport on Friday morning and 20 hours later we were pulling into our hotel...exhausted.

Saturday morning we woke up in paradise...It was truly a breathtaking scene. From our balcony we had a front row seat to the gorgeous crystal blue waters of the pacific and the islands of Molokai and Lanai in the distance. Later that morning my husband and I ran the Maui Tacos 5K race at Whaler's Village. (It was his very first and probably only 5K ever and he has all new respect for us crazy marathoners.) After lunch we embarked on a truly remarkable journey...our very first helicopter ride. From up in the air we saw waterfalls in rainforests, pineapple plantations, sugar cane farms, villages, the coastline (which was the opening scene of Jurassic Park) and the east Maui volcano, Haleakala...which means "House of the Sun". Don't worry...the volcano is no longer a threat to the residents of the beautiful island of Maui. Some believe the volcano is near extinction and will no longer erupt. Many scientist believe the only active Hawaiian volcano is on the big island. We also saw the valleys of Maui where it is believed the Hawaiian royals are buried. The exact location is unknown and very secretive. In fact, the ones in charge of burying the bones of the royals committed suicide afterward so they would never leak the location. (I wouldn't want that job!) Hawaiians believe that when you die your body becomes part of the earth...and that is why it is taboo to take rocks from any of the Hawaiian islands. One tour guide told us that the post office has a room dedicated to rocks that have been mailed back from tourists because they experienced "bad luck" when they arrived home on the mainland. One woman tried to take home some of their famous black sand...but changed her mind before she even left the island after an unfortunate series of events.

Sunday morning 2:45 a.m. wake up call...the bus for the marathon left at 3:30 a.m. You may think that's really early but keep in mind that's 8:30 a.m. our time. The race began before dawn at 5:30 a.m. to beat some of the heat of the tropical sun. The course was beautiful but very difficult. I looked at the elevation chart before I left but it was a lot tougher than I anticipated...and the heat was intense after the sun rose. The view was everything the marathon advertised it would be...and the majority of it was just feet from the coastline. Gorgeous. Everytime I started to hurt and ache...I looked to my right at the mountains and looked to the left at the pacific and thanked the good Lord for His beautiful creation. I've never felt closer to God. I met a lot of fascinating people along the course...one from right here in Birmingham! One gentleman I ran with was from England. He was in his mid-80's and completing his 300th marathon! (He said he actually had done 333. The 33 were ultras.) I even met the CRO, Cheif Running Officer, of Runner's World Magazine! (Like a CEO...the big dog.) I felt like I was running with a celebrity because I am such a huge fan of the magazine and a loyal reader. He knew of Birmingham and had wonderful things to say about the Mercedes Marathon. Very cool. The water stops during the race were the best I've ever experienced. Sweet locals happy that you are there, plenty of water, gatorade, and food...and ice sponges almost every mile. 4 hours, 55 minutes, and a few seconds and I crossed the finish line...all smiles. I was in so much pain from old nagging injuries but nothing mattered at that moment. I had done it...I had completed the race set before me.

Monday was recovery day after the race...and that night we went to a real Hawaiian luau! The food was delicious and the dancing and stories were entertaining.

Tuesday was my favorite excursion...the waterfall experience. We took a ride up one of the Maui mountains hiked down into the rainforest and jumped off waterfalls and did a little rock climbing too. We learned about Hawaii's state tree, the KuKui tree, also known as the candle nut tree. Its fruit is used for tikki torches and candles and the tree's nut has oils that shame the fountain of youth.

Wednesday was a snorkeling trip where we swam with sea turtles! They were HUGE! I can't wait to get the pictures developed from my underwater camera.

Thursday we hung around front street which is where all of the European sailors used to port and party. Now it's a beautiful street lined with shops, schools, restaurants, and homes. We had plenty of time to kill because our flight out was 8:50 p.m. We took the red-eye back to LAX...back to Atlanta...and then finally home sweet home Alabama. Approximate travel time back...14 hours. And the airline misplaced our luggage. Note to self...carry on your valuables. (It's since been returned..thank the good Lord.) If you travel to Hawaii...plan to spend at least a week there and it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a couple of days when you get home just so you can relax and get your internal clock back on track.

Other really cool facts...did you know there are actually 132 Hawaiian islands? Aloha as we know it means "hello" or "good-bye" but it literally means "breath of life". When you say "aloha" to someone you are saying that you recognize the breath of life in them. Mahalo is a term used to say "thank you" but it means "may the breath of life stay with you". You notice the "ha" within both of the words? When you break down the word Ha-waii...it means "breath of life from the water"...because all of the islands were made from volcanoes erupting from the water. The state fish is the Humuhumukununukuapua'a which means "fish with a pig's nose". Try to say that 10 times fast. Okay...break it down like this, humu-humu-nuku-nuku-ah-pu-ah-ah. If you feel like hanging 10, waves can peak over 60 feet high off Maui's north shore during the winter and break about a half a mile off the coast. And last but not least...my final bit of information about the Aloha state. If you travel to Hawaii, EVERYTHING cost twice as much. But...as least you're pumping it back into the U.S. Economy, right?

Have a blessed day and thank you for reading about my Hawaiian experience. And always remember, life is a marathon...not a sprint.