Hawaii – Ullan Adventures

Ironman 70.3 Hawai’i Race Report

Chuck Ullan / June 11, 2013

Had an awesome time doing the Ironman 70.3 Hawai’i race a little over a week ago and wanted to share some of the experience with you.

Event: Ironman Hawai’i 70.3 (nicknamed “Honu”)
Date: June 1, 2013
Swim Start: Hapuna Beach, Kohala coast of the Big Island

First off, for those who don’t know, this is a “half-Ironman”, or a 70.3 meaning 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.2 mile run. Full IM races are double that distance. We had about 1,700 athletes start the race.

5:00 AM – wake up! We stayed at a hotel at the north end of the swim course so I would have an easy time getting to the race start, and not have to worry about parking or shuttles. Starting to get light already and I can see a couple of the swim buoys out my window.

I start eating Bonk Breakers (overpriced energy bars) and drinking Gatorade to get energy stored up for the long day. A little bit of coffee to go with that as well.

5:20 AM – Double check my equipment bags (one for my swim, the other for my bike to swim transition) and force down more food and drink.

5:45 AM – Get some sunscreen from Kirsten, hugs and kisses from everyone and head over to my bike to prepare it for the day.

6:00 AM – Inflate my tires fully, stick water bottles on the bike, final bike inspection, check that gears are correct for the hill I start on.

6:25 AM – Say hi to the kids and Kir (they came over to the transition area), and hand over a bag of things I don’t need. Eat a final energy gel and drink then head down to the beach.

6:35 AM – Beautiful day at the beach. Calm water – a wonderful day to race! Work on body position and float in the water for a couple minutes, but decided not to do warmup swim.

6:45 AM – Hawaiian state song and national anthem. About 1,500 of us competing all crowded into one little part of the beach. It was really emotional for me, as I pondered the gift of my time on the island and this opportunity to do an IM-series race on Hawaii.

6:50 AM – The pros are off, and all the age-group men file into the water for the start

6:53 AM – The cannon fires and we’re off. I waited about 45 seconds or a minute just to let the faster swimmers clear out. The far right of the course actually goes into pretty shallow water and I see about 50 people actually walking the swim. Cheaters! 🙂 I fill in around the middle and head out on the course, which is roughly an elongated rectangle.

Swim: 15 min: Everything going well – a slight bit of bumping here and there, but I’m relaxed and happy. Then I get a water patrol person hollering at me. Turns out I was headed to the wrong buoy at the far end, so I have to veer right to go around the first buoy before heading to the second. Probably added 4 to 5 min of extra swim

Swim: 20 min – all bunched up around the turn buoys. You essentially have to dog paddle for about 100 feet due to the bunching up. The women started 7 min after the men and many of them are hitting the buoy at the same time as me. Getting back on track

Swim: 30 min – look like I’m a little wide on the backstretch, which is actually kind of nice because there are only a few swimmers around me. Just passed one guy – take that!

Swim: 40 min – wind chop picks up and I occasionally get to suck down a slug of seawater. Nothing to throw me off in a big way, though, but the burn of the water isn’t fun.

Swim: 50 min – Headed into the home stretch. Seems to take quite a while, but there’s some nice coral on the bottom and I know I have plenty of time. (If you don’t finish in 1:15 or less, you get “swept” and don’t get to continue on in the race).

Swim Exit: 1:03 – woohoo, I did it and feel great! Grab a quick shower at the beach and head up the hill to bike transition.

Transition 1 (T1): This worked out to be really slow for me. Took me 14 minutes from exiting the beach to exiting the bike. The pros do it in about 2 min while age groupers like me are typically 6 to 10 minutes. I had practiced sport to sport transitions in training, but never with the full gear and considerations of a race. Double and triple checked against my checklist and finally got out of there. On the plus side, my HR had come down nicely and I didn’t overlook anything.

Bike Course: South about 4 miles to Mauna Lani turnoff, then back north, weaving up to Hawi, before returning to Mauna Lani.

Bike Strategy: Follow my heart rate monitor (HRM) and go right at my aerobic zone max for the whole race, which for me is about 142. Also, eat and drink regularly to make sure my hydration and nutrition are banked for the run. Even the back end of the bike can be rough if you’re depleted, and it’s almost impossible to catch up.

Out on the Queen K highway, I got the Kohala winds that are part of the Ironman legend. Crosswinds of about 20-30 mph regularly and a couple gusts near 40. Early on in the bike I was passing a number of people, then settled into a pack of 8-10 that I would hang with the entire race. You can’t draft in Ironman, so it was really a collection of familiar faces spread out over half a mile or so and we’d take turns passing each other depending on uphills, downhills, aid stations, etc.

About 8 miles in, I noticed that my speed was a little off from what I expected. Wasn’t sure if that was due simply to the swim preceding it, the winds, or a mechanical issue. I’d had a new derailleur put on that week and it was a little noisy on my big cog. Don’t think that was the issue, but who knows.

After another 20 minutes, I hit the turn at Kawaihae and headed up to Hawi. This is probably my favorite stretch of the ride because you’re not going fast while starting the ascent and can admire the ocean a bit.

Again, I had to ride lower gears than expected, but otherwise felt good out there. At the 20 mile aid station I added a bit of air to my tires, which seemed to perk up my bike a bit, but I’m starting to realize that it’s just me that’s slow.

Mile 23-30: 7 mile climb of about 800 feet to Hawi. Frankly, the hill isn’t that bad, but what was hard was the stiff headwind the last 3 to 4 miles. Instead of a normal 17-18 mph, I’m down to about 8. So is everyone else, though. In theory, the tailwind benefits you coming back, but because it’s downhill, your gears max out and can only move you so fast.

At the Hawi turnaround, I restocked my food, took a little potty break and got excited to fly back down the mountain. Even with the breaks from the aid station and the descent, I could tell my legs were a little short of their normal energy.

Fairly uneventful descent until I got to within about 10 min of Kawaihae and my feet started to get really sore. That’s pretty typical for me – about every 45 min to an hour my feet swell up and it helps to get off the bike for a minute. This time they just get getting sore. By the time I was 30 min out from transition, I was already at the time I’d expected for the full race, my feet hurt, and my hamstrings were both starting to bark pretty good.

Going up the 2 mile hill from Kawaihae to Queen K I saw about 5 people walking their bikes. I was getting tired and sore, but it’s always nice to see that going on and think “well, at least I’m not doing that bad!”

Once on Queen K’s rolling hills, I backed off to about 135 bpm mostly because it was painful to push full bore, not because of energy levels. Felt good otherwise, just sore. I rarely look forward to ending a session, but I was REALLY looking forward to T2.

T2: 4 hours later, here I am! Again, I’m one of the last so it was easy to spot Kirsten and the kids. Kir was worried about me since I’d been so slow and there’s a long stretch in the middle of the race where you don’t get splits on the racers. I was a little concerned about my feet and hamstrings affecting the run, but both were ok once I got out of my bike shoes. Again, my transition was kind of leisurely, but I knew I had about 3 hrs to complete the run, which was plenty if I ran my race, but not if I messed something up.

Run Course: It’s half on roads, half going through a golf course near the resort, mixed back and forth between them throughout. Miles 10-13 go out on this service road that is supposed to be quite hot. At mid-day, the sun can be brutal no matter where you are.

Run Strategy: First off, pray for clouds (no luck there!). Again, my plan was to run to my HR (150 for the run), avoid any spikes/overheating, and stay hydrated and fed. There are aid stations every mile and I was to drink Gatorade and water at each, eat at every other station, and add ice to my hat at every station. Eating at this point pretty much means the gels. Solid food wouldn’t be fun. I planned to run the entire time, except for the aid stations and any of the hills on the golf course that could spike my HR

Right out of T2, I felt great and saw that 90% of people were walking. I passed several people the first mile and that never stopped throughout. Clocked my first mile around 11:00 and that turned out to be my same pace throughout. Aid stations usually added about 1 minute per mile.

The further I got into the race, the more people I saw as I caught up to the rest of the field. About 3 miles in, I was feeling pretty good and was curious about whether I could hold it for the whole race or if something would eventually give. On parts of the golf course, I could see the ocean and really got emotional both about what a gift it is to do this race, but also about saying farewell to my beloved island. Then I got a big smile on my face and trucked on.

Around mile 5, people were looking pretty rough. On the golf course sections, the long line of haggard people stretched out into the distance looked like refugees fleeing oppression. Still feeling strong and passing something like 10 people per mile is really motivating for continuing.

At mile 7 it was nice to be over halfway. This is were some temptation also hit. Had a moment of fatigue, but realized that if I walked, I’d probably never run again. Also, they hadn’t announced that Coke would be on the course. It really looked tempting, but I was doing well and hadn’t trained with it, so I laid off. Did take a bite of a peanut butter sandwich at an aid station – it was really nice to get a tiny bit of substance. Ooh, I’m such a glutton!

At mile 9, I reached my longest run I’d trained, so beyond this was uncharted territory. Still, feeling good and staying to the plan. Drinking the sport drink has gotten REALLY old, but I’m sticking to what’s working. Also, my shoes were super-soggy due to meltwater, plus at one aid station, I held my hat over my foot and when the ice got dumped in, the water went thru the cap and deluged my shoe. Still, no significant pain or blisters – just had to hope that would continue.

People were really beaten on the service road. It’s long, hot, and is extends out of sight in one stretch, so you feel like you could be walking forever. I knew it couldn’t be too far, but it did seem kind of eternal at one point. Once you hit the turnaround out there, it’s slightly uphill coming back and you’re just looking forward to hitting the golf course for the last mile in.

Once I hit mile 12, a few of the zombies reanimated and started to run again. I hadn’t been passed since mile 3, but all of the sudden got passed 2 or 3 times in the final mile.

As you get close to the finish you can hear the race announcer calling the finisher names and it gets very exciting. Still, I was really conservative in keeping my pace and even getting ice at the last aid station, only 1/4 mile from the finish. People can collapse just short and I was taking no chances.

Finally came down the finish chute and saw Kirsten and the kids. Success!! Felt great crossing the finish and went to the side to give some love to the fam. They were all so excited for me and gave me hugs, even though I was quite disgusting.

After the race, I mostly hung out in the shade and took in water, and just enjoyed the energy of the experience. There were food and shade tents over the lawn and finishers were still coming in. Finally went to get my finisher t-shirt and also found I got a medal. Not just a medal, but the coolest medal I’ve ever seen, apart from the Olympics. Gorgeous Honu design and really heavy. Hey, maybe it was worth doing this after all!

Finally, it was time to go and it was pretty sad. Been looking forward to this race for months and now it was over and that meant it was time to face leaving Hawaii as well. Still, I can’t imagine a better way to cap off my 2 years here. The chance to do an Ironman branded race in Hawaii was just incredible and it was really fantastic doing in partnership with Kirsten. She accommodated all my training, gave me massages when needed along the way, and was the catalyst for signing up in the first place.

Recovery went pretty well. Took about a day and a half to feel like my hydration and electrolytes were back to normal and I had sore, tight quads that made stairs tough for a few days. Other than that, I felt great and as I write this one week later, I feel normal. I’m so grateful for all that’s gone right.

Had a lot of questions about doing it again or doing a full Ironman. Short answer is that I’d love to, but the training is an awfully big commitment. With the move to Thailand upcoming, I’ll probably have to take a break for a while. Still, I’m already rehashing the race and thinking about how to do better the next time around. I’ve got the bug and just need to find the right circumstances to go at it again.

Thanks to everyone who made it possible.

Kirsten and the kids for dealing with my training schedule and preoccupied brain
Family and friends for all their cheering and support
The community of athletes here who shared their experience
Coach Bruno, who gave valuable tips and assured me I would be prepared
The thousands of race volunteers who created an incredible experience
Hawaii Island, whose beauty and challenges touched my soul

Mara’s Medal for me. Hard to read on the scan, but it says “You Are an Irondad 2013”

Save

Hawaii North America USA

Year 1 in Hawaii Recap – by Kirsten

Kirsten / June 12, 2012

Its hard to believe we’ve been living in Hawaii for a year now. And what an amazing year its been. There have been more festivals, beach trips and sightseeing than I can recall.

Here are some of the highlights from the past year:

Seeing the Ironman World Championships hosted in Kona every October. It was by far one of the most inspirational and heartwarming experiences of my entire life.

Learning to sail. We’re only “certified crew” at this point but hopefully we’ll be day skippers in the coming months. I’ve wanted to learn to sail ever since I set foot on my friend’s sailboat in Germany in 1986 and now I’m well on my way to realizing a dream.

Swimming with dolphins. Absolutely incredible to be in the water while these magical creatures swim, jump and flip nearby.

Going to the top of Mauna Kea. At 13,796′ above sea level, I think its the highest above sea level I’ve ever stood. The top reminds you of what the moon would probably look like. And how amazing it was to view stars from one of the best stargazing mountains on the planet. The journey up and back takes you thru 11 of the 13 climate zones found on earth which is quite unusual as well.

Viewing the active volcano at Kilauea. Its incredible to stand on earth younger than you are and to witness how the islands were born. We’ve also been lucky to see lava flow on the surface albeit from far away.

Learning about the Hawaiian culture has been such a neat opportunity too. From seeing blessings of things to authentic hula to learning about the history of the Hawaiian people, their language, their foods and their land. Its almost like living in a foreign country with is own culture, dress, language and foods. And to be able to teach my children about this culture and learn to embrace pieces of it myself, has been such a great learning experience.

Swimming and snorkeling in the ocean has been one of my favorite parts of living here. I’ve found that snorkeling around a coral reef is my personal zen and makes me feel alive, calm, and happy. We’ve seen everything from moray eels to more varieties of tropical fish than I can count to beautiful corals, crown of thorns starfish, and plenty of things I can’t even identify.

Going to each and every festival of which there have been many. The Mango Festival, Kona Coffee Festival, Mac Nut Festival, and a lot more. Each one has taught us more about the island and been a great way to get out and about.

In that same vein, we’ve been lucky enough to attend two different Japanese Festivals as well. They’re open to the public so we’ve always felt welcome and gotten a chance to learn more about the Japanese culture as well. We recently attended a Japanese O Bon Festival which celebrates the life of those who passed during the past year. Its a happy festival complete with dancing and Taiko drum performances.

Getting to see huge marlin at the International Billfish Tournament that happens here every July. We got to see (and touch!) a blue marlin that was 482lbs and a few beautiful yellowfin tuna.

Going to a floating lantern ceremony that honored those that have passed on. It was a beautiful thing to see and a nice way to think of those we’ve lost but still remember and miss.

Having the kids participate in their first races. Mara has since graduated to doing swim & run races and I love watching them love the sport and learn to compete.

Nearly sinking our kayak was also another adventure that stands out. It seems odd I guess for something like this to stand out in a positive way, but it really was a funny experience that turned out just fine. Nothing like getting picked up by a Zodiac packed with tourists and getting “towed” back to the harbor.

And this list is just the highlights. I can’t even begin to describe the things I’ve learned and experienced this year and all the ways I’ve changed because of moving here. So mahalo (thank you) to Hawaii for welcoming us with your aloha spirit and sharing all that you have to offer.

Animals Favorite Moments Hawaii North America USA

Swimming with (Wild) Dolphins

Kirsten / May 26, 2012

On Thursday, Chuck and I took the kayak down to Kealakekua Bay which is about 30 min south of Kona. There are usually dolphins swimming in the bay but it’s also known for having great snorkeling on the north side of the bay near the Captain Cook memorial.

So we paddled out and when some dolphins came near, Chuck jumped in the water with them. After a while, I jumped in the water and waited patiently. Sure enough, dolphins started swimming under me and near me. I had at least 4 different encounters with the dolphins being close to me. At one point, there were about 30 dolphins swimming under and beside me. And at another point, some dolphins were near the surface and one got maybe 10′ from me before he turned and headed off in another direction.

Aside from seeing them, we could hear them “talk” to each other. And other times we’d see them jump and spin out of the water too.

After swimming with them for a while, we kayaked over to the north side and snorkeled for a bit.

It was one of the cooler things I’ve ever experienced and I can’t wait to take the kayak back down there with the kids next time.

Update: Chuck and I were lucky enough to experience this again also at Kealakekua Bay. This time, one of the dolphins (above), circled around me a couple of times close enough for me to touch (I didn’t). He (she?) looked me in the eye then swam off to join their friends. It was an unbelievable experience to be so close and feel a connection to a beautiful, wild animal.

Hawaii North America USA

Mauna Kea

Kirsten / May 14, 2012

On Mother’s Day weekend, we went up Mauna Kea. We had been wanting to go up there since we moved here.

For those that don’t know, Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano and the largest mountain on earth when measured from the sea floor. Its home to the largest observatories in the world and stands 13, 796′ above sea level.

We first drove to the Visitor’s Center at 9000′ to acclimate. Then we headed up for the summit. As we left the visitor’s center, we saw a couple of hitchhikers so we picked them up and took them to the summit with us.

It was really cloudy so we didn’t get a great view of the island or get to see the sun set over the ocean, but we did watch the sun set over the clouds.

Afterwards, we went back to the Visitor’s Center where they had telescopes set up and U of H astronomy students explaining things. We got to see Saturn up closer via the telescope and a galaxy and other close-ups of stars and planets.

Overall, a very cool experience. We want to go back sometime when its more clear and also in the winter so we can play in the snow.

Hawaii North America USA

Thanksgiving, Scuba Santa and More

Kirsten / December 9, 2011

In early November, Chuck’s parents visited. It was so great to have them here and share the island with them.

Right before they left we all went to the Kona Coffee festival parade. It was one of the cooler parades and had a lot of Asian and local influences. I loved the ‘marching band’ of kids playing the ukulele!

Later in the month, Chuck went to Maui for the day to see some UCLA friends and watch UCLA play in the Maui Invitational tournament. How cool is it that we can hop over to Maui for a day trip!?!

Then of course we had Thanksgiving. It was a little weird just being the 4 of us and even weirder to eat our meal outside on our lanai but it still was a great dinner. I was able to get a 16lb turkey for $2.50. Yes, we STILL have turkey leftover🙂

Most of the rest of November and early December was spent house hunting although we did get some snorkel & beach trips in.

Last week things got more interesting. Chuck and I finally took our kayak out. It started to sink. In case you haven’t heard the story, read here.

Then on Saturday, one of the boat tour companies was having their 40th anniversary celebration and offered boat rides for $4.00 on one boat and free on another. We took the $4 boat tour with the kids. We didn’t go out super far, but they opened up their 15′ water slides and high dive into the ocean which we all did. The kids had a blast, although I think Chuck and I had as much fun.

After that, we went to visit Scuba Santa.

Later that night, we went to a tree lighting in Holualoa which is where the kids go to school. We had a great time walking around, hearing the music and doing various activities.

On Sunday we headed north to Hapuna Bay which is a gorgeous white sand beach about 45 min north of here. We hadn’t been there in a while so it was nice to return for an afternoon.

And this week we’ve been busy FINALLY signing a lease on a new rental, packing and planning our trip to Cali. We’ll still try to work in some fun before Christmas.

Hawaii North America USA

Halloween, Coffee Picking and Mara’s Birthday

Kirsten / November 9, 2011

In October, I went back to the east coast for a week. What a great trip that was. I saw so many friends and family and it was great to reconnect with everyone.

Then there was lots of snorkeling and some boogie boarding. Nothing too exciting to note except that Chuck took Mara out twice and she saw sea turtles swim beside her. She did great and loves snorkeling!

Then we had Halloween. On Halloween night, we started at this “Candy Land” that a group puts on every year. They have booths set up that give away candy and lots of carnival type games. Plus music, bouncies, free food and sweets, and of course candy, candy, candy galore. All for free!

After that, we went trick or treating in the neighborhood next to ours. Our neighborhood is not set up well for trick or treating and I didn’t even bother buying any candy because I didn’t think we’d get a single kid. Well apparently half of Kona thinks this is a good place to go and there were cars and trucks lined up and down all the streets and tons of people out. Still, it was super fun. I just felt bad for the people who live there who must have spent $200 in candy.

Chuck’s parents came in on Thursday and its nice to have our first guests. I’m so happy to share our island with people.

Saturday morning we all went to a coffee festival near the kid’s school. It’s in this tiny artist town that’s lined with galleries and tons of coffee farms had booths with free coffee.

Later in the afternoon, I took Beckett to a Karate Tournament. I knew he’d love seeing the kids ‘fight’ each other and of course, now he’s even more excited to do karate lessons.

On Sunday, I took the kids to a coffee farm for the annual coffee picking contest (its Kona Coffee Cultural Festival week here). They competed against other 5-7 year olds and whoever picked the most red cherries (ripe coffee beans) won. Neither kid won, but they did great and had a good time.

Mara learning to pick ripe coffee cherries

In the afternoon we had Mara’s birthday party. She had a pool party with a few friends that we kept really low key.

Favorite Moments Hawaii Sporting Events USA

Ironman World Championship 2011

Kirsten / October 8, 2011

I had been looking forward to watching the Ironman World Championships since we moved here. I thought it’d be so neat to see some of the top triathletes in the entire world come here to train and compete. I wanted to see their fitness levels, their determination and their athleticism.

I also wanted to go down and cheer the every-day folks on. I wanted to be out on the course and give them some support (or shaka-love as I’ve been calling it).

Thing is, it was far better, emotional, and life-changing than I ever could’ve imagined.

The day started simply enough watching the professionals start the swim portion at 6:30am. And then the non-professionals started at 7am. It was neat to watch them swim the same places we swim and to be part of it.

And then we went over and saw the professionals transition to the bike portion and start on their 112 miles journey.

And then the magic started to happen. We heard about the lady doing the race that has stage 4 colon cancer. We saw the amputees and paraplegics starting their “bike” rides. We saw the ordinary citizens getting on their bikes.

Then later in the day we went along the running portion. We saw bikers coming in and starting the run, people about to finish the race and those mid-way through the marathon. It was beyond inspiring and humbling standing there cheering them on.

The bike cut-off was 5:30pm, meaning if you aren’t done biking by then, your race is over and you stop racing wherever you are. Well I saw a number of people come in right before 5:30. These people had been racing for 10 1/2 hours already and were just NOW starting a marathon! The champions had been done with the entire thing for 2-3 hours already. And these folks were just STARTING a MARATHON!

I stood there with my cowbell cheering as loud as I could for them hoping to give them some support and inspiration for the task ahead. I saw some 70s and probably 80 year olds walking by. I saw the double amputee start his run. It was all I could do to not cry at the determination and amazing feat they were performing and I found myself getting choked up a number of times as these athletes went by.

Chuck went down from 8pm – midnight to cheer on these folks coming in. Midnight was the official cut off for the race and we didn’t want these late finishers to finish the race with no one there.

Well neither of us expected the crowd to grow and grow and grow as the evening went on. At 9pm the woman’s champion came out to give each finisher a lei. Some of the other professionals came out to cheer. And the crowds at 10pm were far bigger and louder than any crowds earlier in the day, even for the world champion.

It didn’t matter when people finished. Everyone was a winner. Everyone was an Ironman. And everyone was celebrated.

Chuck watched the woman battling stage 4 colon cancer finish the race to an emotional crowd. He watched, Scott Rigsby, a double amputee, finish and be celebrated. He saw the person come in with literally seconds left before the race was over. He was part of the crowd that was trying to be so loud so the competitors 4 miles away could hear them and could help inspire them to the finish.

Finishing after 16 hours, 58 minutes and 59 seconds of racing!

She's 71. Finished after 16 hours, 58 minutes and 38 seconds! — She’s 71. Finished after 16 hours, 58 minutes and 38 seconds!

I wish I’d been able to go down at night too but after being around it all day, my heart was so full and I had a complete new outlook on what is possible. These ordinary people changed my perspective and what a person can achieve and erased walls I didn’t think were erasable. And seeing the community of people from all over the world come together to cheer, love, and celebrate together was such an amazing testament to the human spirit and to peace and love. In a day when everyone tears each other apart, it was beyond words to see people come together to share joy and lift each other up.

I am changed because of watching this. I can tell something has shifted. I now believe what is possible for anyone is far greater than I ever thought. I realized that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

I saw the good in people. The determination, the drive, the ability to overcome any obstacle. And I felt the power of the human spirit in a way I’ve never felt.

Chuck and I are both a bit sad now that its over. It was far beyond any experience we’ve both had and now its over for another year.

But I hope I can keep this spirit alive in me for a long time.

To all those that competed, I salute you. And I thank you.

The overall men's winner finishing - Craig Alexander — The overall men’s winner finishing – Craig Alexander

Me high fiving one of the top finishers as he finishes the race

Top female finisher - Chrissie Wellington — Top female finisher – Chrissie Wellington

Hawaii Sporting Events USA

Let the (Ironman) Games Begin

Kirsten / October 6, 2011

Ironman has been heating up here the last couple of weeks. Athletes arrived early to start training and there has been a buzz in the air.

There have been signs all over town and lots of amazing looking athletes biking and running the roads.

The first main event was last night in town. They held a biathlon for the kids which both kids wanted to do. However, neither was ready for the swim portion so we had to watch instead. After the dip n’ dash, there was a parade of the participants and volunteers. It was like the opening ceremony’s parade of the Olympics – the athletes walked by alphabetically by country while carrying their country’s flag. Some of the countries hammed it up and it was cool to give them cheers and Aloha-love.

After that, we walked over to the little Ironman “village” set up with vendors and SWAG. They were debuting a new bike at one place and had a Hawaiian blessing, hula and fire dancing performance to bless the new bike. I don’t know who the athletes were there but do know they were famous as everyone seemed to go up and get their picture taken with the one guy.

It was so inspiring being around this athleticism. Made me want to go home and run 4 miles so I can look and be like them next year 🙂

Tomorrow is the underwear run. And Saturday is the main event. I’m sure there will be plenty of pictures coming your way in the next few days.

Hawaii North America USA

Early October Update

Kirsten / October 5, 2011

Another couple of weeks gone, another update for you all…

Chuck was working crazy, crazy hours a couple of weeks back trying to wrap up his consulting gig so we didn’t really have much family fun time.

I went swimming with our landlady that Tuesday and that was the most excitement I had that week.

On Saturday it was picture day at Beck’s soccer and then off to the farmer’s market for some more interesting fresh fruits.

Dragon fruit, cherimoya, ice cream bean, longan and more

Inside of the ice cream bean - tastes like cotton candy — Inside of the ice cream bean – tastes like cotton candy

In the afternoon we all went to this Family Fun Day at a golf course only to discover that we were supposed to register and since no one registered so there was no fun day at all. We did drive some golf balls and then headed to a beach nearby for fun in the sun and a gorgeous sunset.

Last week Chuck flew to Cali and when he returned, I was sick as a dog and spent many hours in bed. So it was a pretty uneventful week as well.

This past Saturday we went to a country fair about an hour away. It was tiny but fun. The kids did this trampoline bounce thing that looked like a blast, and if you get thirsty, just crack open a coconut and sip away!

That's how we drink coconut water here — That’s how we drink coconut water here

Save

Hawaii North America USA

We on Sea

Kirsten / September 19, 2011

On Friday, Chuck took a break from work and we went for our first kayak voyage. We rented a 2 person kayak and headed out. There was a pod of spinner dolphins playing at the edge of the bay but by the time we got out there, they were headed north. We weren’t far away so we “chased” them north but they were faster. We were close enough to see them jump out of the water and spin and play but not close enough to have them right near our kayak. After a while we headed south down to some caves and an area called coral gardens. We found another pod of dolphins in that bay and started chasing them down but once again they were on the move and we never got close enough.

So we headed back to coral gardens, jumped out of the kayak and snorkeled around for a while. The coral was amazing. And Chuck spotted a huge crown of thorns starfish. This thing was easily 24″ in diameter and a very cool find.

Somehow we were out kayaking for 3 1/2 hours! We were so sore later and the next day. But what a great thing. Definitely adding kayaking to our mix of sports!

The rest of the weekend Chuck had to work so it was a really low-key weekend. Soccer for Beck, strolling around this little festival yesterday, play in the pool, etc.

Chuck is busy this week then leaving for the mainland on Saturday so I’m not sure what adventurous stuff we’ll do this week. Stayed tuned though!

Hawaii North America USA

Mixed Emotions

Kirsten / September 11, 2011

Today has been such a sad day. It’s surreal that its been 10 whole years since September 11th. I still remember so many events of that day vividly. Maybe it’s because it’s the 10th year anniversary or maybe because I’m no longer in DC and can finally step back and reflect, but this year it hit me much harder than normal. I’m still beyond sickened at the tragedy that unfolded that day and the number of lives affected around the world. And how our lives have changed since that day.

That said, it was also nice to live in the present this weekend and focus on all the good, the hope and the fun.

This morning we went down to the pier for a fun Aquathlon called the Peaman. It was my first race ever, and I’m so proud which is a bit silly but oh well, I’m going to own it and say I’m proud I finally did a race! There are these fun races that happen every month and the point is to have fun – there are no medals for 1st place, no race numbers, and basically no rules. My goal was to beat the dog in the swimming race. Yes, the dog. A guy did the “run” on stilts. Anyway, I did the 200 yard swim into the ocean while Chuck and the kids cheered me on. (The more advanced athletes did a 3/4 mile swim, so I’ll work my way up to that!). Then I tagged Chuck, Mara and Beck and they did my 1 mile run for me. It was so fun doing the race as a team and getting out in the sun and meeting people. And it was nice to do something positive instead of letting the day be full of sadness.

Of course in Chuck & Kir fashion, we did way more than just this the past few days:

On Thursday night we went to the Carnival. What a treat. It seriously looked like the carnivals I went to as a kid and it was so fabulous to see the kids excitement for the whole thing. We saw the cheesiest, worst circus performance ever but it actually made it really charming and the kids LOVED it. And I swear the bumper cars were the exact same ones we used 35 years ago but again, it made the carnival so retro and cool. The kids rode the Ferris wheel, helicopter things, this drop thing, spinning dragons and the bumper cars. I even got over my childhood accident issues and joined them for some bumping. Of course there was cotton candy and popcorn and games and cheap, cheesy prizes won. Somehow we were there till almost 11pm and I really don’t know who had a better time – us or the kids.

On Saturday, Beck started soccer. There were about 70 4-5 year olds out there and OMG they were so adorable. Best part is Beck had a blast. And in true Beck fashion, he held back and played goalie during part of the game.

This afternoon we drove to some farmers markets and picked up some more fun foods to try. Tonight there will be grilled breadfruit and tomorrow the red banana and guanabana should be ready!

I can’t wait for you all to visit as we have a gazillion places to show you while you’re here.

Hawaii North America USA

Geckos, Ultralights, and Sunburn

Kirsten / September 6, 2011

What another fantastic weekend!

On Friday, Chuck and I dropped the kids off for school then met our landlady/property manager at the pier for a swim. We swam 1.2 miles round-trip over coral and fish and boy did that tucker us out!

After the swim, Chuck and I grabbed lunch and met the friendliest gecko we’ve ever seen. This guy came right up to me and was checking me out, and once I put out my finger he jumped right onto my arm. The waitress told us they love sweet things and brought us a cherry and OMG I think he was in gecko heaven! Who knew??!

Saturday was Chuck’s birthday. He went to the airport to ride in an ultralight (“trike”) which is basically a powered hang glider. He came back giddy and told me that I’d love it so of course I’ll be doing it sometime soon! Read more about it here.

Saturday was also the start of the 40th annual Queen Lili’uokalani canoe races which is the world’s largest long distance outrigger canoe race. Read more about it here.

On Monday we went back to Kua Bay for 4 hours. I think I boogie boarded for at least 3 hours straight and right now I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. The kids played and boogie boarded some too and it was all around a good family day at the beach. EXCEPT we’re all crispy, especially Beck. We did lather up before the beach and even re-lathered part way thru but somehow Beck is redder than a lobster and the rest of us are a tiny bit red. I guess we ordered ourselves extra crispy. Oops.

So now its chillin’ time with a beer (Kona brewery of course) and then I’ll be heading to rest and recover from the day.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love it here??

Save

Hawaii North America USA

Queen Lili’uokalani Canoe Race

Kirsten / September 3, 2011

Saturday was the start of the 40th annual Queen Lili’uokalani canoe races which is the world’s largest long distance outrigger canoe race. People fly in from all over the world to compete in what I heard called the “Ironman of canoe racing”. I think there were something like 150 women’s teams and 180 men’s teams.

In the one race we went to, a team of 6 women raced from Kona to a bay 18 miles away. Then a team of 6 men raced the canoes the 18 miles back. We went down to see the men’s teams finish.

On Sunday the kids (teens) compete and there is also a stand up paddle-board race and then Monday there was another race.

Hawaii North America USA

Flying an Ultralight

Kirsten / September 3, 2011

For Chuck’s birthday, he went to the airport to ride in an ultralight (“trike”) which is basically a powered hang glider. After some brief instruction he was flying 500-1000′ over Kona and even steering the trike.

Hawaii North America USA

Wednesdays are Kua Bay Day!

Kirsten / September 2, 2011

Yesterday afternoon we went to Kua Bay – one of our, if not our, favorite beach. We went there last Wednesday too and I’m hoping to make it a regular Wednesday activity unless a sport or activity comes up.

The kids are home from school by 1:15pm on Wednesdays so its the best day to hit the beach. They can come home and relax, grab and snack and we can be at the beach by 3pm.

I’ll have to get Kua Bay pics at some point but picture a white sand beach, gorgeous blue ocean, small waves and 80 some degree water. We don’t have too many white sand beaches here in Kona so that’s another reason this is a fav.

Last week I decided to try boogie boarding again. I tried it a while ago and it didn’t go so well. But this time I grabbed the board and thought “I can do this” and viola, I was on the board riding waves in no time.

Well yesterday was a boogie boarding fest – I spent the entire time riding in waves with the biggest grin on my face until I was too exhausted to do more and Chuck wanted to go home. I felt like a kid that could play and play until their parents call them for dinner or bed.

I can’t wait to learn more and of course do it again!

Nothing too exciting today except I’ll give you the “Daily Grill” run down. See, we’ve been grilling a lot more since we got here and grilling all sorts of different things: everything from papaya to peaches to ginger and more.

Tonight’s Daily Grill: filet, onions, mushrooms, garlic, potatoes and apples (with cinnamon, butter and brown sugar that were tasty!). Yummers!

Tomorrow I’m going swimming with our “landlord” from the pier out into the ocean. I’m happy to go out with a local first to get a feel for the ocean and any potential danger spots like currents and what not. It’ll also be nice to have a guide because of all the shark sightings and I just don’t know what on earth I’d do if a 15′ Tiger shark came to swim beside me like happened to a girl a few weeks ago.

And Saturday is Chuck’s birthday and I think he’s going to do something crazy cool… will fill you in later!

Aloha!

Hawaii North America USA

Birthday Fun

Kirsten / August 29, 2011

Chuck and I had such a great week last week.

It started on Monday which was my birthday. We dropped the kids off at school then headed to the harbor for a scuba dive boat trip. As soon as we left the harbor, a huge pod of dolphins came over to play so we watched them cruise beside/under/around the boat.

The dives were fabulous. However, on the first dive I headed over to a cave with the rest of the divers and saw a small white tip reef shark. When I got to the boat, I found out that a 2nd reef shark had come out of the cave and swam right under me. And I never saw a thing! ACK!

The 2nd dive was tremendous. One of those dives that made me want to stay in the ocean for hours and hours and hours. In that dive, everything in the past 6 months came together and I was filled with such a sense of happiness, contentment and peace that I can’t even explain.

The rest of the day we did my cake, headed to a happy hour for pupus (appetizers) and Mai Tais.

On Wednesday, we did a family trip to one of our favorite beaches here. I went for a swim in the ocean while the kids played and then I borrowed the boogie board from Chuck determined to learn to boogie board. Somehow it all came together and I was riding wave after wave into the beach and even learning to turn a bit. I must have spent a good hour or more riding waves until I wore myself out.

Thursday, Chuck and I went out snorkeling. We hit this spot we’d only briefly checked out before and spent about 2 hours viewing the coral and fish. We saw a sea turtle as we were getting in but unfortunately didn’t see him from in the water.

On Friday, Chuck and I went to this amazing snorkeling spot, Place of Refuge, and again spent about 2 hours exploring the vast coral forests and the tons of fish. Saw a white mouthed moray eel at the end swimming around which is always a treat.

Anyway, it was a great, great week filled with lots of ocean time. I find I’m happiest when playing in and around the ocean so every day was a real treat.

To say I’m (we’re) loving it here is an understatement. And to say we’re enjoying the time when the kids are in school is also an understatement🙂

Aside from the ocean stuff, there always seems to be a festival or cultural activity on the weekends and we’ve hit so many: rodeo, Mai Tai festival, mac nut festival, Kona coffee festival, Japan Hiroshima Peace festival (I think we were the only non-Japanese there).

Hopefully we can start to participate a bit more now and start making some connections.

Aloha!

Hawaii North America USA

Floating Lantern Ceremony

Kirsten / August 28, 2011

This evening we went to the Fairmont Orchid resort for a floating lantern lighting ceremony. This ceremony was to remember loved ones that have passed on. The event consisted of chants, hula, drums, prayers and of course the lanterns were decorate, lit, and sent out to sea.

It was a beautiful and somber event but incredibly peaceful as well.

Hawaii North America USA

LavaKids – Summer 2011

Kirsten / August 27, 2011

On Saturday, the kids did a race that was part of the Lavaman Triathlon, called LavaKids. The 7 and up age groups did a aquathlon of swimming then running. But for the 6 and under, they did an event called the Keiki Dash which is a 100 yard dash.

On your mark... set... — On your mark… set…

Afterwards there was a pool party for all the kids. Unfortunately Mara hit her nose on the pool steps and was sidelined with napkins and a huge bag of ice for the rest of the pool party.

The next day I headed down to the Lavaman Triathlon which is an Olympic distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, & 10K run. Man these athletes are inspiring. Maybe Chuck and I will do it next year as a relay team!