Just a few short months ago I completed my quest to run a marathon in all 50 states at the Mainly Marathon Series in Kapa’a on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Kaua’i. This stands as the pinnacle of my 12-year running career so far, and I was joined on the trip by my wife, Marie, her two sisters Gail and Barbara, my son Aaron and his wife, Julie, and their two friends Mark and Caryn. What an entourage!
I had recovered from my torn calf muscle and blood clot during my last race in Idaho (September, 2021) achieving peak training by mid-December with multiple long runs and 50 miles or more per week. All of our traveling group were fully vaccinated for COVID, and Hawaii was particularly strict about masking and showing vaccination cards to get into restaurants. We had a solid itinerary for our travels and felt safe.
The Aloha Series was held on 4 days, but I was running just the first two. Days 1 and 4 were run in the Smith Family Gardens where we all attended a fabulous luau the night before after packet pickup. Days 2 and 3 of the series were run along the coastal path from the Kapa’a Beach Park. I decided to run a half marathon on Day 1 because they wanted marathon runners to start at 4:30 AM (to beat the heat of the day) while half marathoners and shorter distance runners could choose to start at 7:00 AM. I wanted to run a half marathon in Hawaii in case I decided to go on and complete all 50 states at that distance. I also wanted to enjoy the luau the night before so the later start was especially appealing. Also, I had talked Gail into doing a 5K on Day 1 because she could easily walk the distance (3.1 miles), and I planned to walk with her then run after she finished. I then ran the marathon on Day 2 along the coast.
I had a pre-half marathon car bomb in our suite before the luau because they didn’t have a full bar at the luau. Aaron and Julie and their friends had a separate itinerary for their Hawaii trip and joined us at the luau after island hopping from Maui. The luau was fantastic. We started out with a tram tour of the gardens, then the ceremonial reveal of the roast pigs from the barbecue pits. Mainly Marathons runners comprised almost half of those attending the luau — all you could eat and drink (mimosas, wine, or beer) — and our host, fellow runner Kamika Smith, was the MC for the night. He had sung with Up With People when he was younger, and he sang a couple of songs during the dinner. After dinner, there was a full show in an amphitheater which featured historical and culturally significant dances and songs of Hawaii.
January 20, 2022, Day 1, Half Marathon
Gail and I began our Day 1 races together (7:00 AM still seemed early after the luau the night before), and I walked with her until she finished her 5K. Then I buckled down to my usual run-walk intervals to complete the half marathon. This was my 14th half marathon state and my 21st lifetime half marathon. After I finished, I went back to the suite to shower and rest. Before dinner, Aaron, Julie, Mark, and Caryn came to our suite to join me in another car bomb to prepare for the marathon the next day.
January 21, 2022, Day 2, Marathon #56, State #50, Mainly Marathon Race #50
I saved the best for last! This was a gorgeous setting for my 50th state marathon. Starting from the Kapa’a Beach Park at 4:30 AM to beat the heat meant we got to see first light and the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean. I managed to get some good photos of that. As daylight spread, we had magnificent views of the ocean all along the course.
I ran well during the first half of the race, but the second half didn’t go so well. I had been having problems on my long training runs with hot spots on the ball of my right foot and, more annoyingly, pain along the side of my right foot. When it got too bad to continue running, I would have to stop, take off my shoe, and massage my foot. This usually worked for 3 to 5 miles before I had to repeat the process taking a few minutes to stop each time. This is what flared up during the second half of the marathon with the last few laps requiring at least two stops each. It added a lot of minutes to my overall time, but once I finished, that pain was a distant memory.
My large entourage waited to greet me at the finish, and Daniel, the race director, presented me with a 50-State finisher medal as well as the Mainly Marathons plaque for finishing 50 of their races at the half and/or full marathon distance. Of course, I also received the Day 2 finisher medal to add to the series medal chain. A couple of weeks after returning home, I also received in the mail the 50 States Marathon Club trophy as a certified finisher.
This marathon was also my 56th lifetime marathon (completed between 2010 and now), and it is likely my last at the marathon distance. I now plan to turn my attention to half marathons — maybe, if it works out, completing a half in all 50 states. As I like to say, the half marathon is half the distance, twice the fun, and way less than half the effort — especially in terms of training and preparation. I can easily run 25 to 30 miles per week including no more than a 10 to 12 mile long run and be ready to run a half marathon at just about any time.
After I showered and napped, we all went out for dinner at Sam’s Ocean View Restaurant that overlooked the Pacific Ocean and the trail I had just run earlier in the day. I asked about getting a round of car bombs to celebrate, and the waitress went to see if the bartender could do that. She came back and said the owner was impressed with our celebration and he personally made the car bombs at no charge!
I slept in the next morning, but in the afternoon we began touring Kaua’i for a couple of days, then spent several days on Maui and another few on the Big Island before doing a one-day tour of Pearl Harbor on Oahu to close out our Hawaiian adventure. Our vacation was also a celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary (actual date was last September but it’s still our 50th year). It was an outstanding trip. If interested, I invite you to check out our trip photos in my Flickr account (no account necessary to view):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dolton/collections/72157720505375598/
Starting Late 