Sorry for the delay in getting an update on the Sabbatical. A lot has happened since we last talked. After returning from New York State and the Triathlon Training Camp, it was time to start packing for a trip to Hawaii, the BIG island. This trip was chosen for a few reasons, more on that later. I was able to take Beth along, as well as Marc and Marcey Zolner. Marc introduced me to triathlon racing about 8 years ago. At the time, I never thought I would race in triathlons. We went to see Marc race in a full-Ironman in Louisville, KY. I thought those people were crazy. Now I am signed up to compete in that same race in early October.
The Big Island of Hawaii is where the Ironman Championship race occurs every year, the one on TV. It is from the city of Kona and is the "Grand-Daddy" of triathlon races. Hawaii also hosts a Half-Ironman race that uses much of the same bike course. For those wondering, a full and half Ironman race distances are... Swim 2.4 miles (1.2) Bike 112 miles (56) and Run 26.2 miles (13.1) or a marathon/half-marathon distance. I don't know that I will ever get the chance to do a Full-Ironman in Hawaii, so doing a Half-Ironman might be as close
as I get. Marc and Marcey honeymooned in Hawaii 16 years ago. I was able
to perform a "Renewal of Wedding Vows" ceremony with them during our
stay.
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| Pololu' Valley |
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The island of Hawaii was beautiful. We had a chance to swim with dolphins in the wild. We went zip-lining through the rain forest. We hiked down into the most amazing canyon, where the opening scene of Jurassic Park is filmed, when they fly to the island on a helicopter. We ate amazing sushi and fish. Oh, and Marc and I did a little race. We both met our goals for finishing times. It was a hot day for us biking and running through lava fields, but they tell us it was mild compared to most. Those Ironman athletes are incredible that do the "full" in the heat.
We had a great time, and it was a nearly perfect trip. Our last night we went to dinner in Kona at a place called "Rays on the Bay" to see if we would see some Manta Rays. Because our flight was supposed to leave around 10:40pm we were unable to stay late enough to see any Manta Rays. We had an excellent dinner with more good fish. We gassed up the rental van and headed back to the airport. Once there, we noticed that there were only 2 flights leaving the island, and the flight to LAX was delayed until 2:30am. We were sure glad to not be on that flight! Until we got word that our flight Phoenix had been cancelled. Ouch! It was now approaching 11pm, so we tried to get on the flight to LAX, and we did get our tickets changed. But then, the flight to LAX was delayed until 4:00pm, the next day! Seemed the crew needed sleep. Okay, let the pilots get some rest before a 6 hour flight. So now we had to either wait in line behind 300 angry passengers to get a voucher to a hotel, or grab a taxi back to the condo we stayed in. We went for option #2. We got to our place around 12:30am and crashed. We did get an extra night Hawaii, but it was not exactly how we wanted it. Thankfully, our children were in good hands while we were gone. My sister and mother came out for the first half of the week, and Beth's parents came the second half of the week.
Next time, an update on races, training, learnings, and my time at a monastery...
The Big Island of Hawaii is where the Ironman Championship race occurs every year, the one on TV. It is from the city of Kona and is the "Grand-Daddy" of triathlon races. Hawaii also hosts a Half-Ironman race that uses much of the same bike course. For those wondering, a full and half Ironman race distances are... Swim 2.4 miles (1.2) Bike 112 miles (56) and Run 26.2 miles (13.1) or a marathon/half-marathon distance. I don't know that I will ever get the chance to do a Full-Ironman in Hawaii, so doing a Half-Ironman might be as close
as I get. Marc and Marcey honeymooned in Hawaii 16 years ago. I was able
to perform a "Renewal of Wedding Vows" ceremony with them during our
stay.
The island of Hawaii was beautiful. We had a chance to swim with dolphins in the wild. We went zip-lining through the rain forest. We hiked down into the most amazing canyon, where the opening scene of Jurassic Park is filmed, when they fly to the island on a helicopter. We ate amazing sushi and fish. Oh, and Marc and I did a little race. We both met our goals for finishing times. It was a hot day for us biking and running through lava fields, but they tell us it was mild compared to most. Those Ironman athletes are incredible that do the "full" in the heat.
