Hilo to Volcano 50K Race Report

Look how overjoyed I am!  Look how Ryan...is not.

Where has the week gone?  Yikes.  I was so excited to post all about my run, but a week has passed and now that accomplishment already feels like...so last season.  All that remains...is a huge, nasty, newly deflated blood blister on my big toe. ;-)

Since we got back from Hilo, everyday (& the whole week before) has been filled with renovation work. Even though my father (who once again, has been asked to served as our unpaid superintendent/contractor/plumber/electrician/painter/carpet tacking installer/Lowe's & Home Depot gopher) has done 95% of the actual work, we've all been insanely busy.  I don't know that I've mentioned it here before, but we recently bought a small condo.  The hope is that it will one day give us the option of downsizing and selling our other house in about 15-20 years (the proceeds of which can be used to supplement our retirement and help shore up Ryan's college fund).  It's a bit of a stretch for us financially, which has been more than a little nerve wracking.  I've spent a few nights biting my fingernails, going through receipts and freaking out about our dwindling savings.  It's no secret that we had to pay through the nose on two other properties we sold over the last 3 years...but I don't want to cower in fear forever, so we're tentatively dipping our toes back into the market.  Ultimately, we still think real estate is a relatively safe, rewarding investment (when done with advance planning/budgeting)...and lets face it- we have to be a little creative/gutsy with our estate planning since I'm no longer working F/T.

But enough about that...on to the race report!

The day before the race we drove out to Hilo to bunk at the glamorous and swanky hotel that is the Hilo Seaside (and yes, I am being sarcastic...but if you bully your two senior aged parents into each registering for a room with their AARP discount, the rooms are only $80 a night incl tax).  Though Ryan spent the night next door with my parents, I got about the same amount of sleep I did the night before the Hilo Marathon last March, that is to say- about 3.5 hours.  And that was after downing three Benadryls to try and make myself sleepy (clearly someone needs some horse-pill sized Xanax).

Rich and I woke up around 4:30am so I had time to get dressed and stuff a banana & Luna bar down my throat (I gagged the whole time because it's so hard to eat that early & when you're sleep deprived).  We met my friend Karen at the starting line and took off at 5:30am, since anyone who anticipated taking longer than 6 hours to complete the race was permitted to start earlier. Here's a summary of how the mileage went down:

Miles 1-3: My flashlight conks out before we've even run 1/2 a mile...which would have been disastrous since it's pitch black.  Thankfully, Karen shares her head lamp with me and we run huddled together for the next hour (and yes, like you, I am pretty sure she orchestrated the whole thing in order to snuggle with me...I am tough to resist when wearing a traffic safety vest).  We haven't started the elevation climb yet, but its cool and pleasant, so Karen and I get to chat with each other and another runner.  It's all quite pleasant, as running with Karen eases my anxiety and it feels like an ordinary Sunday run.

Miles 4-10:  Once the sun rises, I am able to shed the increasingly warm, slightly embarrassing (required) reflective vest.  But from about mile 4 on, reality quickly sets in, and there is nothing but hills, hills, hills.  Well, as a spectator pointed out, technically, it's just one hill.  ;-)  But the volcano is a massive, unrelenting hill that just doesn't seem to end.  I nearly weep when we see our first green elevation sign, because I was positive we had climbed 1,000 feet, but it only reads '500 feet.'  Which means we're only 1/8 of the way there in elevation...very, very depressing.

Miles 11-15: Karen and I have stopped chatting as we labor up the hill.  Normally, fifteen miles pass by quickly when I run with Karen.  But not today. I notice for the first time (in the history of my running), that my hamstrings are super duper tight, and at mile 13, I start to panic when I get a painful, jarring and shooting pain in my right hip (which went away within a half mile).  

Mile 16: At the point (roughly halfway), I'd run about 16 miles and covered around 2,000 feet in elevation.  Because I'd done a pretty good job of conserving my energy for the grueling second half, I actually felt pretty optimistic as I bid Karen a fond Aloha since its her turn to crew for her husband.

  

[Sidenote:  Rich was AWESOME from the minute the race started.  He met me every 2 miles (individual runners were permitted to have their support crew stop at every odd-numbered mileage marker),  ready with refilled water bottles, gels and occasionally, my salt pills and sunscreen.  Not a fun job for anyone, for sure!]

Miles 17-26: The next 2,000 feet were covered in over 9 miles, vs. covering the same amount of elevation in over 16 miles for the first half.  So the hills looked and felt steeper. Thankfully, I was psychologically prepared for them, but around mile 20- I was really starting to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the never ending hills.  Even though my head and heart were in the right place, my legs just felt so heavy and dead.  Negativity started to creep in at that point, and I made my first negative comment to Rich about "not having any juice left" and possibly having to just walk the rest of it in.   I even calculated a new estimated finish time (7 hours) based on my exhaustion level.  Without a doubt, miles 20-26 were the worst for me.   

Miles 26-30: The course finally flattens out, but my legs still didn't register the difference for a mile or so and it was soooo depressing to have to pass by the finish line and know that I still had 4-5 miles left to run.  :'(  But around mile 29, I unexpectedly caught a second wind (first time ever!) and felt strong enough to pick up my pace to the finish. 

Mile 31: From a few hundred feet away, I could see my sad, tearful exhausted little boy in my father's arms (he had spent the whole morning at the Kaiser clinic from a high fever the night before).  My family warned me that he might not want to run the last hundred feet with me as planned since he had just been woken up (and then thrown up), but when I offer to carry him in, he leans toward me and we finish together.  :-)  Yay.  31.1 miles.  6 hours and 37 minutes.  Not a time to brag about, but I'm thrilled- I am officially an ultra-marathoner!  :-)

Lessons learned over 31 miles?

• A little more training makes a big difference.
• I have serious pre-race sleeping issues.
• Cool weather running = less sweating/chafing = no screaming in the shower.
• Blood blisters are not sexy.
• The ostrich did not win.  Take that you beady-eyed beast!

That's all the wisdom I can impart for now...  ;-)  

PS- Huge thanks to the Big Island Road Runners Club for putting on this awesome event for our little island!

Hilo to Volcano 50k Pictures...Race Report to follow!

Do you remember this movie?  This really happened on Saturday (Jo vs. the Volcano) - and in this case, the volcano won.

Ladies & Gents...I have good news and bad news.  The good news-I am officially an ultra-marathoner!    The bad news? I appear to have sprouted a sixth toe.  Well, technically it's a giant blister on the side of my big toe, but it's so huge and ugly that it could pass for a sixth toe. So if you've got a foot fetish and also happen to be a fan of the idea that "more/bigger is better," then eat your heart out baby...because Aunty Jo has got a little sumthin' sumthin' for you to look at.

Here are a few pics of the day:

My friend Karen and I at the starting line.  We are both aware that she looks like a coal miner, and that I look a traffic safety officer.  Kind of like the lesbian version of the Village People...

Karen and I methodically picking off the boys, one by one... (just kidding, the relay teams started after us.)  Please note the steep hill that we are running up.

A rare photo where due to combined optical illusion, trick photography and smoke and mirrors, my legs do not look stocky and man-like!  Also, please note the steep hill that I am running up.

This smile, like most others, was purely for the camera.  I grimaced the second the flash went off and resumed looking very depressed immediately thereafter.  Oh, and did you happen to notice the steep hill that I am running up?

Crossing the finish line with my running partner (who had been both woken up and then thrown up in the minutes before this photo was shot, hence, the less than enthusiastic look on his face).  

This race, as always, is dedicated to my race day support crew member, in-house RN, loving spouse and greatest cheerleader ever (you wouldn't believe his high kicks).  (If you would like to touch my extra toe, I will let you.)

My time was 6:37, and I finished #19 out of 42.  Surprisingly, I felt WAY better after this race than I did after the marathon in March, so I learned that even a small increase in training clearly can net big results.  Make no mistake, I am still slower than molasses, but crossing that finish line fulfilled a dream I've had since '07. 


Huge aloha & mahalos to the big man upstairs, our friends for their well wishes & notes of congratulations, my awesome family for both cheering me on & taking care of Ryan, my friend Karen for running with me both before and during the race...but most of all...to Richado-san.  


I couldn't have done it without you.  Your love and support make anything good that I do possible.

So Cal & Vegas Trip Out Takes

Rich could not believe I took this picture, and called me a tourist.  But anytime you can buy two little baskets of fresh strawberries for $5 (and not $7 each like we have at Safeway), then it warrants a picture in my book.  All hail So Cal's roadside produce stands.  You guys rock.  Even if you aren't licensed, taxed or legal.  

The playground posse

Ry Ry bonding with his 'cousin' Cassie

My brother Joey said that the Kardashian family isn't the only one who can pose for pretentious Christmas card photos...so we staged one too.

I like this one better though, much more obnoxious!

Eating popcorn with his Uncle at...where else?  The circus!

Riding the monorail back and forth with Ryan was...well, boring.  Thankfully, we were entertained by Ryan's manny!

Up...

...up...

...and away!!!  (We're such class acts in a hotel.)

Highlights of the trip:
1. Ostrich bite, hands down.  Hysterical.
2. Getting to see all of our family and friends at Kay's birthday and beyond...
3. Our Vegas getaway, super relaxing AND fun.  Also, its where I discovered...mango and pineapple gummy bears (from New York New York's candy shop, a nightly visit for us)!!!
4. Stuffing ourselves with tamales, burritos, taco al carbons, quesadillas and chipotle bowls...viva la Mexico!!!
5. Legoland...Ryan loved it. We loved watching him love it.
6. My 10-mile trail run with David.
7. Spectacular weather everyday. (It's what we locals demand and expect, really.)
8. Getting to go to the Medieval Times-esque show I've been wanting to see for years!!!  Kinda pricey, not something I would do again...but so glad we could do it.
9. Belgian waffles for breakfast almost every day...

Lowlights of the trip:
1. Cat allergies and itchy bug bites on my neck from an unknown insect.
2. Having to bail out of the RV in Tehachapi.
3. Pussing out on half my training runs.
4. Daily exhaustion...we usually didn't get to bed until around 11pm every night.  Our little party animal was fine with this, Gramps and Gram not so much.

All in all, a great but tiring trip.  Any trip is a good trip though, really.  Some are just more successful than others, and this one rocked despite our crazy itinerary that included four planes, driving 1,400 miles, staying at five different hotels, two homes, and an RV, and of course- a rogue ostrich.  :-)

PS- 7 days until my ultra...very excited!

So Cal Days 11-14 - Legoland hana hou!

After spending the whole day at Legoland on Friday, we spent that night with Rich's mom Judy and his brother Dave & their family.  And then on Saturday while I went for a run with Dave (oh how I *miss* car-free trail runs!), Ryan got to spend the day at two different parks with Grandma Judy.  While there, he got to indulge in one of his favorite activities (something those tropical plants in Hawaii just don't seem to offer)- jumping in leaves!  :-)

But on Sunday...it was back to Legoland!!!  But this time, with Rich's best friend Tom & his family.

It always helps to go to the park with people who have annual passes...because somehow, we missed this ride the first day.  For our train obsessed little guy- this was a horrific oversight.

And because we had cranked out all the rides on the first day there, we had plenty of time to hit the two parks on the second day!  Sooo wish I had mad carpentry skills so I could build Ryan his own tree house someday.

What obnoxious parent would plop their child down into a Lego-made sarcophagus?   One that would do the same herself.  I have no pictures though, because I'm pretty sure the Cairo government frowns upon that sort of thing.  And we've seen what they do to people they get angry at.

Ryan's first interaction with a Princess.  She kept calling him "Prince Ryan" and he kept correcting her- "My name is just Ryan!"

Ryan and his homies...check out all those smiles!

Yo ho, yo ho.

We ended up leaving the park a little early so we could drive up to Lake Elsinore and spend a little time with Rich's "little brother" Chase and his girlfriend before heading further north up to Redlands for two nights (spending our final night in Los Angeles).

Rich with Chase, Becca and some little kid. 

We stayed two nights in Redlands with our good friends, and because I used to work there, I also got to see a few of my favorite coworkers.  :-)  Ryan was happy because he got to stay in a house that if it had a name, would be "Toy Heaven."

As you can see, Ryan partied hard at Toy Heaven.  Drinking and...yes...cough! cough!  Driving too.  

Toy Heaven not only had toys, but cute pets too.  Here is Ryan and his betrothed showing him her guinea pig.  

So Cal Days 9 & 10 - Legoland!

After driving from Las Vegas to Orange County (to see Rich's dad), we hauled okole over to San Diego so we could check in to our hotel.  We're spending three nights in Carlsbad, since we'll be spending two days at Legoland (gotta let the island boy squeeze in his annual fill of theme park fun).

Having spent a full day at the park, here's my two cents review of the park:

• It's no where near as crowded as Disneyland...which means no waiting in lines or having to take a shuttle to your car (ours was parked just a minute or two away from the front entrance).
• It's no where near as polished as Disneyland...I saw rust, peeling paint, standing water in tree wells, rotting green waste and aging bathrooms throughout the park all day.  This doesn't negatively affect your overall park experience, but its definitely the most rundown large-scale theme park I've ever seen.  
• Along those lines, the Legoland staff were not the bright, shiny fresh faces you see of the Disney cast.  Half of the Legoland employees looked grumpy, tired, and bored (which is exactly how I would look if I had to stand around screaming, over-stimulated toddlers all day long).  :-)  
• Miniland USA needs some serious capital infusion/improvements.  The Lego-built buildings are over 10 years old and they look it.  They're faded, neglected, dirty and half the mechanized stuff appears to be broken.  The area is so sadly neglected that you have to wonder about the financial solvency of the park.  Outside developers have added an aquarium, water park and now a hotel to the property, but day to day maintenance/standards appear to be sorely neglected.
• The opening hours are way too short.  Opening from 10-5 (seven hours passes by like the snap of a finger) and charging most visitors roughly $80 for the experience is a little high in my book. Our guess is that a toddler-focused park has found over time that opening later isn't cost efficient, but again- it just isn't enough time to experience the whole park in a single day, even without lines.
• If you have a child under the age of ten, the park offers PLENTY to do all day.  We hit nearly every ride and barely squeezed them all in...forget about having time to play in the water features or two large parks.  It's awesome having a park geared toward this age group!
• We added on the aquarium visit to our park entrance, and while it was definitely a nice place, it's nothing I would highly recommend if you've recently been to a few other aquariums.  Nothing about it really stood out (though again, it's great if you have young children who don't regularly have access to ocean life). I was very disappointed that they had closed the Octopus Garden the night before, as that would have been a great, unique feature to see.  :-(  Even for us Hawaiians.
• The bottom line- would I go back?  With a younger child- absolutely.  Ryan adored it, and the lack of crowds made it the most pleasant theme park experience I've ever had.

Here are a few photos from our first day at the park (by ourselves):

Without a doubt, the absolute most boring ride of the park (seen above) was Ryan's hands down favorite.  So guess who got to ride it three times?  Painful...very painful.

Ryan leading his air squadron through drills

He loved the log ride (& especially seeing daddy get wet).

My winning shot of the day!  Whoo-hoo!!!

Our little daredevil went on his first roller coaster and 'dropping' ride (thank you Legoland for making the 'big kids' rides safe for ankle biters like Ryan) that day!  He absolutely loved them!

Someone was over all the picture taking by the end of the day (hence this winning smile), but we *had* to get a shot to remember the park's famous Granny apple fries smothered in whipped cream by!  De-li-cious.

It was pretty cool seeing the Vegas hotel we had just left (made out of Lego) at Legoland!

While on the lamest ride on Earth (for the third time that day), it broke down!  Here we are walking off- Ryan was dismayed, I was...not.

Getting ready to enter the aquarium!

Ryan and I have sparkly, glow in the dark eyes!  Sort of like fish...so appropriate, right?  Apparently Microsoft Picture's red-eye corrector really only corrects red-eye and not sparkly, glow in the dark fish eyes...

We left Legoland at 5pm right it closed, and about 2 minutes later...this is what we saw in the backseat.  :-)  

Vegas Days 6-8

Ryan enjoying the view of New York New York from our room at the Excalibur.

We just spent three fun-filled days packed with child-friendly activities in one of the most entertaining cities on the planet.  Would you like to guess what my son loved best?  Was it the nightly walks to look at the spectacular lights?  Coasting around on his beloved monorail? Our hotel that resembled a castle? Playing game after game with Uncle Joey? Being serenaded on a gondola ride? Watching a medieval knight show?

No. It was riding the escalators.  Oh, and shocking himself from walking on the carpet and then pressing the (metal) elevator buttons.  He loved that too. ;-)  A few pics from our trip:

Every night there we walked around for hours...but the first night there after exhaustively plopping himself in my arms and laying his head on my shoulder, Ryan muttered, "I want to go back to my castle..."

The hotel I look forward to visiting most every time I go to Vegas is hands down- the Bellagio.  I love their nightly water show and award winning arboretum.  However, there is now an official second place hotel that has captured my heart...the Cosmopolitan!  Think pink and draped sparkly faux diamonds everywhere...love it!  Even though I felt like an intrusive Beverly Hillbilly whenever we walked in, I also felt like I was just coming home, people...coming home.

Ryan and Uncle Joey took a gondola ride at the Venetian together...and I don't think I've ever seen Ryan so uninterested in something.  :-)  Yawn.  I'm on a gondola.  In Vegas.  Yawn.  And this man dressed in funny clothes is singing an aria to me in Italian.  Yawn.  Hey!  Is that an escalator over there?!!!

Someone was a little late coming down to dinner with us and our cousin Chris at Bucca di Bepo one night, so he paid the price.  We told our server it was his FORTIETH birthday (heh heh) and he got loudly serenaded by the entire restaurant.  Sorry for the little white lie Bucca...he's not quite forty, but he looks it. 

Okay, so I lied.  Ryan did love this place as much as riding the escalators...the Lied Children's Discovery Museum.  Specifically, he loved piloting the airplane there and going through security check again....and again.  Apparently he LOVES emulating the friendly folks at TSA.  Who knew they had a fan?

He also loved going 'shopping' at their grocery store...

Working as a car mechanic...

And then experiencing the hurricane simulator multiple times with mommy and daddy....

And later, at Uncle Joey's insistence of course, stripping down for a billboard photo shoot with his hunky Thunder from Down Under cast mates...  Naomi, Nina & Alyssa...this one is for you!

Here's what he was NOT a fan of...the Tournament of the Kings show (Vegas' version of Medieval Times).  Whenever the villain appeared the room would go dark, fireworks would go off, and an evil sounding voice would fill the room.  Ryan wasn't keen on it.  I liked the show, but for $70 pp I expected a little better than the cold ravioli and uncooked broccoli I got (I opted for the vegetarian option since I wasn't about to manhandle a whole chicken with my bare hands).

And after three nights of hanging out with Uncle Joey in Vegas, they bid each other a sad adieu...