Something about the last two summers has had me dreaming of Hawaii – hardcore. Maybe it’s because the islands feel like the perfect mix of sunshine, beaches, tropical weather, and nature wrapped up in one. Or maybe it’s because, when you step foot on the island, you immediately embrace a slower pace of living (aka island time) and all your cares seem to melt away in the ocean’s breeze. I’m not sure. I’m also not sure when I’ll make my way back to these beautiful islands, so for now, I’ll be reminiscing on my last trip there.
Let’s go back.
The Honolulu Marathon
It was December 2022. I had signed up for the Honolulu marathon, which took place at the beginning of the month. It being around the holidays, we decided to make a Christmas family vacation out of it.
We arrive in Oahu just two days before race day. The downtown area was abuzz with energy – expos, celebrations on Waimea Beach, etc. The thing about marathons is that the pre-race energy is always high, but this year just so happened to be the 50th anniversary of the Honolulu marathon so, needless to say, the energy was especially high!
I was excited, but also a little unsure about how the race would go. A few weeks prior, I had started to feel the onset of a foot injury. A doctor’s appointment, two weeks of rest (ie – no training – yikes), and some painkillers later and I got the green light to run. I was as ready as I would ever be.
I woke up early marathon morning and set out. It was quiet (as most places are at 2 am), but there was a palpable energy felt from other runners warming up, fueling up, lacing up.
The race had organized some shuttles to the starting line, but the lines were longgg. I was nervously watching the time, and it started to get down to the last minute. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it, but thankfully, I made it on the bus and to the starting line with less than 10 minutes to spare (talk about an adrenaline rush).
The first half of the race was mostly uneventful – aside from the absolutely stunning sunrise we witnessed coming around the turn at Diamond Head. That view alone made the early start (and starting line anxiety) worth it.
Around mile 12, I started to feel the pangs of my injury flare up. The next few miles were a mix of running with brief stints of walking in between to try to ease the pain, but I was determined to push through no matter what. From miles 19 onward, it was all adrenaline. I wanted it to be over, but also, I was on track to make a PB (personal best), so there was extra incentive to push myself to the max (if you’re a fellow runner, you probably know this feeling well).
Within minutes, I had crossed the finish line, bringing along a wave of happiness and pride. Not only had I run a marathon, but I ran it with an injury and beat my previous time by over 20 minutes!
Exploring Oahu
With the race behind me, it was now time to sit back (literally) and enjoy my time on Hawaii.
The next couple of days were filled with beach hangs and beginner surf lessons, slow drives up to the North Shore, nightly strolls along Kalakaua Ave, and a trip to Pearl Harbor National Memorial to top it all off.
Big Island Adventures
Even though our time on Oahu was coming to a close, our trip to Hawaii wasn’t over yet. From there, we headed to the Big Island. This was my first time on the Island of Hawai’i, and it felt like a complete 180 from Oahu – bigger (obviously), more remote, and home to a national park! Oh, and did I mention the best poke of my life was on this island also? During one of our daily road trips throughout the island, we stopped at a roadside spot in Hilo, and I swear, this poke was life-changing. I had never had anything like it before, or since.
Each day, we scouted some place new. From watching the ‘vog’ rise from the recently erupted volcanoes at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park to wandering the black sand beach on the South Shore to making my New Year’s resolution to go on my first-ever solo trip (boy oh boy, would that be a trip to remember), it truly was a Hawaiian Christmas I’ll never forget.
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