Ka'anapali to Lahaina and Back

Since I may one day consider participating in the Maui Marathon (or its half-distance configuration), I figure I must try running here at least once before I fly back to the mainland. Plus, I really need to work off all of the wonderful meals I have been enjoying while on the islands.

Unable to stay at our usual hotel since it is undergoing extensive renovations, my wife and I are staying at the Sheraton Maui Resort on Ka'anapali Beach. Looking at Google Maps, I figure I could easily run from the hotel to Lahaina Cannery Mall, but the round-trip is six miles. Having totaled less than 7 miles last week, I am not comfortable running such distances this morning, but I have another option: The Sheraton has a shuttle bus that regularly stops at the Hilo Hattie parking lot in Lahaina. If I run as far as Banyan Park and then come back to Hilo Hattie, the run would only be 4.5 miles...and I would get to see more of Old Lahaina Town.

Clouds and the West Maui Mountains block sunrise as I step on the beach next to Black Rock, but the sky overhead and to the west is mostly blue. It looks like a great morning to run and an even better one for taking pictures. Good thing my cellphone has a 2 megapixel camera

I run along the soft sand for as long as I can, but I have to cut through a park as I leave Ka'anapali. The park is nice and grassy with a bit of a dirt path through the middle, so it is nice on the feet. When the park ends, I try running upon a narrow wall along the highway, but the thought of falling upon the rocks below isn't exactly appealing, so I hop over the guard rail and hit the pavement. The sun has not yet come out by the time I reach the sign for Lahaina. The temperature is perfect for running.





Proceeding down Front Street, I pass the Old Lahaina Luau just as the sun and a rainbow begins to touch its roof. I realize I am going to sacrifice my pace to capture many moments of this run. I am really enjoying myself by the time I reach Old Lahaina Town.

As I cross under the banyan tree at the edge of town, I head west towards the lighthouse and then northeast towards the Hilo Hattie. When planning this run, I never once thought about the store being closed at this hour...and I only now realize it may be a few hours before the first shuttle will arrive.



I have little choice but to continue running. The weather alternates between rain and sun as I run to the highway, by Lahaina Cannery Mall, and on to Ka'anapali. The tropical rain does not feel unpleasant, so I really cannot complain.










Once back on to the soft sand in Ka'anapli, I make my final push towards the Sheraton. I can hardly believe I have run more than nine miles...it's not like I have been running such distances since starting this vacation. Heck, I haven't run this far since my half marathon over a month ago!

For more photos from this run, check out my SmugMug gallery

Waikoloa Beach

The Hawaiian Islands are quite possibly my favorite vacation destination, but this is my first trip to the Big Island...and my first time running on any of them.

Since my wife, brother-in-law, and I are staying at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa (and could see ourselves coming back here in the future), I figure I should find a good running orbit around the hotel, but the lava rock coastline and the incomplete roads make it hard to find an ideal 3 mile circuit.

Daytime temperatures have been just popping above 80 degrees and there is significant humidity, so I decide to run only in the early morning....as close to sunrise as possible. I do not want to repeat the mistakes I made in Miami.

On Tuesday, I tried sticking to the beaches as long as possible, but the sandy path quickly becomes a broken path covered with loose lava rock and dead coral...I constantly worried about twisting an ankle as I worked my way around to the concrete paths that surround the nearby Hilton Waikoloa Village.

Today, I lead my wife around the streets, taking her down one dead-end after another (the one called "maintenance road" is not even finished). I then divert to the golf course, hoping we can at least stick to the golf cart paths...but even those do not form a complete circuit. We take to the grass and end up looping back to where we first entered the golf course. We have only run 2.5 miles by the time we are standing back in front of the hotel...my wife is done. I however, decide to try another street that leads me back around to the beach and trails on the other side of our hotel...adding another mile to my run. I do not want to run much further because we have a four mile hike planned this afternoon.

On our next visit, I need to find a way to link the Waikoloa resort area with the not-quite neighboring Mauna Lani, but without going out to the main highway.

100th Mile From Orbits

Today, my Forerunner 205 has logged my 100th mile exclusively from orbiting my house. I probably did not total 100 miles in any previous year since graduating from high school, so this is definitely a significant milestone in my return to running. Also consider that I have only owned my watch since the beginning of September, note the frequency of these runs despite longer distances involved (hard to believe I used to be satisfied jogging one 1.5 mile orbit a week) and remember that, during many of these weeks, these were hardly the only miles I have recorded.

Over the past few months, I have run more than 77 miles on road and trails that do not connect to my neighborhood...including three races that total the length of a marathon. I am pretty pleased. Hopefully rain and the upcoming snowboarding season will not derail my progress.

Burma Road Shortcut

It has now been nearly a month since I completed my first half-marathon, and I have found it difficult to get back to a regular running routine. I have run a few 3 mile and one 5 mile orbit, but skip more days than I should. It certainly does not help that I have no races scheduled between now and next spring (largely because I want to leave weekends open for the frequent snowboarding trips I hope to make). My wife has not been a source of inspiration lately...since running the 5K, she has not been running at all. So, to help both of us, I push us out of bed and drive us back to the fire trail at the end of Crenshaw, hoping a trail run will get both of us back on track.

Our run starts fine, naturally gaining speed over the long two mile decline. Even my wife can maintain a sub-9 minute pace over this stretch. The uphill on the other side, however, proves more difficult than I remember...and both of us slow considerably. Before we reach the turn around point, both of us are walking. Our next descent isn't nearly as fast as the first...and, by the time we begin the two mile ascent back to our car, we both realize we will be walking most of the way.

As we complete our fourth mile, my wife and I notice a couple hiking up an adjacent hill...perhaps a shortcut to the park at the top. With our pace already shot, we agree to follow them. Unfortunately, when we get to the base of their hill, we do not find a dirt trail, but a steep incline covered in loose Palos Verdes stone.

At first, we embrace the challenge. This hill is a bit steeper than any we faced on the Point Mugu Trail Run (more than 45 degrees by my wife's estimate)...and the stones really make us work to find stable footing. We pause to take in the view. Fortunately, we can use our cellphones to snap some pictures. The weather couldn't be more perfect...sunny, but cool (in the mid-50's). The recently rain-cleansed air leaves only a slight haze between us and Catalina Island.

Continuing up the hill is a chore. I start wondering if this is a shortcut or a dead-end (the thought of descending upon the rocky path is scary). As we near what appears to be the top, more dirt is exposed, the incline gets a bit more forgiving, but the trail continues upward for a few hundred feet. When we reach the peak, we are not exactly at the park. The trail rejoins Burma Road.

I run back to the car and am happy to see that we indeed shaved more than a half mile off our planned five mile run. My wife's legs are burning, but I am feeling pretty good. I suspect I will not feel the same tomorrow morning.