Thursday, December 28, 2006

Honolulu Race Report

Aloha,

Imagine a low budget horror film called something like "Walk of the Zombie Runners" and you have the scene of the streets of Waikiki, flooded with nothing but marathon runners in the dead of night. It was before 3am when Katy & I joined 28,000 runners making our way to the buses to carry us to the start line.

Many portaloo-ou's were clustered beside the start corral. I chose a place about 100 metres from the starting banner, where a rope stretched across the road, segregating the 2 plus hour runners from the 3 plus hour runners (or so I thought, based on the sign that was being held up). Katy decided her place as further back amongst the masses, so we said our good lucks and good byes to be reunited in another 6 hours.

I mainly sat on the kerbside for the hour or more before the start and occasionally entertained the thought of wannadoapupu. Looking around I had the impression of being in downtown Toyko as I was surrounded by the vast majority of Japanese, including the Sexy Santa Bunny Girls.



Here were the ones I was beside when waiting for the start ....




The thing about Sexy Santa Bunny Girls is that some can really run. I followed one for a few miles around the half way mark. Her little bunny ears flopped up and down as her fish-net stocking legs swished away.

Time Lost = 4 minutes through poor concentration

Fireworks announced the start of the race. Everyone surged about 3 metres and then stopped. A few minutes later the slow shuffle started and for the next 3 miles (5k) I ducked and weaved around this ...



Time Lost = 5 minutes of ducking and weaving

eventually I was able to run free and all was good until Kunahavapeepee. I remembered the advise of "sort it out early rather than keep running", so I did my best to make a quick stop in a portaloo-ou beside the road, before climbing Diamond Head Crater.

Time Lost = 1 minute, maybe 2

The climb up the crater was a little slow with more ducking and weaving.

Time Lost = 2 minutes.

The plan of a 1 hour 40 minute half turned out to be around 1:47. It was hard to judge my pace as the KM markers were 5 K apart. I must have drifted off the pace a little and figured I was in for a 3 hour 30 minute something day.

Around 30 km or 20 miles I passed Katy coming the other way. She was marching along in a procession as far as the eye could see, 8 people across, shoulder to shoulder. It was relatively thinned out on my side heading the other way and I decided I would cruise home as my race goal race time was out the window. I carried my Ipod and flicked out the headphones and cranked up the music.

Time Lost = who knows, who cares

Around 35K or 23 miles, I hit the wall, legs went dead and the going got tough. I stopped and took in some gel and the Amino sports drink on offer (icki-sticki-yuki-purchewi).

Time Lost = A couple more minutes maybe

After running through my dead legs and feeling the pain that happens towards the end of a marathon, I noticed something that felt like a grain of sand in my shoe. I stopped, undid my shoe, and found it was a big watery blister in the middle of my foot. Quickly, I put my shoe back on and tried to ignore it. This worked until half way back up Diamond Head, when it exploded with a sting that only lasted a short time.

The finish time was 3:43 which was a little slower than what I had hoped for. After standing under the shower, I waited for Katy. I thought she wouldn't be too far away....................

15 Comments:

Blogger Tesso said...

Dang! All that time lost needlessly - you could've run sub 3 hours.

8:40 pm  
Blogger E-Speed said...

Ah the sand blister! I have had a few of those!

Hope you had fun regardless. I have heard that is a very tough race.

1:01 am  
Blogger D said...

I'm telling your wife about your tendency to get distracted by Santa Bunnies. . .

That race definitely sounded like a tough one.

1:29 am  
Blogger Flo said...

Ahhh, the joys of the Honolulu Marathon. They have no limit on entrants so yeah, it gets really crowded. Japan Airlines is the biggest supporter of the race, hence all the Japanese.

Too bad about the blister, though - yuck!!!

Hope you enjoyed yourself in our beautiful state.

2:29 am  
Blogger Unknown said...

I like Santa Bunnies. Of course D might tell my wife so I better beware.

I need to educate you in the art of disappointing races.

2:35 pm  
Blogger Ewen said...

Tesso is excessively generous - the time lost gives you a 3:16.

5:35 pm  
Blogger CJ said...

35km mark - that is usually where I hit the wall if I'm going to hit the wall so I feel your pain!

8:30 pm  
Blogger massoman said...

i'm glad there are santa bunnies in the world. haven't seen any here yet. i'll keep you posted.

i moved my blog off of evil blogger to wordpress: http://massoman.wordpress.com/

8:33 am  
Blogger Black Knight said...

A great final time despite the crowd and all those runners (and the distractions but this will remain a secret).
Happy new year to you and yours.

9:56 pm  
Blogger Bolder said...

somehow, someway, some weird somethin' somethin' inside me is disappointed, that there wasn't a 8x10 of the blister.

i think you are slowly training me.

like i'm slowly training you.

one word for you:

triathlon

6:26 am  
Blogger Scott said...

Happy New Year Mark! 3:00 a.m. is an ungodly hour to be getting on a bus to head to the start of a marathon... good on you for doing even that much!

11:45 am  
Blogger *jeanne* said...

The Sexy Santa Bunnies wore fishnet stockings? OH MY. That will give you BLISTERS, indeed. But they looked cute.

Hey, Disney World wants it marathoners there at some ridiculously early time (start is at 6...I think they wanted us there by 3. So they could scream at us through loudspeakers?)

Honolulu *M* looks simply awful. Hawaii is awesome for waterfalls, orchids, volcanoes, weddings on sunset beaches, luaus, surfers. Don't think I want to marathon there.

So how did ihatetoast break down?

2:20 pm  
Blogger Wobbly man said...

And I suppose you expect us to believe it was just coincidence that you happened to be starting with (and running behind) some sexy santa bunnies?

3:39 pm  
Blogger Tammy said...

Your wall wasn't until mile 23? Wow... mine was at 18-ish. Way to go!

Happy New Year Markie Mark! Glad you liked the pictures. Don't let Katy the Greaty torment you too much... I think of the two of you as one... :)

3:17 am  
Blogger Phil said...

Santa Bunnnies! I''m impressed that you broke 4 hours. Nice recovery.

12:23 pm  

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