Maui Vacation

Well, this Fourth of July has been pretty eventful: the family is spending time together in Maui, and I have been trying to keep up with my running schedule amidst the flurry of delayed flights, lost luggage, kayaking, snorkeling, poolside sunbathing, tennis matches, and delicious dinners on the town. I managed to achieve a pretty terrific sunburn the first day here, so the following two days were spent in the tiny basement gym of our condo complex. (I have discovered that running with a team is much more enjoyable than running on a treadmill, staring at a blank wall!)

This morning, I ventured down the road early, so as to avoid the heat that settles in around 9am. I was surprised to find that the humidity, though low compared to the East Coast, still got to me after about 20 minutes. (I was glad for the handkerchief I had tied around my head!)

I have to say that I have also been overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends and family over the past week. I have received many donations online, and a massive amount of moral support from across the country. It truly is inspiring to see how many people are willing to give to this cause, and it keeps me running in good spirits.

I ran my first 8 mile run last Saturday with the team in Half Moon Bay, and even as I write this, I feel as though it was no large feat. 5 minutes before we started, I was not sure how I would feel at the end of the run...and now, a week later, I think to myself "8 miles? That's nothing! Bring on the 15 miler!" The run itself was gorgeous - the weather was cool at 8am, and the sky stayed overcast for most of the morning. We ran alongside the coast, and had a nice little tailwind for the first half of the run. Turning around, we were met with that same little "tailwind" which turned into a bothersome headwind around the last 2 miles.... However, I managed to complete the run at about a 10:20 pace, while running an interval of 6 minutes on, 1.5 minutes walking. I felt pretty great about it, seeing as how I usually run a 12:00 min/mile pace on my weekday runs!

I am excited to run even further, and hope that the slight flare up in my right shin will dissipate over the next few weeks, as the mileage increases...

As always, if you'd like to donate to the cause, the link is listed on the bottom of my main page...

Thanks for reading, and stay posted!