“Seems to me that there is a fine line between insanity and dedication…
I call that line commitment”
It was 5:30 am. It was a blustery 60-degree morning at the Aloha stadium. My friends and I, along with thousands of others, were lined up to board the buses that will take us to the Aloha tower to begin the Great Aloha Run.
We were in shorts and thin t-shirts. There was no respite from the chilly breeze that mercilessly blew in spurts playfully nipping at us. People around us were stamping their feet, rubbing their arms, jogging in place, stretching, and blowing into their cup hands. I saw some who had cut holes through garbage bags for their heads and arms and wore these like cocoons. What a great idea that was! It kept their body heat in and provided protection from the wind. Once the need is no longer there, the garbage bags can simply be discarded. What a great idea! I'll have to do that next year.
And yes, this was the Great Aloha Run, but we walked. My friend, Marisa, had coaxed me to go with her. Her husband signed up for the run but was deployed so she took his place. Except she didn't train for it since she wasn't expecting to go. I agreed to walk with her and we did. Inspite of stopping every so often to take pictures, we completed the 8.15 mile course in 2.5 hours. Next year, I'd like to run it.
I hear there were 20,000 people who participated. What a great experience!
At the finish line, a group of firefighters were resting. Some were still in full gear including their tanks. Some have already unburdened themselves and were sitting sipping coconut water and eating bananas. Their gear lay on the ground and I was awed.
Much of the course was shaded, but much of it was also in the hot sun. Still . . . 8.15 miles in all that gear and their fireman's uniform . . .
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