Before The Deluge: March 2018

I walked and jogged the Mercer Island Half Marathon a week or so ago. It was on a Sunday morning, and I registered months earlier. I really wasn't into doing it, but I got myself up and went down at 6 AM for the early start. I figured I'd be happier after the fact if I did it, as long as I didn't make it too painful. That was about right for me, and I'm glad I did it.

I've wanted to do this race for years. It is one of the older races in the Pacific Northwest and its fair to call it a classic. I can't believe I've never done it, which is part of the reason I wanted to check this box.

For me, this race is a real throwback. In the 1980s, I used to be the Circulation Director for the Mercer Island Reporter. I think I earned $9.07/hour, and I thought that was awesome. I was a Manager! The newspaper was published by Bellevue's Journal-American company (no longer operating), and was a once weekly newspaper. The job was nuts. Basically, every Tuesday night-Wednesday morning, I drove all over Mercer Island, delivering all the routes that I couldn't find carriers for. And on Mercer Island, a well-to-do area, the kids were often doing other things besides delivering papers. So, there were lots of routes to deliver personally. The rest of the week was great--basically, I would look for carriers, run sales crews, and I did a little bit of advertising sales. On the Rock, as we called it. I eventually quit this job so I could go look for work in Yellowstone, which didn't really work out.

Anyway, wandering around the Island really took me back. The course itself circles the Rock--it's a very natural half marathon--almost a perfect 13.1 mile loop. I suppose there are some hills, but its not too bad--definitely not by trail runner standards. Tons of volunteers with big smiles. Thanks you Lions Club! Some amazing views of Lake Washington, and I really enjoyed checking out the houses, which are great examples of NW architecture.

Anyway, I rolled around the island in under three hours, mostly walking. I would definitely do this race again, and hope I do.

We had a wonderful week this year in our return to the Big Island of Hawaii. We missed sharing the experience with our family and friends, but we made great use of our time.

On our first full morning, we went horseback riding at Dahana Ranch outside of Waimea. What a great experience! Our guide was terrific, and we had the ranch to ourselves for a couple hours. I am not a skilled rider, but I hope to do this again. Years ago, I went with family in Maui through a preserve--this was more of an open range type ride. My horse's name was Beachbum.

We stayed in Kona, and visited the farm market, beaches and restaurants. We cooked for ourselves mostly in our rented condo. One day, we took a tour of Greenwell Farms, a coffee farm established in the 1800s. We visited macadamia nut farms and the Big Island Bess honey operation. We also visited the town of Hawi on the north side.

Mid-week, we drove north, again through Waimea, and then went down the Hilo Coast to Hilo. We visited Akaka Falls and hiked the loop. Then, we visited the Wednesday Hilo Farmer's Market, which is fantastic. I ate a lot of varieties of poke on this trip, including at Hilo's Farmer's Market. We also visited the Hawaiian Botanical Gardens, outside of Hilo, which is spectacular. Plants from all over, of all sorts--cacao, orchids, bird of paradise, and so on. Very worthwhile--I could've spent all day there.

That evening, we went up to Mauna Kea, to the 9200 foot Visitor Center. The peak itself is above 13,000 feet, but was closed to private drivers due to 80 mph winds. I climbed a ridge above the Visitor Center, hoping to see the sunset, but the clouds were coming through strong. We were there to see the stars--this is one of the best places in the world for stargazing. Things didn't look promising, but once the sun set, the clouds dropped below us, and the stars and milky way came out. The Center turns off all white lights--using only red lights--and brings out some heavy duty telescopes. We saw Pleiades and the Orion Nebula through the telescope. Two astronomers then gave a star show, using a laser pointer to point out constellations and tell stories about them. This was a pretty special night.

We visited Pu'uhonua O Honohnau Nationa Park, a beautiful old Hawaiian village which served as a place of refuge for warriors during conflicts. Next door, some of the best snoring on the island is at the renowned "Two Step", so named because there is a two step ledge you use to launch into swim-only snorkeling. We then discovered another beach, Honolei, just cruising around. A great day was completed with island fresh smoothies at the South Kona Fruit Stand.

On the morning of our departure, I once again ran the Kona Brewer's Festival Run for the Hops. This year, I only did the 5k, because I wanted to get back quick to pack, but this is a terrific local race. The shirt has a manta ray on it--cool!---and the finish line had all sorts of fresh fruit.

Hopefully we get back soon! Mahalo, Big Island!