Long Run, Laundry, and Large Waves

Four miles, two miles, eight miles, two miles… the last several mornings have run together in a river of sweat, sand, sidewalk and sun kissed vistas.  This long run went down the beach walk to the canoe park just past the Hyatt.  Beautiful views like this make it worthwhile to get this wet with sweat but then you realize you have to do it all over again to get home.  Still entirely worth it! 

All that sweat equals needing to do several loads of laundry on this trip.  Luckily there is a laundry room on site and it affords one of us the opportunity to nap while the other monitors the machines.  Last time I slept on laundry day, this time it was Greg’s turn.  So what do I do in between loads? Pick tropical flowers and arrange them in my hair and laugh when they don’t stay put.  Seems like a good way to pass the time to me.

Over the weekend we had some high surf that pretty much kept us out of the ocean but we made our way back in for some rough and churny snorkeling early in the morning the last couple of days. We opted to brave the waters in front of our condo this morning instead of walking to the beach park.  We made a relatively easy passage past the waves to the second reef and thought we didn’t have perfectly clear waters we saw many fish, corals and turtle who was enjoying a cleaning station.  (Many fish were eating some algae off his shell!)  Getting back to shore was more of a challenge as some larger sets of waves had started up, stirring up the water and sand so we couldn’t see what was in front of us.  Wanting to avoid running face first into coral formations, we swam as cautiously as we could but unfortunately the waves were pushing us in forcefully and I ended up head butting another snorkeler appeared out of nowhere.  Neither of us were hurt, just surprised and before we could mutter a beg-your-pardon or some such pleasantry, the undertow was dragging him in one direction and waves were pushing me ashore.  It was a rather jarring experience but no harm done. 

Trying to beat the heat!

The waves are still kicking up some nice spray over the sea wall this afternoon.  Temperatures are climbing also; a record was broken at the airport yesterday that stood from the 1960s when the temps rose to 94 degrees.  We do get a bit of a breeze here on the west coast but we’ve spent the last two days going from ocean, to pool, to shower several times a day.  I doubt that we’ll find relief from the high temps as we head home tomorrow but perhaps the lack of humidity will make it feel more tolerable.  Trying to find the silver lining in leaving paradise is always a challenge but it seems a bit less difficult this time.  Perhaps because coming to Maui this year felt like coming home again, strangely familiar for being such a different environment than our long time California home.  It seemed like a reassurance to me that Maui will be here and I will be back, no need to hold onto it kicking and screaming, like I felt inclined to do last year but rather I’ll just drift away gently tomorrow like the retreating tide and feel assured of the fact that I’ll find myself washing ashore here again someday relatively soon. 

Running with Strangers, Music with Friends

I would like to thank the random man in the green shirt with the hydration pack who helped me to run faster today.  I’ve been running much slower than my usual here in the islands.  Looking back over my averages, there has not been a single day where I averaged under a 10 minute mile (sure I’ve run individual miles faster than that on long runs but as for my run averages they’ve been coming in plus 10s and 11s).  I haven’t been too concerned about speed because I’ve been upping my mileage, the humidity and heat have been kicking my butt, and I’m on vacation!  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind running 10 minute miles or even slower, if I’m chatting with a friend, purposely taking an easier run, or warming up or cooling down.  It is just that I’m used to moving a bit faster at home.  So today I went out extra early, the rooster did not fail me this morning.  As I started out at my island pace, I noticed a runner coming up on the opposite side of the road.  I got it in my head that I would try to keep pace with him for a while.  Thanks to random green shirt guy my first two miles were under 10 minutes and when he left me at mile 2, when I stopped to drink water, I was in good shape to average under 10 for the run.  I couldn’t help but wonder how far he was going with that hydration pack maybe just a couple miles more up to Kapalua or maybe he planned to run the whole trail up to D.T. Flemming Beach.  Either way, he did me a favor letting me glom on to his pace this morning. 

View on my morning run.

After a morning of reading by the pool, we spent the afternoon in Lahaina shopping around.  We tried a new place for dinner and it was really good.  Frida’s is owned by the same people who do Mala and Honu Seafood and Pizza.  It is right on the water and has a beautiful view at sunset.  We weren’t that hungry because we shared a shave ice just an hour or so before dinner but we split a tostado that was just the right size and fresh and delicious to boot.  Their chips and salsa were fabulous and the fresh lime margarita was outstanding! 

With dinner done, we moseyed over to LuLu’s to hear Howard and the gang play and found that it was packed!  Greg was invited up to play a few songs during the break and the man next to me at the bar, stopped mid sentence in a conversation with his friend to turn, affectionately slap me on the arm and proclaim, “Oh my God, he sings so good!  He’s your husband? What’s his name? He’s amazing!”  We also had the pleasure of meeting Howard’s oldest daughter, a beautiful and sweet sixteen year old.  Howard urged her, “Go sit with my friend Greg!”  We got a chance to visit with her for a bit during the last few songs of the night.  Of course generous Alan, the bass player, and his son gave us a ride home when the music was over.  It has been nice for us to have a balance of meeting new people and visiting with familiar friends while on the island!

Island Indulgences

After a very tough morning, rooster no crow… missed my run!  Got up late and made it to the beach to snorkel rather late.  Not only was it crowded but the currents were slamming us.  I felt seasick out there but luckily kept down my meager breakfast and swam with another turtle for a bit.  When he was done with us he just kicked against the current and disappeared, no mater how hard we tried to swim after him, we just kept getting pushed back.  We popped our heads up to see we had been driven much farther north than we meant to go and planned to swim into shallower water with the crowds to find an easier path to swim back.  While on the surface, we witnessed the most comical thing we’ve seen in deep water.  Greg saw a little splash and wonder what it was. A tiny silver fish surfaced and skimmed across the waves only to be pursued by a much larger barracuda shaped fish snapping at his tail.  We both burst out laughing, “Did you see that?!”  It was like something out of Finding Nemo but not animated. What a comical treat before the long and exhausting swim back to shore. I’ve rarely felt as tired as I used to get swimming and playing in the ocean when I was a kid.  Remember that feeling of utter exhaustion as you collapse onto your towel, soaking wet and out of breath, gooseflesh after exposing your damp skin to the cool air,  the warm sun on your back as you rest face down, your arms cradling your head.  Terra firma!  I had that experience today.  So once we made the mile and a half walk back to the condo and got some lunch.  I was ready to chill out the rest of the day.  While I was taking a nap, my sweet hubby made me an appointment for a massage. 

The Maui Bliss massage, just a five minute walk down the way, consisted of a full body massage with organic cocoa butter, a lavender oil scalp massage and a detoxifying sea salt foot scrub.  The advertisement for this massage boasted that you would float out the door when finished.  I haven’t come down yet!  Our neighbors gifted us a bottle of red wine and we indulged in another rarity, we got a wood fired pizza from the street cart in a neighboring parking lot.  (I know that sounds shady but some of the best food in Hawaii comes from a mini mall, food truck, or parking lot). 

It is important to remember when we punish ourselves physically, it is important to balance that out with some indulgence.  Big love for that sweet husband of mine who knows just how and when to spoil me!

We got lei’d

Yes we’ve been on the islands for 17 days and this is the first time we got lei’d!  Word play aside, we have been making an effort to drink in the Hawaiian-ness over the past two days. 

We got up at the crack of dawn yesterday; first rooster crow people, and we were on the first bus north to be some of the first people on Kapalua Beach.  In fact, we were the first snorkelers to arrive followed by one family of four.  Being one of only six people in this pristine bay was worth getting up with the cock.  The visibility here is not the best, the waters are seemingly calm but you get a silty obscured view of the underwater world, which seems somewhat ethereal, especially when the rays of the early sunrise come beaming through. The redeeming factor for this bay is the very active turtles.  We see turtles in front of our condo all the time munching away during high tide on the rocks, but the jagged edges of the coral  and rocks there make it dangerous to snorkel in these shallows.  We are still seeking a safe entry and passage through to the deeper reefs in front of the Kulakane.  The beach park in Ka’anapali gives us easy shore access, but the turtles are sporadic here, hit and miss, and when you see them they go deep and cling to rocks on the bottom only surfacing to breath.  The cool thing about Kapalua is that the turtles are actively eating in the shallows and the sharp rocks can be avoided.  We got to hang out with the coolest turtle, about half my size, enjoying her morning meal. 

Cliff diver at Black Rock.

Public transit has been getting us around and keeping us close to the locals.  We were on the first bus of the day to Kapalua for snorkeling in the morning and the second to last bus of the night (and many in between).  Last night we went to see the cliff divers at Black Rock and ended up back at Java Jazz for some music. This morning, I satisfied my yoga itch by taking a class in Lahaina’s Island Spirit Studio.  I was surprised by how tight my muscles were.  After all, I’m on vacation, on an island, I should be as limp as cooked spaghetti.  Yet I guess with all the running, swimming and such, even though I’m doing a bit of my own practice each day, a full yoga class can put me in touch with my muscles on another level.  

The view from Merriman's at happy hour.

We took the bus back to Kapalua this afternoon for happy hour at Merriman’s, which absolutely can boast the best Mai Tai on the island, hands down!  Then we headed over to Napili Kai for the Keiki Hula Show.  This is an awesome event.  Only $10 per person and you are supporting the oldest hula school in Hawaii, which welcomes all children who want to learn and provides scholarships to them as they move forward in their education. What a beautiful way to keep culture alive for the next generation.  Plus that is where we got our beautiful leis.  The heavenly scent of Plumeria is reminding me of the tree outside my bedroom window.  No nap today, sweet sleep calls, the rooster will be crowing before we know it. 

Awesome Hula Show!

Reprieve

We beat the heat Friday afternoon by playing in the waves near our condo.  We spotted a pod of dolphins in the distance and found that a very large turtle had the same idea we did, as he glided right past our boogie board and surprised some kids body surfing nearby. 

Late afternoon rain and breezes made it pleasant to be outside for the poolside pupu party.  After the conch blowing ceremony we shared snacks and drinks with our neighbors.  Greg found out that our next-door neighbor had an ukulele, and so he brought out his guitar to play with his new friend.  I enjoyed contemplating the stars from the sea wall where the air felt delightfully cool and refreshing.  Finally, we had a brief reprieve from the heat.

Feeling revitalized from a comfortable night sleep, I was ready to get up before sunrise with the rooster and run up the coast.  Four miles up to Kapalua; it was not an easy run.  I forgot how much uphill was involved in getting there.  Once there however, the effort seemed to melt away thanks to views like this. Beautiful scenes such as these, helped to make the return trip (4 miles out, 4 miles back) less painful.  

Though there was a water fountain at the Kapalua trailhead, I knew I would need hydration before the 4 mile mark.  I seem to need to drink every two miles when running here.  Last year I planned my runs past ice machines and water fountains when running through the resorts but when I ran up the coast like today, I packed a Ziplock baggie of ice in my running belt and though it leaked, I at least had something to sip on.  I planned better this year and picked up this little flexible hydration tube, that slides right into my belt and holds just enough water to get me through the stretches without water fountains. 

We enjoyed more time by the pool and swimming in the ocean in the afternoon.  Following a quiet dinner of fish tacos, we met our neighbors at the seawall to visit and share travel tales.  As they headed off to put their kids to bed, Greg and I trekked down the street to Java Jazz to hear a little music before dessert which consisted of heavenly coconut macaroons from the farmer’s market.

Heat Wave

To say the island has been feeling a little warm the last few days, would be putting it mildly.  We’ve had temperatures in the 90s.  I can hear you So Cal friends, you scoff at the 90s, it doesn’t start getting really hot until you hit triple digits, right?  Well try 90s with 70 percent humidity!  To my pals in the Inland Empire, let me endeavor to explain this phenomenon.  In California, we have heat, no debating that, but it is a dry heat.  Humidity makes your skin sticky to the touch; your clothes cling to you, your hair doubles in size and frizzes beyond belief.  Humidity is a concept those of us living in desert like climates have heard tell of but have very little actual experience with.  It is sort of like when you sweat the atmosphere absorbs your sweat, spits it back out at you in a fine mist coating every inch of your body in a constant never ending cycle.  But hey, its paradise, so I’m not complaining, I’m merely sharing some meteorological information with you. 

Despite the heat, we are enjoying ourselves.  This morning’s visit to the farmer’s market resulted in purchasing these fruity beauties.  Anyone know what they are?  Lychee, that’s right.  You peel off the brittle shell to reveal the juiciest plumpest little white fruit that has floral and tropical flavors that are so intoxicating you can hardly stop eating these little lovelies.  Thank goodness, I am still perfecting my peeling technique at least the bumpy red shell can slow me down. 

Last Night we visited Lulu’s in Lahaina to meet up with Maui music friends Allen Jackson and Howard Ahia.  Allen knew we were in town, as we ran into him on our first night, but Howard was surprised and delighted to see us.  As has become custom, these musicians invited Greg up to play a few songs.  He borrowed Allen’s bass at first, then Howard’s guitar, and sang a few tunes to boot.  This time we were not worried when the music went on past the last bus, we knew Allen would offer us a ride home and he didn’t disappoint.  While he packed up gear we darted next door to the ABC store where we had seen earlier that our favorite coconut water was in stock, we hadn’t been able to find it at the stores near our house, so we loaded up on it with the advantage of having a car to get us and our refreshment home.  On the way to the store, a visiting Texan stopped Greg to say how much he had enjoyed the music. Greg explained that he always tries to visit these great musicians when we are on the island.  Confounded by Greg’s ability to blend musically with the locals, the Texan marveled, “You mean you’re not even from here!”  On our way home, Allen took us to Java Jazz to hear a young songwriter play a few of her originals but as 10:00 pm approached, they were rolling up the sidewalks in Honokowai, so our generous chauffeur dropped us off at our condo. 

In talking with Allen and Howard, it seems the heat wave is even hard on the locals. They can’t recall when it was ever this hot and wet.  Everyone is hoping that those trade winds show up very soon and give us all a bit of relief.  I even overheard the groundskeeper telling some guests he got up at 2:00 in the morning and took a swim in the ocean because it was so difficult to sleep in the heat.  Let’s hope we get an afternoon breeze so that I’m not writing my next blog in the middle of the night dripping with seawater. 

Island Rhythm

We are starting to fall back into that familiar Maui lifestyle.  For us, the last few days have gone something like this.  Rooster crows 4:30am…ignore and sleep some more.  Rooster repeats 5:30 am…sun’s not up, ain’t moving my butt.  Rooster sends a barrage of undeniable announcements of sunrise our way 5:40ish.  I get up and run.  I perspire. I see weird bugs. I sweat some more. I see beautiful flowers.  I am dripping, large droplets dot the sidewalk as I hurry on.  I see the ocean. I consider jumping in.  Too many lava rocks in my way.  It is too hot to run anymore, I go home. 

Unattractive selfie included for the sole purpose of showing you how saturated I was after this run.  Notice it is not raining but my sunglasses are dripping and my whole body is slick.  The not so glamorous side to running in paradise! 

Cool slug spotted on a run, not dog shit like Greg first thought.  Looking at photos from my run, "Honey, why did you take a picture of dog poop?"  "I didn't...it is another weird and interesting  Hawaiian bug!"  I'm weird!

When Greg gets up we do some yoga.  Then we go snorkeling and see beautiful fish or walk on the beach or to the farmer’s market.  It gets even hotter and we get tired, get hungry, have lunch, take a nap, haul the boogie board down to the ocean for a swim because it is hot again, read by the pool, shower up for dinner, eat, watch the sunset,  take another walk, check out some local music, walk home, sleep. 

This is the type of routine I would never get bored with; life is good. 

Made it to Maui

I encountered this long fellow on my first Maui run of the trip.  Maui doesn’t have any native snakes, I guess they don’t need them; the colubrids might compete with these giant insects.  This guy took up half the sidewalk!  It is important to remember that everyone wants to be in paradise and that includes animals that were here before the often-entitled tourist types.  If there is a gecko living behind your bathroom mirror, count yourself lucky, he’s keeping the bug population in your condo at bay.  Come across a particularly large bug, you are on a tropical island people, thank goodness it has retained some of it’s native inhabitants.  I noticed a very large mosquito bite throbbing on my calf this morning as I ran.  It is all part and parcel to spending time in paradise.  Luckily the cure is never far from nature either.  A little aloe vera dries up those bites and stops the itch faster than any Cortisol Cream or Benadryl Blend. 

Our original plan today, to drive up to Haleakala took a detour as we saw the volcano was shrouded by dark storm clouds, there would not have been much to see on that drive except Cumulonimbus.  So we diverted to a brunch spot in Makawao, a town we somehow have managed to miss during our previous three trips to Maui.  This sweet little town offered up cute boutiques, fresh food choices, and beautiful surrounding countryside.  Being that it seemed to be getting cooler as we went upcountry and we were eager to escape the high temps coupled with humidity, we drove up into the hill to survey the nature preserve.   A dense forest of trees provided shade and cooler breezes.  The Eucalyptus bark that shed all over the road was crushed beneath the tires of our Jeep to perfume the air with a woodsy scent that further leant to our enjoyment of the beautiful surroundings. 

As we cruised through Kihei, we felt a little snacky and stopped at the Surfing Monkey stand for some shave ice.  A sweet young woman patiently prepared it for us and we ate our delicious mango, guava, passion fruit with vanilla ice cream delight under the eaves of her stand in the rain.  The rain came down in earnest, but didn’t dampen our desire to polish off our icy snack. 

We continued south to Wailea to meet up with our longtime friend Melissa Trinidad, who recently moved to the island for her job at the Grand Wailea.  Grand is putting it mildly, Melissa gave us a tour of the grounds, I think she said 40 acres. (We didn’t walk all of it, thank goodness!) Every detail has been considered at this luxury resort from the high-end shops she manages, to the immaculate bathrooms, the friendly 'aloha!' woman who greets everyone warmly as they enter, to the beautifully manicured grounds.  Melissa and her work friend, Megan, joined us for a dinner off property at Monkeypod, a fun casual spot with creative cocktails and a diverse menu.  We had a nice visit and got the ladies back to the resort before making our way back to the Westside for some much needed sleep.

Today we ran many errands after an early morning walk to the beach park just north of our place.  We needed to make sure we had all the big items in our condo before we became car-less. We procured swim fins, more groceries, items from the farmer’s market, some fresh fish for dinner, and a boogie board (just for fun). When we finally got our ride back to the condo from the car rental place, we were hungry and spent.  A quick lunch of fried rice with those beautiful eggs we got in Wailuku, bok choy and mushrooms from the farmer’s market, and some garlic and ginger to impart a lovely flavor and we were sated and ready for…apparently our first real nap of this trip.  The rest of the afternoon was spent watching turtles from the seawall and giggling (yes I couldn’t help it) each time they surfaced or poked their clunky posteriors out of the water to attempt to dive deeper for their dinner.  Our dinner, Opakapaka from the fish market, leftover fried rice and ocean salad was taken on the lanai at sunset.  I feel a huge relief in abandoning the car.  No more need to be a tourist, to chase the larger wonders of the islands.   On foot or at the mercy of island bus system, we will be forced to move slower, with more purpose, to notice the small things.  Take time to notice that orange/pink/ salmon sunset getting devoured by the huge thunderhead moving across the horizon at dusk and wonder what weather that will bring us tomorrow.  Take time to get out the guitar and sing some strange version of Lime in the Coconut.  Pluck a single Plumeria from one of the many trees around our property and tuck it behind your ear.  Engage in simple in-the-moment experiences that may seem trivial in light of visiting a volcano, a waterfall or any other great wonder and realize the everyday joys of being on the island.  That is what I hope for the remainder of our trip. 

If you don’t kiss, you’re no fun!

I know that is an enticing title; I’ll get to that phrase in a bit. After that long run on Friday, we had one more day of touring.  Our first stop was to Hamura Saimin.  When we landed a few days ago, we were starving and made our way to this very modest counter service noodle shack, which we had heard great things about.  This is one of those, don’t be put off by appearances sort of a place, as soon as you spot the older woman in the kitchen lovingly preparing these noodles and the line of people waiting for a seat, you know you’ve found the real deal.  The rich broth and tender noodles are so soothing and nourishing, all you need is one bowl to steel you for any adventure.

Our adventure for the afternoon was to take a river cruise.  The Smith family has several jungle cruise style boats that will take you to the fern grotto, but not only do they ferry out to this unique site, they entertain you on the way. Four local musicians played traditional Hawaiian music and we were taught to dance the hula as we took the 20-minute river cruise to the grotto.  At the grotto, we were serenaded the Hawaiian Wedding song and told that we were now “Hawaiian married” so all the wives and husbands had better kiss because “If you don’t kiss, you’re no fun!”  Well, we certainly had fun on this excursion.  Back down the river the captain gives narration about famous local spots and legends.  This hour to 1.5 hour experience only cost us $18 each with our triple A card.  Quite a deal considering how expensive most things are on the islands.

Next we drove up to see Wailua falls.   Farmland and foliage flanked the sides of the roads and we saw one big black pig dart across the road followed by 4 babies…no wait 5.  Slowpoke! The falls were breathtaking.

Being it was our last night, we headed back to our dinner spot from last night to meet up with the creative bartender who made Greg a basil, cucumber and gin gimlet.  He explained that the juniper and lavender of the Tanqueray complimented the garden flavors he paired with them.  We enjoyed the Ahi belly and Unagi (tuna and eel) followed by the butterfish with delicate green beans and carrots in a Mirin sauce. Ryan, the bar tender, so enjoyed tantalizing our palates that he even threw in a complimentary dessert, like an adult shave ice,  pineapple ice, passionfruit sorbet and diced papaya. Everything was so delicious!  After dinner we browsed the shops and heard a great young voice singing along with her ukulele, turns out this teen age girl is touring all over this summer.  Check out Dakota Cohen, quite a talent.  Before we knew it, it was time to pack our bags.

                          

In the morning after checking out, we made one last stop on the way to the airport.  We had been staying so close the spouting horn but never made the turn off to check it out.  Glad we did!  This blowhole of sorts, makes a sound like the ocean breathing, deep resonant Ujjayi breaths!  Then water spurts way up into the air, churning turquoise blue beneath, sending a white spray high above.  Pretty cool!

Kauai was amazing, but it was hard to mourn our departure when our next destination is one of our all time favorites.  A patient wait at the airport and a quick 45 minute flight later, and we were in Kahului.  We got a rental car to get us from the airport to our neighborhood and do a bit of grocery shopping to stock the condo for the next couple of weeks.  We’ll have the car until Monday afternoon, then it is back to the Maui bus system and hoofing it to get around our familiar little burrow.  But I have a feeling Greg is going to fully enjoy driving us all over the island in his manly red jeep for the next couple of days.

We stopped off in Wailuku, one of our favorite little towns to grab some lunch at Stillwell's and share a piece of mac nut cream pie.  Stillwell’s is my best recommendation for a bakery on Maui, yum!  Then it was time to hit the local record store (yes, they have CDs but mostly LPs), it is Greg’s tradition to stop here and ask the guys about new local artists and albums.  He gets a few CDs and an update on what’s happening in Maui Music.  On the road to the west side, we stopped by the egg man’s house and picked up a couple dozen of his organic pastured eggs with a healthy helping of friendliness.  After some grocery shopping we got our first fish tacos at the Fish Market and they were just as good as we remembered.

Later once we were unpacked and cleaned up a bit, Greg got a text from a friend we met last year.  Allen Jackson, a local bass guitarist (no relation, to us or the country singer), befriended us on our last trip when he and Greg played together a few times at a local restaurant called Lulu's.  Here it was our first night on Maui and Allen was going to be just down the street from us at Java Jazz where a buddy of his was playing.  We met up with Allen who was thrilled to see us again and quickly invited Greg to play with him and Howard on Thursday night.  It is nice to be comfortably installed in our home away from home again!

The long and the short of it

I’ve been itching for a long run here on Kauai and in fact I’ve been scoping out the possibilities since day one.  But getting there has been a process.  Running at sea level has made breathing seem effortless in one respect.  The humidity however brings other challenges; overheating, being slick with sweat, and running on different surfaces are complications that have slowed me down over the last several days. Not to mention the downpour of rain that I’ve been lucky enough to encounter on each and every run. (It seems to come at 6:15, like clockwork, and lasts for 2-5 minutes and varies from gentle steady drops to an outright deluge.)  While rain is refreshing on a run, issues like slippery substrate, chaffing, and increased chances of malfunctioning technology (I always run with my phone and it doesn’t like to get wet), can complicate things.   So I’ve built my endurance on this island by degrees this week.  We landed on Sunday, being exhausted from travel, I was happy to take short strolls and do some restorative yoga.  Monday and Wednesday we spent some time in the fitness room at the resort and I ran an exploratory mile on Monday and two miles on both Tuesday and Wednesday.  Thursday I was ready to push it three miles but I was frustrated that I was still running at a slower pace than my usual and wondered how I would ever find the strength for a long run on Kauai. 

 

After we toured Waimea Canyon on Wednesday (which is ridiculously beautiful), by Thursday, after days of touring the island we were both rather tuckered out. We spent the day at the pool and enjoyed a meal close to home. (Highlights of our meal at Josselin’s Tapas were furikake crusted Ono with wasabi aioli and ponzu, tempura rock shrimp served on a bubbling dry ice platter, and cocktails from our bar artist like the Lychee Sangria and the Island Old Fashioned made with an infusion of apple, rosemary, ginger juice with kimchee paste). Having taken it fairly easy on the touristy activities yesterday with the exception of our indulgent supper, we had a little energy after dinner to explore the grounds of the Hyatt.  We tried to count how many pools they had and failed.  One flows into the next then trickles down a waterfall into a lazy river, whoever designed these water features was a genius! 

Perhaps all I needed to stock pile energy for a long run was a day off from my vacation, strange as that sounds.  Because when I woke up this morning, I was ready to try for 5 miles, my usual 7 seemed a bit out of reach but I felt ready to leave this little neighborhood of manicured greenbelts and strolling sidewalks and run to the next town to the north, Koloa.  About 2 miles in I realized I had forgotten to plan for water but I was approaching a familiar mini mall where we bought our yogurt at the health food store all week.  I remembered seeing public bathrooms there and sometimes near the public restrooms there is a water fountain.  I made a detour past the deserted shops and was rewarded with ice cold water from the fountain across from the ice cream store around the corner from the bathrooms.  Back on the road this route was sometimes on sidewalk, sometimes a red dirt trail, and other times just the shoulder of the highway. A half-mile of trail was punctuated with large snails crossing in droves, so my concentration shifted to not crushing them as I planned my footfalls. 

Finally I made it to the cows, a countryside pasture just outside of old town Koloa which I had scoped out on our first drive around the area on Sunday.  I thought to myself this Koloa farm is probably only 3 or 4 miles from our condo, I could make it here.  (Granted that was before I had tried running on this island.)  It seems my estimation was accurate, the cows landed me at 3.5 miles, meaning that when I turned around to run home, I would make my 7 mile long run status.  Thrilled that I had finally scored my long run on Kauai, I stopped to snap photos of the cows and chat with them for a moment.  This big black cow tossed her head in annoyance and mooed at me which I translated as , “Stop flapping your gums Haole, we’ve got grass to eat here.”  Knowing I had overstayed my welcome with the bovine ladies of Koloa, I turned tail and ran home.  Back past the snails, shoes smeared in brick red mud, views of the ocean and the green hills, pausing at the drinking fountain to hydrate, back up the hill (which I hadn’t noticed was so much of a hill on the way out), I made it home a little after 7:00 am with 7 miles under my belt and was confronted with a different sort of a challenge. 

As Greg, who was up making the coffee, heralded me as looking sporty, I realized I was drenched in sweat and rain, slippery as one of those snails on the trail. Yesterday during our down time, I had done a load of laundry and all of my previously spent running gear was ready to be packed into the suitcase with all of my clean clothes.  I realized that packing these disgusting garments, even wrapped in a plastic bag would probably befoul the rest of my clothing.  I didn’t want to do a load of laundry to wash 1 pair of jogging shorts, 1 pair of socks, a t-shirt, and a sports bra, that seemed like a waste of water, energy, and time. Greg, ever the problem solver, suggested I just wear them into the shower, give them a good scrub with shower gel and let them dry throughout the day.  Thus I did laundry and took a shower in the same breath.  What a time saver!  I doubt that I’ll make a habit of this back at home, but this is a great travel trick for runners who don’t want to stink up their suitcase as they move from one location to the next.