The Aloha Spirit....

The Aloha Spirit is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the Self. Each person must think and emote good feelings to others. In the contemplation and presence of the life force, Aloha, the following unuhi laulâ loa (free translation) may be used:

• Akahai, meaning kindness to be expressed with tenderness;

• Lôkahi, meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;

• `Olu`olu, meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;

• Ha`aha`a, meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;

• Ahonui, meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.

written by Hawaii's treasured kupuna, Auntie Pilahi Paki.

These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii.

Jason and I had the amazing fortune of experiencing the Aloha spirit in numerous ways. It was by far the highlight of our trip to Hawaii. The people that we met, and the kindness that was extended to us was unbelievable. After I mentioned for the millionth time how amazing everyone was, someone called it the "Aloha Spirit". When I read the above description, I couldn't have agreed more. The Aloha Spirit for us was:

Chet "The Jet" Blanton let me borrow his bike, his cooler, his spitz, all without evening knowing my last name! I can't wait to see him again at the Florida Double!

David, a local Oahu resident and runner, volunteered to drive me around the island following Jason. He took over 8 hours out of his day to volunteer, then he even came back that night and the following day! He showed me the Dole pineapple fields, shrimp farms, north shore surfing, etc. He has run virtually every race on the island and I truly enjoyed listening to his race stories and getting to know him.

Wayne, another local Oahu resident basically adopted all the crew members. He brought extra kayaks to the swim start. He brought a cooler for Kellie, ice for the rest of us. When it got windy and chilly at night he went home and brought back sweatshirts and towels. He is the person responsible for getting the magical seagrams brand ginger ale (that Jason swears tastes different and fixed his stomach). Wayne even went so far as to going to the local bike shop and buying extra water bottles for us because Jason lost one on the bike!

Have I mentioned how awesome the volunteers were? It was hot and sunny. I had been awake for over 35 hours. The sun was too bright to get any sleep in the car. So they made me a fort!

Jen will forever be one of my favorite parts of this experience. She is the director for Team in Training , Hawaii and was an assistant RD for the race. She is incredibly encouraging, and very dedicated to helping others! It was my first real experience with TNT, and I have to say, I can't wait to do a race for them and fundraise. Her partner in crime, Rebecca was also an amazing asset. They supported all the athletes and crew with so much love!

Jason Lester went so far above the call of duty for an RD it's hard to explain. If you have never heard of him or his mission, I suggest you take a look at his website and book. He is the person behind the vision of Epicman and Epic 5 and is the definition of what it means to live life without limits and Never Stop.

Although this was a self-crewed, non-supported event, it was the most supported race I have ever been to! People might think that the whole ultra thing is a little crazy, but I think people are crazy for NOT doing these things. How else would we have ever met such wonderful people and experienced such incredible selflessness and kindness from total strangers? I might not make it back to Hawaii anytime soon, but the Aloha spirit is still in my heart!

A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble. ~Charles H. Spurgeon

Aloha from Oahu!

Aloha from Oahu! We arrived safely on Christmas around 4:00pm local time. We were quite surprised to find out that Waikki Beach is quite the tourist area. Very busy and very Japanese. Most menus are in English and Japanese and there are very few Americans here. Tokyo is not a far flight from Oahu. We have also noticed quite a few people from Australia and France.

It is absolutely gorgeous. I am not sure that I have ever seen such beauty! We are trying to pace ourselves, but being the energetic outdoorsy types that we are, we cannot seem to sit still. We went to Diamond Head, a gigantic crater that was a "45-minute strenuous hike each way". This turned out to be a 12 min 45 second jog for me that felt like a crossfit workout. An Aussie challenged me up 1,000 stairs at the end, and with my HR nearing 180 BPM, I beat him to the top and took off. Just when I thought that I was going to puke and pass out simultaneously I saw this:

Jason and Kellie will start Epicman tomorrow at 7:00 am local time, 12:00 pm EST. The race will consist of a 7.2 mile swim, 336 mile bike, and 78.6 mile run. The race format has changed a couple of times in an effort to get the racers and crew together for the night portions.

The swim will be a 1.4 ish mile loop that they will do 5 times and then go back out for the last section to make it 7.2 miles. It takes place at Ala Moana Beach Park, which is a fantastic venue for the swim. Kayaking is not allowed, so I will be on a stand up paddle board for the majority of the swim, providing nutrition as needed and making sure Jason stays on course as he heads back in (half the loops he will be swimming as the sun rises )

Jason will then leave the park and take off on a very scenic, quite challenging 105-mile ride around the island. We are driving it now and it's breathtaking. I will be driving the loop with the RD Jason Lester to make sure Jason stays on course (roads here are pretty tricky, they all have at least 5 vowels, only 2 consonants and seem to be spelled the same).

Once the 105 mile loop is done, Jason will do a 2.8 mile loop 80 times. This will should start Thursday evening and take us overnight. By now the crews will be together and I will be able to get some sleep.

The final portion of the bike will be a short 7 mile trek back to Ala Moana Beach Park for transition.

The run consists of a 9.2 mile run out of the park. Then 7 9.2 mile loops. The run finishes with a 5 mile run to Kapiolani Park.

I am tired just typing the course out!

I will be doing my best to keep everyone updated on Jason and Kellie via FB and twitter, however, keep in mind that there is a 5-hour time difference and that I will be on a paddleboard for 3 hours at the beginning, and then pacing him for a large chunk of the run.

The amount of courage and preparation required to get to the start line of something like this is so impressive to me. All of these athletes are incredibly talented, tough, and dedicated. I am so excited to be able to participate in something of this magnitude.

There is still time to place you bets for Jason's finish time. All proceeds will go to Humble Heroes. Humble Heroes is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to assisting Police Officers and Firefighters that have been injured in the line of duty or fallen ill. Most people don't realize that many police officers work extra jobs to make ends meet. If they are injured while working, they don't get any extra compensation. Police Officers, Fire Fighters (and teachers!) are some of the most under-paid, under-appreciated people in our communities (APD hasn't given pay raises in over 8 years!!) These are the people that we depend on for safety and protection in times of need. Please try and do your part to help them in their time of need. More information on how you can donate can be found here.

Mahalo nui loa in advance for your makana! (Thank you in advance for your gift!)

Jason, Kellie, Chet the Jet:

POMAIKA'I!!!

May you have a wikiwiki race, enjoy the journey and don't forget to SMILE!

Security is mostly a superstition.
It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
- Helen Keller

You can't fix crazy.....

"We are all a little weird. And life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." -Dr. Seuss

Several months ago Jason told me that his friend Kellie had signed up for the Epicman triathlon. When I asked what it was he said "A 7.2 mile swim, 336 mile bike, and a 78.6 mile run." It's a triple Ironman that takes place in Oahu, Hawaii. My first reaction was WOW! That is awesome! You should apply for it! It's limited to 20 participants and it's invite only. I knew Jason's race resume was great and he would get in if he really wanted it.

I know what you are thinking. That a triple Ironman is totally nuts. You are probably thinking that anyone who wants to do something like that is totally crazy. Well, I might be a little off my knocker too, because I thought it was a wonderful idea.

Why support something so insane? Well, let's face it. If the person you love has the courage and guts to apply for a race that has a SIXTY HOUR cutoff then you really have no choice but to support them. Because they obviously have a mental disorder and need help.

I learned a long time ago that you can't change people and you definitely cannot fix crazy. Jason is stubborn and hard-headed, and has more ambition and drive than most people I know combined. He refuses to quit. He has an incredible work ethic and NEVER skips workouts or cuts anything short. Personally he's my multi-sport hero and I try my hardest to support him in every way possible because he does the same for me. I think that ultra distance racing is mostly psychological, and you cannot be successful without a support network. It's not an easy lifestyle and having a partner that totally understands and supports you makes reaching your goals that much more achievable.

Some of you reading this may be the spouse or partner of someone who is "crazy". You might be widowed by the sport and not a happy camper. I get that. My advice? Do something crazy yourself. I decided to ride my bike across Florida.

If dates on a bike aren't your thing here are some other suggestions for how to go crazy:

- start yelling "stranger danger" when people you don't know talk to you

- take up "reverse crosstitching" make a stitch, reverse it, repeat.

-become a skittle separator. Refuse to allow anyone to eat colors out of your specific order preference

-before you meet new people, pop an alka seltzer in your mouth. Proceed.

-play tag in Wal-Mart. Fitting room lady is base.

-Attach signs to water fountains that say "Free water today!"

-visit your local animal shelter. Lay down and say "pick me! pick me!"

ENJOY!