For La Pietra junior, much more than a race

The expansive range of emotions experienced while running a marathon can be documented with photos, videos and, in this day, selfies on social media.

Aolani Zidek’s documentation of Sunday’s Honolulu Marathon will come forth in a different format. She’ll write about it, share her experiences and, in the end, be graded on it.

The La Pietra junior is running the Honolulu Marathon as part of her yearlong independent study project. Her project will examine marathon training and her experience running the marathon, and incorporate her interests in health, fitness and medicine.

"I thought just go for it," said Zidek, who competes in cross country and is treasurer of the school’s Leo Club. "It’s more for the experience and I wanted to attempt it before I got older and regretted (not doing it)."

All La Pietra juniors must complete an independent study project. They meet monthly with an advisor and present to a panel in April. It’s an opportunity for students to delve into their interests, explore their learning styles, and acquaint themselves with the independence of college life. Projects focus on a diverse field, ranging from literature to fashion to water sports. Zidek’s classmate is building a surfboard for her project.

"For me, I already know what I want to do and what field I want to go into," Zidek said. "It’s nice to have that experience and show what you do."

Her project is an intersection of her interests. She switched from soccer to cross country in the eighth grade. Zidek, who runs for Pac-Five, competed in the past two state championships. She placed 73rd at October’s state meet, improving 29 spots from 2013.

Zidek has continued running and increased her mileage after cross country season. Her school is located next to Diamond Head Road, so she’s familiar with the tough climbs on the course. Her Pac-Five team has tackled those hills during practices.

"They’re really supportive and we have a lot of bonding as a team," Zidek said of Pac-Five, which brings together athletes from small private schools.

A biology class sparked her interest in science and holistic medicine, which she described as "healing through the mind, body and soul." She’s volunteered at Queen’s Medical Center and Pohai Nani, a retirement center. Over the summer, she participated in Na Pua Noeau, a two-week program at UH Hilo in which she learned about medicine.

"You learn Hawaiian medicine and the technical sciences," Zidek explained. "They put them together and it’s a full experience."

Randall Folker, her adviser, is a runner and swimmer. Naturally, he was drawn to Zidek’s initial project proposal. They’ve discussed training, nutrition and points of emphasis in her presentation. He’s even brought up a counterpoint for her to consider: Is marathon running healthy for someone her age? He has no doubt her determination will get her through Sunday’s race.

"She’s put in the background work to complete the race," Folker said. "Not a question of ‘Does she have the will or stamina to do it?’ She has both."