Hapalua remains a goal and a journey

Hopefully, by the time you read this, my fiance and I will be guzzling water and noshing on malasadas at the finish line of the Hapalua, one of Hawaii’s annual half-marathons.

The Hapalua was created six years ago by the folks behind the Honolulu Marathon, and I’ve run it since the first race set off from the Duke Kahanamoku statue in Waikiki. This morning we joined thousands of other runners, including elite athletes, to tackle a 13.1-mile course that winds through Waikiki, downtown, Ala Moana and Diamond Head.

I have participated in other road races, such as the marathon itself, the Hibiscus Half-Marathon and the Great Aloha Run, but I’ve always stuck with the Hapalua. Even when I swore off nearly all running a year ago, I made it known that the exception would be this event.

One reason is so I can declare myself someone who has run in the event since its genesis. I am inspired by people who’ve done every single Great Aloha Run; no matter what, they find time to train and make their way to Aloha Tower for the early morning start on the Presidents Day holiday.

I’ve already told my fiance that we can’t schedule vacations that interfere with Hapalua training or the day it is held.

Another reason is that participating in an annual athletic event gives me a goal for my regular workouts. I enjoy getting my sweat on, but it can become boring if I’m not training for something bigger than adding another five or 10 pounds to my weightlifting total.

The Hapalua usually lands on the second weekend in April, which means my fiance and I can expect to spend the first few months of the year in training mode.

And finally, I miss running. It was a dangerous crutch for bigger life issues when I did it ’round the clock, which is why I had to quit it almost completely to defeat my afflictions — anorexia nervosa and exercise bulimia, which I detailed in my last column. Still, nothing beats the sense of release I feel when my feet hit the pavement on a cool morning.

In some ways, though, cutting back on running has made Hapalua training more fun. It adds to the anticipation of the event, and it forces us to get outside rather than head to the gym all the time.

“Us” is another factor that has improved the Hapalua experience for me. My fiance is joining me for the second time, proving correct the notion that training with other people is way more fun than going it alone. Solo running isn’t torture, but having someone to run with makes the miles go by a lot quicker.

My one concession to less running has been slower race times. I used to be bummed about not hitting a certain time, but now I am grateful to be strong enough to finish the course with a smile and my favorite guy by my side.

“She Speaks” is a weekly column by the women writers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach Celia Downes at cdownes@staradvertiser.com.