Punahou runner Malia Dickhens on comeback trail from leg injury

Somewhere in the midst of miles on the stationary bike, thousands of laps in the water, Malia Dickhens never lost her why.

Her latest victory came on Saturday morning. The Punahou senior won the first cross country meet of the ILH season at ‘Iolani’s campus with a time of 18 minutes, 22 seconds. Dickhens’ victory came in her first cross country meet since the fall of 2019, when she placed fourth in the state championship meet as a sophomore.

“I tried not to lead. I stayed attached to the leader, me and my teammate Izzy (Ford). We were kind of running together. Neither of us was leading or dragging behind,” Dickhens said.

The 3-mile course was quite the test, yet appealing because of the flat terrain. Her first mile was a 6:20 split, followed by a 6:13 split.

“That’s when Izzy and I pushed ahead. I realized I had energy, so I pushed more,” said Dickhens, who posted a 5:49 final split. “That’s good to know I can start out faster (next time).”

Longtime Punahou coach Duncan Macdonald was enthused by her gradual comeback.

“We feel lucky. She had her trainer on the mainland helping. They were very careful. She’s spent the last two summers in Colorado,” he said. “She came back almost cured, pretty much pain free.”

After winning the ILH cross country title in 2019, she was poised to make a big statement on the track, but two big obstacles stopped her in the spring of 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic and a painful case of shin splints.

The injury developed into stress fractures for Dickhens, who also happened to be growing quickly. Over the course of her departure from competitive sports, she grew 4 inches. She took to the calm water at Ala Moana Beach Park with her teammate and buddy, Ford. The cross training was a blessing. It was also essential if Dickhens was going to return to competition, let alone win again.

“We thought if she was careful and took her time, she’d be OK,” Macdonald said. “She was a little girl and shot up 4 inches at the same time, so we had to let her catch up. She was very patient, and that was probably the most important thing.”

Dickhens’ scenario reminded longtime runner and ‘Iolani assistant coach Jonathan Lyau of another champion.

“I remember Bryce Jenkins (of Leilehua). He was out basically the whole year with stress fractures. He kept himself in shape by riding the bike. To qualify for states, you have to do at least one race, so he just walked one race so he could finish and be cleared to run,” Lyau recalled. “He ended up winning the state meet. That was impressive.”

The convergence of physical growth and high-impact activity require constant monitoring.

“Sometimes you’re growing, you don’t have the supporting muscles to help the stressful areas. I know Malia, before she got hurt, I saw her running a lot around Diamond Head. She liked to run. Looks like she’s strong now, a more powerful runner, and she grew,” Lyau said.

In January, the postponed ILH cross country season began. Dickhens was still recovering, still building her stamina. It wasn’t her time yet. Come spring, she continued to rehab. Then came the ILH track and field championships. She lined up in the 800-meter run and raced to victory, her first competition in 18 months.

“Having the distance background helps for the 800, but you also have to incorporate a lot of speed work. I’ve always liked cross country better, but it was hard to put miles on my legs, so I liked track and field better with the lower mileage,” she said.

Dickhens still isn’t at 100% yet, but getting closer bit by bit.

“I would say I’m at 95, 90%. I do have some pain occasionally. I’m working my body up to the mileage instead,” she said.

That’s why the extended version of cross country season is a blessing in disguise for athletes battling back from injuries. Instead of closing out the season with the state meet in early November, the HHSAA state championships are scheduled for early December. That gives the state’s public school harriers a chance to get momentum after — hopefully — restarting on Sept. 27.

Dickhens’ first sport was soccer when she was 5. She also competed in surfing beginning at 10. Those took a pause when she became a runner.

“What I like about cross country is it feels like every day, we’re doing something 100% of the time, not just drills.”

The camaraderie. The pasta dinners on the eve of races. The bagel topped by cream cheese early in the morning before the run. The lifestyle. Dickhens loves it more than ever.

“Hanging out with all my friends makes me like cross country again,” she said. “It’s the shared pain. We definitely always push each other and everyone wants everyone to improve. It’s a competition, but it’s also working together to make each other better.”

MALIA DICKHENS FILE

Punahou cross country, track and field

>> Did you know?: Malia’s mother, Keala, introduced her to soccer at age 5 and surfing at 10. Malia played for Leahi Soccer Club and competed in surf events until high school.

>> Movies: “Surf’s Up,” “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and “Divergent.”

>> Food: Ahi limu poke from Pupukea Grill, spaghetti, fruits and homemade smoothies.

>> GPA: 3.96

>> New life skill: Barista. “I worked as a Starbucks barista over the summer. I found out I like making coffee. I do drink a lot of it, every day, definitely. Caffeine is said to improve endurance, so that’s how I justify it. I really like the nitro-cold brew coffee.”

>> Shout outs: “I just want to thank all my teammates, all my coaches, all my family. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t like cross country as much. All the fun moments that make race days so worth it. I’m super thankful to have a super fun and close team. I’m definitely going to miss everybody when I go off to college.”