Racing local style

What a gorgeous day it was to race on the beautiful North Shore of Oahu. If you haven't done this race before (second year running), I highly recommend it. It's almost Olympic distance. The swim is short, but beautiful, crystal clear water, reef with fish all over the place, the bike course is a bit long (almost 26 miles) and up, up, up, up snake road which we don't get to ride normally due to it being unsafe with traffic, but the road is completely closed to traffic for the race and they repaved the road which is great. The run is a little short of 6 miles, but exposed, hot and not totally flat...prefect training conditions for a Sunday morning 2 weeks out from Honu. I'm surprised more people don't do this race....I highly recommend it. We need more people to come out next year...so tell your friends! 

I had been planning all along to do this race, but come last week, I was less than motivated, tired and not sure it was the best idea in the world. (I just  had a bad attitude). But I signed up Friday night and said I'd play it by ear race morning. 

My alarm went off Sunday morning and ughhhhhhhhhh, it was early, but I had made the commitment to Chris to race and it really is a great race (see above) and like I said before, perfect opportunity to race before the race! And I'm so glad I adjusted my bad attitude...we GET TO do this, we don't HAVE TO....it was a beautiful day out there and I know a lot goes in to putting on these races, so I'm glad I left my bad attitude at home! 

The highlights....the swim is beautiful and the course was different this year, much easier to navigate and deeper water with less reef. Attitude adjusted as soon as the swim started, I really do love swimming in the ocean, as long as I don't think about the things that are always lurking below the surface. Anyways, beautiful swim. The first few and last few miles of the bike are on a rough road, but what's new, that's riding on Oahu. Getting the opportunity to ride up snake road always makes for a fun ride! The run was uneventful (for me). Lots of cheering and yelling for everyone else that was out there on the course. It's so much fun racing with friends.

I can only hope that next year more people turn out for this race. Thanks Chris, for putting on a super fun, safe, family friendly, challenging, local style event! 

Unrelated....but I wanted to share.....if you haven't seen this floating around Facebook then please check it out...BOCA Hawaii. My BOCA Ohana. 

Proud to be a part of such an amazing group of people who are always there for you no matter what! 

*Thanks Miki and Kristy for the pictures