On Sunday, I ran my sixth and final marathon. Leading up to the marathon I was so burned out from training for my fourth full marathon in the last 12 months that I didn’t stress out about it. I chose the marathon because the temperature is usually in the 40s and 50s; however it ended up being in the 50s and 60s. In fact at the beginning of the marathon the MC said that most won’t get a PR due the higher temperatures (it was in the 70s at the end of the race). That gave me a good excuse if I didn’t PR. I also was resigned to the fact that I probably would never break 4 hours in a marathon given that my previous PR in five tries was 4:08:58. The race started at 6:15 a.m. and leading up to the race it was smooth. The marathon started over an hour before the half marathon so parking, the porta-potties, and finding a dry warm place to stretch was not a problem. Being a smaller race, it wasn’t really crowded at the beginning of the race like the L.A. Marathon. I started out the first mile at a 9 minute pace. At mile 7 I was under an hour, and at the mid-way point I was around 1 hour and 50 minutes. I thought I was going out to fast and would soon regret it, but I was feeling OK so I kept the pace. Soon after I lost half of my salt tablets while reaching for them. Trying to keep calm I thought if I got to mile 20 in 3 hours, I would have a shot at a PR. I past the 20 mile marker in 2 hours and 50 minutes. I started cramping at mile 22, but fought through it. By mile 24 I thought 4 hours was possible, so I just tried to enjoy the view for the last couple of miles. I really didn’t think I could break 4 hours, and am still not sure how I did it. I know God kept me calm and answered my prayer of just doing the best I could. I am glad that after 8 years (4 10ks, 6 halfs, and 6 full marathons) I finally accomplished the biggest goal I dared to dream: A sub-4:00 marathon! Praise God. I can officially change big bucket list item #2 to… Run a sub-4:00 hour marathon (Carlsbad 2014)
MLK Weekend
We had a full three-day weekend. Friday afternoon, D drove down to Carlsbad to pick up his race packet. k had her second keiki hula lesson.
Saturday morning, we had a consultation with someone to hang our new-to-us television. Saturday afternoon, k went to a Fancy Nancy-themed birthday party. Saturday night we went to Souplantation so that D could carbo-load.
Sunday morning, D ran what he has deemed his last marathon. (He’ll provide more details, I’m sure). Sunday night, D and k had a daddy-daughter bowling night with her girl scout troop. n and I had a mommy-son date at In-n-Out.
Monday morning we went on a whale-watching cruise in Newport with Davey’s Locker. All four of us only had to pay $32 total, which I thought was a good idea (again, we had free tickets through OC Register). We took our car on the Balboa ferry.
This was our boat.
We gawked at the large homes/boats.
We saw numerous bottle-nosed dolphins. You can only see the tip of the dorsal fin here, but they were pretty active.
We saw California sea lions.
Unfortunately, we saw ZERO whales. Yesterday the boats saw a total of 17 gray whales, and according to the website, they saw 5 gray whales during the later cruises today. Oh well. We received 50% off coupons for our next cruise since we didn’t see any whales, but I’m not sure when we’ll want to try again.
This was the only whale we did see.
n fell asleep. I was thankful that none of us became seasick.
It was a lovely day weather-wise.
Afterward we went to my parents’ house to celebrate my sister’s birthday.
Turtle Rock Community Park
We had some free time on Saturday morning, so we decided to check out Turtle Rock Community Park in Irvine. We started out by checking out the small Nature Center. There is a short trail that is accessible via the back of the Nature Center.
First we consulted the trail map.
Then we headed toward the right, and found the rock maze.
Then we looked at the human sun dial.
I enjoyed reading the quotes along the way.
This is the perfect “hike” for really small kids—even toddlers could do it.
Next the kids played in the park.
We snacked on mini bagel chips—aren’t they cute?
There is also a small stream with ducks.
I enjoyed exploring this park. It is always good to spend some time outdoors, and we are fortunate that such outings are possible in the middle of winter.
A Princess Party
Last weekend k went to a princess-tea themed birthday party. Since the moms were invited, I attended as well. I enjoyed all of the details, and I think I had as much fun as k. I am glad k had another opportunity to wear her Easter dress!
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Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014
Yes, this post is a little late, but better than never. New Year’s Eve we followed our annual tradition of looking through all of our photo albums. At night we tried to all sleep on our couch, per our other tradition, but alas, this was the year when we just did not fit. D volunteered to sleep on the floor.
n took a nap around dinnertime, so he was still awake when D and k were sleeping at around 9:45 p.m. We were all asleep by around 10 p.m., though.
New Year’s Day was all about the food!
Good-Bye KBF!
We used our Knott’s Berry Farm 2013 passes for the last time on Dec. 30. We managed to whittle the price down to less than $5 per person per visit, which was our goal. I am officially tired of Camp Snoopy and I have no plans to return to KBF until n is old enough to ride the faster roller coasters. All in all, we had many fun times there, though, and I’m sure the kids will miss it.
One place that I always meant to visit with the kids, but never did, was the replica of Independence Hall. During our last visit, I made sure we stopped by.
Some day we’ll have to visit the real thing!
It is an interesting stop that took us only about ten minutes.
Big Bucket List Items
Here are D’s big bucket list items: #1 Earn an MBA (Kelley School of Business) #2 Run a Marathon (Completed 5) #3 Visit all 50 states (29 + D.C.) As you can see, I have completed #1 and #2 and am working on #3. I am planning on visiting Minnesota (#30) in April. But it will take me a while to visit the next 20.
The Big Island: Day 7
Our last day on the Big Island was Christmas day. Our flight was not until after 10 p.m., so we really did have the whole day to enjoy.
Christmas decorations
D’s parents provided us with malasadas and mango for breakfast.
The kids opened presents form Grandpa and Grandma.
Then we went to Mauna Lani for one last dip in the pool. I don’t think there are too many places where you can do that on Christmas morning!
The Mauna Lani Hotel lobby had a nice display of unique Christmas trees decorated by various community organizations.
We looked at the sea turtles just outside the lobby.
We ate an early lunch at the hotel.
We took a stroll around the Mauna Lani grounds.
For dinner we went to the Christmas buffet at the Hilton Waikaloa. It was quite an extravagant affair.
n was getting tired—good thing he was free!
Our friendly waiter brought him an extra chair to sleep on.
The dessert display was lovely.
Look who perked up for dessert!
Afterward we packed up and said good-bye. A big thank you to Grandpa and Grandma for allowing us to come to visit. The kids did not want to leave!
Waiting at the Kona airport.
We were all able to sleep on the plane on the way home. Thank you to Uncle K for picking us from LAX at 5 something in the morning!
The Big Island: Day 6, Part II
After lunch, it was time to check off a few things on D’s 1,000 Things To See Before You Die list. The first was Mokuaikaua Church, which was Hawaii’s first church.
They were preparing for their Christmas Eve service.
The building is impressive.
Next stop was Hulihee Palace, which was located right across the street. The palace closed early that day, so we were unable to take a look inside.
We sat on the sea wall on Alii Drive, close to where the Kona Ironman Triathlon starts.
We spotted more of those crabs. A wave crashed into the wall and splashed us shortly after I took this picture.
Huge tree—Banyan, I believe?.
Our next unlikely stop: King Kamehameha Hotel, aka Courtyard by Marriott
D was unsure exactly why this hotel was listed in the book so he asked someone at the registration desk. He asked her if she had ever heard of the book 1,000 Things To See Before You Die. When she said no, he told her the author and that it was on the New York Bestseller’s List and asked her why she thought the hotel would be included. She wasn’t sure, but mentioned that the hotel had a lot of artwork and that there was a historical structure near the back of the hotel.
Ahu’ena Heiau, a religious temple that is a Nathional Historic Landmark
I think we stopped in every single ABC store that we saw along the way, which was a lot. The kids enjoyed being in the air conditioning because it was muggy outside. We needed some refreshment, stat.
Scandinavian Shave Ice to the rescue! This guy may look like an unlikely shave ice expert, but he made one mean Mango-Orange-Passion Fruit shave ice with Mango ice cream. This was the medium size, by the way! I love the way the soft, delicate ice was packed into a perfect orb of ombre deliciousness.
Next we stopped by at Hilo Hattie’s. I had spotted a cute line called Island Yumi at some of the ABC stores, but the best selection was at Hilo Hattie’s.
Next we went Kahalu’u Bay. We didn’t have our snorkel gear, but we were still able to see some sea turtles up close and personal.
For dinner, we went to Kona Brewing Company. It was a little tricky to find, but it was worth it.
Half Puako/Half Honaunau Pizza :: Caesar Salad
It had been a long day, and n fell asleep at the table.
Our final stop was Legacy Church, to attend their Christmas Eve service. Up until now, the GPS included in our Ford Fusion rental car had served us well. It had a difficult time locating the church, which was by Costco, however. We ended up stopping at a Mac service repair shop, which was one of the few businesses open that Christmas Eve evening. Although they did not know exactly where the church was, they pointed D in the right direction and we eventually found it on the second story of a strip mall across from Home Depot.
They had a nice assortment of pupus (which was mainly desserts) brought by the congregation. The church was small, so everyone ate in their seats in the sanctuary before the service, which felt weird.
The service helped to remind us of the miraculous birth of Jesus and why we celebrate it. There was even a hula performance, which reminded us of our church back home.
The Big Island: Day 6, Part I
For Christmas Eve, we went to Kona by ourselves. We did a lot of sight-seeing, hence the two-part post.
First Stop: Target
This Target has an “Aloha Shop” where the “Dollar Spot” is usually located. We picked up some souvenirs, including Kona coffee for D’s co-workers and a Hawaiian Hello Kitty t-shirt for k (in the girls’ section).
Next, we had breakfast at Island Lava Java, which is located on Alii Dr., the main strip.
Kalua Pork Omelet with Portuguese Sausage :: Cinnamon Roll and Kona Coffee
The breakfast here was really good! I can see why it is popular with the tourists. They also had live music that morning (Jack Johnson cover band), maybe because it was Christmas Eve?
The ocean was right across the street.
We walked by the Crocs store and couldn’t resist this photo op.
Next we drove down to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park. We had seen this place featured on Travel With Kids and wanted to check it out.
We did a self-guided tour which was easy with the aid of a brochure and numbered exhibits.
The water was so clear, and we saw multiple sea turtles.
The kids had fun playing with this ancient game.
People were snorkeling in the adjacent bay.
We wanted to make sure we found this trail because I had already stamped it in my passport book. It was closed, but it was too hot to hike anyway.
For lunch we returned to The Big Island Grill, which seems to be a local favorite.
B.I.G. Saimin :: 2 item combo with Chicken Katsu and Teriyaki Chicken
This is a no-frills place in terms of atmosphere, but the portions are huge and the food definitely has that “Hawaiian” flavor.
Well-fueled, we were ready for the next half of our day….