Kauai Marathon Race Recap

September 9, 2014

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Well, Mrs. Roosevelt, I’m proud to report I heeded your advice and wisdom. And then some.

Spontaneity is a word you will almost never associate with me and running. When it comes to racing, everything is planned to a tee. Meals are specific, my urine color is inspected for hydration (yes, seriously), clothes and apparel for every possible condition are packed and ready and activity that requires standing on my feet the day before the race is banished.

Except for when I sign up to run one of the hottest and hilliest marathons of my life just days before the race with no prior knowledge the race even existed. Like the time I went to Hawaii last week and ran an unplanned marathon while I was there.

It was spontaneous. It was spiritual. It was 4 hours of my life I will never forget. It was life truly lived. It was chances seized and taken. It was the Kauai Marathon.

But let me start at the beginning …

Once upon a time, there was a couple (Mr. and Mrs. rUnladylike) who went to Hawaii to celebrate their 5-year wedding anniversary. They had lots of fun adventures planned, like helicopter rides, challenging hikes, exploring beautiful beaches and drinking blueberry mojitos and mai tais.

Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com

When they arrived in Hawaii after sitting in separate seats on the plane from Los Angeles to Kauai, this was the conversation they had at baggage claim:

Mr. rUnladylike: “I was sitting behind a man on the plane who is a running coach. There is a marathon here this weekend and that is why he is here.”

Mrs. rUnladylike (me): “There is? Wow! Where is this marathon? I wonder if it is near where we’ll be staying. Wow, I can’t believe there is a marathon here this weekend!”

Mr. rUnladylike: “Crap, I should never have told you about that.”

When the couple arrived at their hotel, the wife began investigating the marathon secretly on her phone while her husband was in the shower. She discovered that the sixth annual Kauai Marathon started across the street from the resort they would be staying at in just 3 days. What a coincidence.

The wife continued to think about the marathon. For some reason, a magical force continued to pull her toward it. She needed to run a 20-mile training run that weekend and had no idea how or where she would be able to do that … well, maybe there is a way, she thought.

The next day, the wife asked her husband if he would be ok if she ran the Kauai Marathon during their amazing anniversary trip. He said yes, as long as it didn’t interfere with or change any of the things they had planned.

The wife smiled with delight and went to the race expo in a bathing suit and beach cover up and forked over an insane amount of cash to get a bib and a shirt that was too large for her because they had no more left in her size.

Kauai Marathon Race Recap on runladylike.com
Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com
Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com
Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com

This is exciting, this is awesome, this is badass, she thought! This is also completely insane. (Disclaimer: I was fully trained and ready to run this distance. I would never recommend doing something like this if you do not have a solid base over many weeks and months and haven’t run up to 20 miles. You know I had to say that.)

She stayed true to her word and did not allow the marathon to change her and her husband’s plans. The day before the Kauai Marathon she hiked more than 8 challenging miles (a nearly 5-hour hiking trip) through the NaPali Coast, shredding her legs. She then spent several hours on a beautiful beach drinking beers in the sun (aka dehydrating herself), followed by dinner and drinks at a hip restaurant. She didn’t arrive back to her hotel until 10 p.m.

Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com
Getting ready to hike the Kalalau Trail in the NaPali Coast
Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com
This beach was 2 miles into our hike.
Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com
4 miles into our hike at Hanakapi’ai Falls
Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com
We hung out for several hours at Ke’e Beach after our 5-hour hike.

Not exactly her pre-race ritual.

The next morning, as Mr. rUnladylike was fast asleep, the wife got up just before 4 a.m., ate breakfast on the floor of her hotel bathroom (an English muffin with honey, a salted hard-boiled egg and a banana from room service) and walked alone to the start. Diareah was also involved. All of you who run know that is a very good thing.

The wife had no expectations for the marathon. No time goals. She simply wanted to get in a 20-21-mile training run and then she would walk the rest of the way if she had to. With the real deal (the Chicago Marathon) just 6 weeks away at that point, the goal was not to race, it was simply to finish. The humidity was high. The temperatures were blazing. And *cue frightening music* the hills were epic, including the ones during the second half. Some have compared the Kauai Marathon to the Big Sur Marathon in terms of elevation.

This was one of the wife’s running fears: a race in insanely hot conditions with extremely challenging elevation. For many years, hot and hilly races have been her kryptonite. She has believed she can’t run well in these conditions.

That is one of the reasons she felt so compelled to run the Kauai Marathon. Not only was it a chance of a lifetime – one she would probably never get again – it was a chance to prove she was stronger than she believed. That she could conquer anything she set her mind to.

And so, the wife ran the Kauai Marathon. In less than 4 hours. She walked the steep hills and never gave up.

Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com
Running toward the finish
Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com
Kauai Marathon Race Recap on runladylike.com
Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com
Running up the hill
This was on the course (Photo Source: Sport Photo — I have not yet purchased my race photos)

Mr. rUnladylike was waiting at the finish (of course, he didn’t know she peed in her pants after crossing the finish line because that is what she does as an unladylike runner). She took pictures with Bart Yasso, gulped down insane amounts of water and continued to remark on how much she stank (hmmm, perhaps peeeing in your pants will do that to you).

Kauai Marathon Race Recap on runladylike.com

And this might have happened too …

Kauai Marathon race recap on runladylike.com

The couple celebrated in the magical island of Hawaii for the next 5 days, and they lived happily ever after.

*The End*

Kauai Marathon Highlights

The cool thing about this story is that it is not a fairy tale. It happened last weekend, and it is something I will never forget. Here are a few highlights you might want to know about the race.

The stats: There were 1,830 marathon runners and about 1,400+ half marathon runners. 43 states and 12 countries were represented. The youngest marathoner was 16 and the oldest was 71.

Best pre-race highlight: A Hawaiian prayer was given right before the start of the race. It was said in Hawaiian and then in English. What I remember from the prayer was the reminder to keep the spirit of endurance in our hearts and to finish healthy.

Kauai Marathon Race Recap on runladylike.com

What to watch for on the course: Other than the epic beauty of the mountains, ocean and foliage, runners have to be on the lookout for chickens. Chickens and roosters are everywhere in Kauai. I could hear them cock-a-doodle-dooing until mile 3 when the sun came up.

Most memorable miles: Running through a tunnel of trees near mile 6 and all the miles where we were running down toward the ocean. After the race all I could think about was how spiritual the race was. It confirmed how much running is my religion and how blessed I am to have the gift to do it.

Miles I wanted to punch in the face: 12, 13, 15, 16, 19 – the minute the full marathoners split from the half marathoners, we began to climb for what felt like ages. Monster hills that caused me to walk. I walked for the first time around the half-way point, and my strategy was to walk up all the super steep hills for the rest of the race. I actually had more energy walking the hills than the people who tried to run them. I eventually passed most of the people in front of me who ran up those hills.

Best spectator sign: I did all this for a free banana?

What surprised me most during the race: How good I felt during the last 6 miles, which are typically a suffer fest. Thankfully, a great deal of the final miles are mostly downhill or flat (we come down what we went up from miles 12-19). My fastest miles were the last 1.2 of the race.

What surprised me most after the race: I was never sore. Not one bit. While I was a little stiff right after the race, I never experienced an iota of soreness. No walking down stairs backwards or sideways. This is the first marathon I have ever run where I wasn’t sore for at least 3 to 4 days. I’m hopeful this is a testament to my current fitness level and training and that I have way more to give in Chicago in 5 weeks.

Best aid station highlights: Hula dancers, ice cold water with ice cubes in them at nearly every station, a grape popcicle at mile 23 and an ice cold towel scented with lavender waiting for us at mile 25. Did I mention it was hot in Hawaii?

Number of salted caramel GUs consumed: 4

Final time: 3:59:03 – Considering this was just meant to be a training run and I planned to walk as needed the last 6 miles, I was very happy with this time. I thought I would shoot for under 4:15, and this far exceeded that. This marks my seventh marathon, and this time falls smack dab in the middle – sandwiched by 3 faster races and 3 slower races.

How I stacked up to the competition: I was the 8th female overall and 4th in my age group.

The coolest thing about the winner: She was a female. Yes, the overall winner was a woman. She ran the race in 3 hours flat and I have absolutely no idea how she did it in the heat and with the hills. Amazing.

Coolest person to hang out with at the post-race celebration (other than Mr. rUnladylike): Bart Yasso

Most unladylike moment: I washed my disgusting, smelly and slightly urinated on clothes (yes, I peed in my pants a little at the finish line) in the sink after the race and hung them to dry in the shower. When Mr. rUnladylike and I returned to our room after being gone all day and evening, our entire hotel room stank. And yes, it was from my clothes. We had to put them outside on the balcony.

Why you should run the race: Amazing experience, beautiful scenery, incredible place to celebrate your victory. Don’t have any time goals for this race. This is one you do for the pure enjoyment of running.

 “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” ~Helen Keller

Have you ever run a race in Hawaii (or the Kauai Marathon)? If so, tell us about it. If not, what is your ultimate running destination?

Comments

Robyn

I’ve been waiting for this recap! Love everything about it. I want to live with that spirit of adventure too, and to live a life where I can run a spontaneous marathon just because. (Well, maybe a half.) Such an incredible experience. Makes all the drudge running in Atlanta Augusts worthwhile. So so happy for you!!

rUnladylike

Thank you so much for your kind words, Robyn. They mean a lot! You totally live with a spirit of adventure! Thanks for being so supportive always. xoxo

Lauren

This is amazing-you are such a rockstar and are going to kill it at Chicago! I ran my 20 miler a couple weekends ago and couldn’t imagine running the full 26 yet, even at my slow long run pace! It sounded like a beautiful race (minus the stank!) and pushing yourself to be spontaneous can pay off in awesome ways! Cheers!

rUnladylike

Thank you Lauren, you are totally making me blush 🙂 I really appreciate your sweet comments. Great job on your 20-miler. I always say that we are stronger than we believe we really are. Our mind tries to tell us we’re not, but we are and YOU are! Keep up the great running and training! xo

Pam

I always love your blog entries, especially this one. Shows honesty! I love it. I’m guessing you weren’t as sore post race because you are fit and didn’t push yourself too hard on this training run. Congrats!

rUnladylike

Thank you so much, Pam! xoxo

Jenn

That is so absolutely amazing I can’t even handle it!

I also love that you inspect your urine color LOL! I am the same way.

It’s funny how regimented we runners can become. And then something awesome comes up and we throw all caution to the wind (my theme of the week) because doing something awesome far outweighs doing something according to The Plan.

Congratulations! You are going to rock Chicago!

PS – I’m so glad you had a wonderful trip!

rUnladylike

LOL Jenn! This comment made me smile so much. Thank you! I love what you say about doing something awesome far outweighing something according to plan. In this case, that was very true. Thanks again for your kind words. Hope you are doing great. xo

Allie

This is one of the coolest things EVER! I couldn’t believe it when I saw it on Instagram. I mean, seriously? My husband would have NEVER agreed to this, so I think it’s amazing your husband did.
Killer time for not ‘really’ racing and that Tweet from Bart? Priceless. You are awesome. But you already knew that!

rUnladylike

Thank you Allie! It was kind of surreal that it actually happened. The week after I got home I could barely get through 13 miles so it is funny how some days are meant to be and others aren’t. This was one of the good days where you love everything about running. Thanks for your sweet words and all your support. Heart ya girl!

Kristen L

Great recap!! Sounds like a blast.

Kelly

Your discussion with your husband just made me laugh bc it is almost the identical conversation I had with my husband when he mentioned the cooper bridge run was happening when we were in charleston for spring break. It is also a beautiful 10k you should do.

Angie

Great post, you are going to KILL the Chicago Marathon! I was just in Kauai for two weeks mid-August with my family. We stayed in Poipu for one week and then Hanalei Bay for one week. I am training for a half marathon so I had to get my runs in. My longest was 8 miles around Princeville. I have no idea how you ran 26 in that humidity and heat! Every run killed me. No shade, all humidity, and blaring sun. If you can run under 4 hours in that heat and humidity, Chicago will be a breeze! I am so proud of you for giving it your all despite the conditions, your hangover, and not following your pre-race rituals! Also, don’t you love Kauai? My husband and I honeymooned there 14 years ago and promised to retire there one day. I will put that marathon on my bucket list!

rUnladylike

I love that you got a chance to spend so much time in Kauai! I hope you loved every minute of your trip! It is seriously my new favorite place on the planet. xoxo

Lacy @ Running Limitless

I am so happy, no take that back, ELATED for you! Not only is going to Hawaii for your anniversary amazing getting to run such an incredible race makes it that much better. You did really great time wise on a tough course. That should just give you confirmation that you have put in the work and Chicago will hopefully be a breeze for you. So cool you got to hang out with Bart Yasso, I am just waiting for the day he is at a race I’m running. Congrats again! You did awesome. Hope you are doing well.

rUnladylike

Thank you so much Lacy! You are the best! xo

Gabrielle from Austria

Liebe Jesica, du bist großartig! Gratuliere!!! (I think you’ll understand this….)
What a wonderful thing to do! A marathon as a long run, why not? If one is well conditioned – and you sure are!!!- this is a great training. Kauai, running in paradise.
And your husband is great (just like mine – he would do the same!). It was so inspiring to read your race report. Super!

rUnladylike

Thank you Gabrielle! And I think that is the closest I’ve been to Australia! One day I’ll get there 🙂 xoxo

Nicole

This is awesome! I would have been so tempted to do the same thing. And it’s so cool that you were under 4 hours and not even sore!! That’s a good sign! I think you’re going to crush Chicago!

STUFT Mama

YOU ARE AWESOME! I can’t believe we never bumped into each other. Love your recap and I pretty much wanted to punch every mile in the face. LOL. You’re going to rock Chicago!!!!

rUnladylike

Thanks Kristin! I’m still bummed I didn’t get to see you! Congrats on your race and I hope the rest of your time in Kauai was amazing! What an unforgettable place. xo

Sarah @ KS Runner

I’m aiming to do a marathon in all 50 states, so Hawaii is still on the list of places to go. Coolest place I have done a marathon in was Greece. But Boston is a close second.

The race sounds great and your time was amazing! That should give you alot of confidence going into Chicago; you’re going to kill it there! 🙂

Brianna @ I run He tris

What an awesome experience!! I was in Kauai in June of 2012 and there was a 5k/10k that started right down the road from our resort and I still kick myself for not doing it. I was 12 weeks pregnant and not feeling too great so that’s my excuse. 🙂

Lee@tri*inspired*life

So very cool! What an amazing experience! I have been to Hawaii twice (once to Kauai) and I think it is truly a magical place. It is awesome that you took advantage of this opportunity including having a very impressive time! This will prove to be a very cool race story for years to come! Just think…if you ever wanted to race in all 50 states, Hawaii can already be checked off!

Abby @ BackAtSquareZero

How awesome that this happened to be going on while you were there. That is great timing.

Leslie @ Triathlete Treats

Awesome job! Way to keep it a “training” run and not kill yourself. Sub 4 I am sure is setting you up for an epic run in Chicago! (not to mention a BQ)! Chicago is flat and way cooler than Hawaii or Atlanta!! I am so glad that you didn’t do anything special for the race and didn’t interrupt your anniversary plans!! Congrats! Can’t wait to see what you can see what you can do in Chicago! Happy Anniversary too!! xo

Laura @losingrace

I am in love with everything about this post. I loved reading the story and could picture myself doing the exact same thing. So proud of you, big chance taken, chance of a lifetime and well done. Freakin A girl…so awesome. HUGE training run for Chicago, and a kick ass extracurricular activity on vacation 🙂

Erin Kreitz Shirey

LOVE Kauai and love that you raced because it was happening. There is nothing like the spiritual feeling of running in Kauai. Your story was great, so fun! Last Summer we found out about Poipu Days when we landed, so I ran the 10K the next morning. With a couple potty stops since I was 18 weeks pregnant, I was happy to have placed 3rd female. Great kick off to a fun week. Sounds like you need to race in Kauai more often too! 😉 Enjoy the rest of your training for Chicago! xox