It was a week of wacky wanderings around the island. It was nice to set out on a trip not knowing where or what I was going to do and just wander around aimlessly. My only intentions were to stop at every ice cream shop/bakery on the way and find a hidden cinder cone/pyramid energy vortex hidden deep in Ka’u that apparently has a waterfall inside of it and 50ft. tall ti plants surrounding it. A book claims that such a place exists and 99% of me thought it was foolish and waaaay out there. I have spent plenty of time gazing into those misty hills and they definitely have a powerful presence, like many places on the island. I happened to be feeling a little more foolish than usual so I set off on my quest.
After a long bike ride and walk from Pahala, I ended up deep in the valley surrounded by the giant “pyramids.” There was an overwhelming feeling of calm in the air. For some reason I felt like going no further, and just sat in the grass and enjoyed the silent calm that was echoing through the valley. I think some places are better off left unspoiled by human contact and this is one of those places. The feeling is hard to describe, the area didn’t feel threatening or welcoming but alive and raw like it has a mind of its own.
From Hookena my friend Patrick and I set out on a long paddle down the coast.
I was blown away by the deep blue water and at how clear it was. We paddled into a black sand beach that is only accessible by water; I had no idea the beach was even there. There was a fire pit under a cave with a piece of paper that was used for a painting pallet. It is awesome to think that someone paddled into the beach to camp out and paint pictures under the stars. After 4.5 hours of paddling we washed up on the beach at Hookena exhausted and sunburned.
Big Island Marathon:
I had a great time again this year at the run. I had no expectations coming into it other than to have fun and enjoy! Justin Gillette, a fast runner from Indiana was on the island so we got off to a speedy start. I just wanted to run with him for as long as possible. We spent the early miles talking and laughing, every time he would read out a mile split I would laugh because it was way faster than it felt. We went through the half at 1:15 which shocked me because it was a PR for the distance. At that point I was still feeling good but knew my fate was sealed. Like the moments after ingesting a hallucinogen, the outlook is whatever happens happens and hopefully it’s for the best. Sure enough around mile 17 I heard those familiar voices that said “slow down” “who cares, you’re not a competitive person just enjoy” My head was spinning and I actually stopped running for a few moments and stood on the side of the road. Then for the first time in any race I overcame a mental barrier and cursed myself out because I felt fine physically. I told myself, “What the hell, you have been running hard this whole time, there is no reason to slow down stop the BS.”
"You see, I want a lot.
Maybe I want it all
the darkness of each endless fall
the shimmering light of each ascent
You are not dead yet, it’s not too late
to open your depths by plunging into them
and drink in the life
that reveals itself quietly there."
-Rilke
And with that I started running again and finished with a huge PR of 2:39. Props to Justin for breaking the course record and pushing me to run hard.
