saturday in pics

Last week I won a mint plant. It died in a mid-week monsoon. This week I won a coconut tree. Everything about the first Kahala Challenge was cool. An 8 am start? Awesome.

Note the orange nails.. this is Dale's tree, and I think he may have done the spray painting.

The overall winner.. on the left. And me, the runner up, second week in a row! Always a bridesmaid.. check out the transition full of canoes, paddleboards, and stand up boards. It was a whole different thing to run a 3.5 mile run knowing that you still have another sport to compete in when you finish. Katherine got away on the swim, and a few more seconds away on the run, and then I made up some time on the paddle.. just not quite enough.

Billy found us paddle boards, then got them to Kailua for us for the race, then rode around on a cruiser cheering us on.

While waiting for awards, Mike asked me what I do for IT band syndrome and I showed him my favorite pre-run psoas stretch. It was contagious. Please note that the famous physical therapist, second from the right, has the wrong arm in the air!

The fastest relay team of Mike, Dale & Jaco with their coconut trees:

What's in the second place bag? A pair of these Kaenon glasses, which look somewhat ridiculous on me, in a nicole richie way. They're so huge that I pulled them out of the bag and laughed... And then I put them on, and it was if my eyes had gone and died to heaven. They're polarized, and the lenses make the world an easier place to look at.. I'm in love. And they make up for the race entry fee times five. I never understand when people complain about prizes at races. They're an added bonus. Today was a super-bonus day.

The race was a perfectly run and such a fun change from the usual triathlon scene. There were many familiar tri-world faces, and even more new faces. There was a calmer, mellower air about it, and many new friends were made. I can't wait for next year.. or maybe Kukio Challenge over on the Big Isle this summer?

After the race we lunched at the outrigger, then walked down waikiki with the Toes on the Nose boys. A pic of me and my barefoot crew:

Down by Canoes we were lucky enough to find Rabbit Kekai, who entertained us for an hour or two with stories of Waikiki in the Duke Kahanamoku days.. he is a rascal. I learned jokes that I will never, ever, ever repeat in my life. In fact, some of them I would like to forget!

That blonde bump just in front of Wyatt's foot? Yeah, this was a kick in the head almost caught on film. We swung on the banyan trees and listened to Sheryl Crow's sound check at the Shell.. it was a nice free concert to end the day.